Labour has agreed to pay “substantial damages’’ to seven whistleblowers over “defamatory and false allegations’’ made following a BBC Panorama investigation into antisemitism.
The party also issued an unreserved apology to the former staff members and to John Ware, the journalist who presented the July 2019 programme.
In a statement Labour said that before the programme was broadcast the party had issued a press release that contained “defamatory and false” allegations about their own employees and Mr Ware.
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“We unreservedly withdraw all allegations of bad faith, malice and lying. We would like to apologise unreservedly for the distress, embarrassment and hurt caused by their publication. We have agreed to pay them damages,” the party said of the whistleblowers.
It also withdrew the allegations about Mr Ware, saying: “John Ware is a very experienced broadcast and print journalist, producer and author, and we have agreed to pay damages to him.”
Keir Starmer, the new Labour leader, has committed to tackling the antisemitism crisis which has dogged his party for four years.
In the statement Labour said it acknowledged that in order to restore with the Jewish community it had to be “open, transparent and [respect] the right[s] of whistleblowers and the free press.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC will always support fair and impartial reporting, exposing wrongdoing and holding power to account. The Panorama programme did precisely that, but was subject to an extraordinary and vitriolic attack by the Labour Party.
“We welcome today’s long overdue apology to John Ware and the seven Panorama whistleblowers, who have been subjected to painful and damaging personal attacks on their integrity and character. We applaud their strength to take this case forward and are pleased it has been recognised in court that these extremely serious and damaging allegations against them were false and have been unreservedly withdrawn.
“John Ware is a reporter with an extraordinary record of excellence at Panorama for investigative journalism in the public interest.”
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It is thought the party will pay a six figure settlement.
The Jewish Labour Movement welcomed the decision to apologise and pay damages.
The group said the whistleblowers had “brought to the public’s attention the scale of discrimination perpetrated against Jewish Labour members”.
“It is a sad reflection of its historic role as the party of working people that Labour sought to pursue and silence its former employees for speaking out against racism.”
The Panorama row happened when Jeremy Corbyn was Labour leader. Sir Keir’s predecessor has always denied allegations he presided over a surge into antisemitic abuse within the party when he was leader.
An unprecedented investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into Labour and antisemitism is expected to be published later this year.
