Tackling Antisemitism: National Security Adviser

Lord Mann Excerpts

Tuesday 20th October 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

This Government remain supportive of a two-state solution and maintain the right of Israel to exist. One can hold two views, I think: we can have legitimate criticism of the Israeli Government alongside supporting the country’s right to exist.

[Lord Mann (Lab)]

My Lords—

[Baroness Ludford (LD)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Katz (Lab)]

My Lords, we still have time for questions from more than one Bench. We will go to the Labour Benches first.

[Lord Mann (Lab)]

My Lords, following my letter to the new Prime Minister outlining some serious issues with the security and well-being of the Jewish community, I was delighted to hear that last week, for the first time in our history, the National Security Council was convened specifically to discuss the Government’s response to, and actions on, antisemitism. Does the Minister agree that, going forward, a cross-government response to antisemitism is crucial—not one that hides in individual departments but one where the whole of government, using the principles that the National Security Council will have met on, take forward a whole of government response?

[Baroness Twycross (Lab)]

We have to have a whole of government response, as otherwise we cannot tackle this. I thank my noble friend for his work and his review into antisemitism and racism in the NHS and the healthcare system. We are expecting the findings of Sir David Bell’s independent review into antisemitism in schools and colleges shortly. Unless we look at and tackle antisemitism wherever it is found and wherever it manifests its ugly head, we will not tackle it effectively. This will definitely require an all-government, whole of government approach.