Rt. Hon. Robert Jenrick MP, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, announced on Twitter this morning that he had written to every local council in the UK, asking them to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
Mr Jenrick, who has also recently written to all UK universities, asking them to adopt the same definition, stated: “We must fight racism in all its forms – and local government must lead”.
The IHRA definition, which was formally adopted by the Government last year, is non-legally binding, but provides specific and contemporary examples of antisemitism in public life, the media, schools, the workplace and in the religious sphere.
Last month, whilst speaking at a meeting of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, Mr Jenrick announced these plans and described boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel as “divisive”, accusing local authorities of “wasting time and taxpayers’ money pursuing their own foreign policy, often seemingly obsessed with Zionism to the detriment of delivering high quality services for local residents”.
This move comes two years after Mr Jenrick’s predecessor, Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP, first encouraged councils to adopt the IHRA definition in full.
