The Labour Party has dropped legal action against five former members of staff accused of “conspiring” against Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. Among those accused were ex-director of communications Seumas Milne and Karie Murphy, former chief of staff to Jeremy Corbyn. The Labour Party previously claimed they leaked a controversial report soon after Sir Keir became leader in 2020. The document examined the handling of antisemitism complaints under Mr Corbyn’s leadership, but also suggested that anti-Corbyn staffers impeded progress on the issue.
The legal action is estimated to have cost the party millions of pounds, causing concern among critics that funds could have been better spent on the recent general election campaign. There had been private debate among some of Starmer’s supporters as to whether pursuing the action was worthwhile. While the party had been confident of its case, a very senior official previously described the legal action to the BBC as a “gamble”.
The five individuals accused “strenuously denied, and have consistently denied, any involvement or complicity in the leak whatsoever”. Three inquiries or investigations into the leak had been conducted, including the party’s appointment of independent investigator Morag Slater, whose report was unable to name the leakers. A subsequent report by Martin Forde KC found “the criticisms of Diane Abbott are not simply a harsh response to perceived poor performance – they are expressions of visceral disgust”.
The party faced legal action from nine people who claimed their data and privacy had been breached. Labour named the five individuals it considered responsible and took legal action to recoup some of its mounting costs. The legal action continued even after the nine people who had alleged that their data had been breached discontinued their legal action in September 2021.
A joint statement from Labour and the lawyers for the five states: “The party is discontinuing its legal claims against Karie Murphy, Seumas Milne, Georgie Robertson, Harry Hayball and Laura Murray on a ‘no order as to costs’ basis. The five welcome the resolution of the claims.” It is understood neither Labour nor the five have paid costs to each other. With Jeremy Corbyn now expelled from Labour’s ranks, the current leadership is likely relieved that the long-running reminder of party infighting has concluded, though not without a political and financial cost.
The controversy over the leaked document underscored deep divisions within the party, and raises broader questions about the culture and conduct at the party’s highest levels
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