Antisemitism

Debate between Baroness Deech and Baroness Taylor of Stevenage

Thursday 11th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

There is a huge responsibility on online platforms to tackle this dreadful spread of misinformation. It is way past the time for them to take their responsibility more seriously. We are all in favour of free speech, but when it creeps into misinformation, inciting violence and spreading the kind of long-held misinformation to which the noble Lord referred, they need to tackle that. We are using the full strength of the powers under the Online Safety Act to tackle illegal and antisemitic content online. That places duties on platforms and other services in scope to address illegal hate content and content that is harmful to all. It is not only very concerning for our Jewish community but extremely harmful to our young people.

[Baroness Deech (CB)]

My Lords, have the Government taken the advice of global Jewish scholars, who have concluded that Holocaust education and memorialisation have no effect and can be positively damaging? This is supported in reviews by University College London. Youth education should instead be about Jewish life and history, and specifically about antisemitism—about life, not death. We do not need another Holocaust memorial; we need a Jewish museum in London. We can use that £200 million to celebrate a thousand years of Jewish contributions to this country.

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

The Government are firmly committed to supporting Holocaust education, but I am pleased to tell the noble Baroness that, this week, I met with Andy Pearce from UCL to talk about the programme of education that that institution is undertaking. He told me about the evidence-based approach it takes to that education and how it is going to tackle some of the gaps it is finding in young people’s knowledge. Jewish Culture Month, which I referred to earlier, is a clear way that we can celebrate and inform the wider community about the wonderful heritage of our Jewish community.

Local Elections: Cancellation

Debate between Baroness Deech and Baroness Taylor of Stevenage

Wednesday 21st January 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

If those elections are agreed for cancellation, the councillors who would have been due for election will already have an electoral mandate. The councils have decided whether they wish to go ahead with the elections. This is about the capacity of the councils; it is not a political issue.

[Baroness Deech (CB)]

My Lords, this Government have, rightly, condemned some of the ethical standards of the previous Government. They have prided themselves on setting up an Ethics and Integrity Commission, whose work includes, inter alia, ministerial standards, the Electoral Commission, and, above all, the Nolan principles, one of which is accountability. Which of these codes, commissioners for standards and so on has the ability and the right to enforce the Nolan principle of accountability and ensure that elections take place?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

I agree with the noble Baroness about accountability and the Nolan principles. It is also the duty of councillors to make sure that they can provide the quality of public services that we expect of our councils. If they are struggling with capacity, it is for them to come forward as part of this process and let us know that that is the case.

Commission on Antisemitism Report

Debate between Baroness Deech and Baroness Taylor of Stevenage

Thursday 17th July 2025 Lords Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (Baroness Taylor of Stevenage) (Lab)]

My Lords, before I answer the Question asked by the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, I start by wishing the extraordinary survivor from the Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a very happy 100th birthday today. I repeat her advice to young people, which was broadcast this morning. She told them:

“Hate is a poison and in the end you poison yourself … Talk to each other before you kill each other”.


I think that is wonderful advice.

Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, which is why our Government are taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms. We will carefully consider the recommendations of the report. The Government continue to work closely with their Independent Adviser on Antisemitism, my noble friend Lord Mann, and their Antisemitism Working Group, on the best methods to effectively tackle antisemitism and engage Jewish communities around international, national and local events affecting British Jews. I thank my noble friend Lord Mann and Dame Penny Mordaunt for their work on this report and their wider contribution.

[Baroness Deech (CB)]

My Lords, I echo the Minister’s thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Mann, for all the work he has done fighting antisemitism and for producing this really rather shocking report. Antisemitism, he says, did not increase because of Gaza. It was released from underground by 7 October and, sadly, was nurtured by the BBC being economical with the truth. It is rooted in the unfortunate myths still taught in school religion classes, which need to be tackled, and it is not dispelled by Holocaust education. Most shocking is the NHS, where Jewish patients cannot feel confident of fair treatment: there were more than 400 complaints since 7 October, most of them closed or not processed. Will the Government place the NHS at the forefront of their actions?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

My Lords, the evidence that my noble friend Lord Mann and Dame Penny Mordaunt quoted in the report and in the subsequent article published by my noble friend relating to the specific unaddressed issue of antisemitism within the NHS was shocking. They made two recommendations: a summit for NHS leaders across the UK and basic training across every NHS trust. I am sure that my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will take those recommendations very seriously and look into them.