Antisemitism Debate
Full Debate: Read Full DebateBaroness Ramsey of Wall Heath
Main Page: Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath's debates with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
(1 month, 2 weeks ago)
Lords ChamberI commend the work being done in Sheffield to promote tolerance between faiths. It is important that we do that. The problems do not lie in people in our communities getting together; they lie with those who want to cause division and hatred between communities. If we work more to bring faiths together in communities, so that we properly understand that we all have more in common than divides us, when people get together they will support each other and we will see a wonderful synergy between them. I hope there will be more of the type of charter to which the right reverend Prelate referred.
Baroness Ramsey of Wall Heath (Lab)
My Lords, the Community Security Trust recorded 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025, including 1,500 online incidents and 984 involving Holocaust denial, Nazi glorification or Holocaust distortion. Does my noble friend the Minister agree that social media platforms are no longer passive hosts of hatred but active accelerants of radicalisation, conspiracy theories and anti-Jewish incitement? What further steps are being taken to ensure that rising antisemitism and racism is challenged online?
I have set out some steps already, but DSIT Ministers are also closely engaged with the Jewish leadership community, social media platforms and Ofcom to identify where we can go further to tackle antisemitic content online. It is important that we do this and that we make sure that Ofcom, the independent regulator, is also using its information gathering against services that fail to comply.