A devastating report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission has laid bare the failings in the party under former leader Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership and his failure to tackle anti-Semitism.
Andy Burnham has responded to the damning report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which found the Labour party was responsible for unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination.
The investigation found evidence of “political interference” by then leader Mr Corbyn’s office in the complaints process.
The EHRC’s interim chairwoman Caroline Waters said there had been “inexcusable” failures which “appeared to be a result of a lack of willingness to tackle anti-Semitism rather than an inability to do so”.
During a lunchtime phone-in on BBC Radio Manchester, in response to a question from presenter Mike Sweeney, Mr Burnham described it as "a painful, painful day".
Mr Burnham said: "When I joined this party 35 years ago, [it is] one I could never imagine happening. But there we are - it's happened. It's a black day for the Labour party.
"I've had my differences over the years and grown more distant from the party.
"There's a tendency down there to put politics before people. This is where political parties go wrong and mine's gone very drastically wrong in this case.
"Personally, from my point of view to the Jewish communities of Greater Manchester please, from my point of view, please accept my personal apology to all of you.
"You should never have ever been put in this position where a national political party was found guilty of the things that have been said today."
The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer – at a press conference with a backdrop stressing “a new leadership” – said: “If – after all the pain, all the grief, and all the evidence in this report – there are still those who think there’s no problem with anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, that it’s all exaggerated, or a factional attack, then, frankly, you are part of the problem too.
“And you should be nowhere near the Labour Party either.”
The Jewish Labour Movement said blame for the “sordid, disgraceful chapter” in the party’s history “lies firmly with those who held positions of leadership”.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism’s Gideon Falter said: “Jeremy Corbyn and those around him who took part in, or enabled, the gaslighting, harassment and victimisation of Britain’s Jewish minority are shamed for all time.”
A joint statement from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council and the Community Security Trust said: “This report is a damning verdict on what Labour did to Jews under Jeremy Corbyn and his allies.”
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