70 staffers have given sworn statements to Labour anti-Semitism probe, say lawyers

Seventy Labour Party staffers have given sworn statements to the official investigation into anti-Semitism in the party, lawyers have said.

The testimonies include evidence that there was widespread "interference" in the party's internal investigations into complaints, according to James Libson, a lawyer representing the Jewish Labour Movement.

The statements were gathered by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is leading the official inquiry into alleged institutional anti-Semitism in the party that has prompted several MPs and members to quit.

It comes after Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn finally apologised for the massive anti-Semitism row surrounding the party.

Mr Corbyn was heavily criticised for repeatedly refusing to apologise during an earlier interview with Andrew Neil after the Chief Rabbi branded him as unfit for high office and blasted his perceived inaction over tackling the problem.

Senior Labour figures have now insisted the party had "toughened up" its procedures and that cases were now being dealt with properly.

Asked if an assertion by Mr Corbyn that every case of anti-Semitism had been dealt with was incorrect, Mr Libson told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "Very much so."

He said: "There are many, many outstanding complaints, many examples of interference and many examples of double standards in the way in which complaints are processed."

Asked if there was evidence that the Labour leader's office was "interfering" in the investigations process, Mr Libson said: "There has been interference and that interference has unfortunately become institutional.

"Institutional in the sense that people affiliated with the leader's office - and now in the actual unit that are investigating - and that at a more basic level, information is passing between the leader's office and investigating unit."

He added: "Passed by USB sticks, by WhatsApp groups, secret WhatsApp groups."

However shadow housing secretary John Healey insisted Labour had "toughened up" its approach to dealing with the issue.

Challenged on whether every case of anti-Semitism in Labour was being dealt with, he told the Today programme: "Having been too slow and too weak at the start, the action being taken now has been toughened up.

"An in-house lawyer, special appeal panels to deal with complaints, new fast-track expulsion powers that are being used."

He added: "I'm confident that cases coming in are being dealt with and if they are coming in they will be dealt with."

Mr Healey apologised to the Jewish community, who he said "feel let down" by the way the Labour has handled cases of anti-Semitism in the party.

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