Former JLM chief Peter Mason is launching his bid for election to Labour’s governing body

Former Jewish Labor leader Peter Mason has launched a bid to be elected to the ruling national executive committee (NEC).

Ealing Council leader Mason is one of six pro-Keir Starmer candidates on the Labor To Win list, which is running for the party’s powerful internal election decision-making body.

While the NEC has been critical in promoting measures to tackle antisemitism in the party in recent years, if elected Mason will become the first community representative on the body for some time.

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The late former Secretary of Labor, Gerald Kaufman, had previously served on the NEC.

Confirming his election candidacy, Mason, 38, told the Jewish News: “Keir Starmer had the support of the Jewish community and Jewish members when he set out to stamp out anti-Semitism in the Labor Party.

“He knew that changing the Labor Party was not just about getting ourselves elected again, but because it was the right thing to do. I have seen this commitment first hand and I believe it.

“Now he is prime minister, it’s time to support him. That starts with electing people to the NEC who will support the leadership as we begin to change the country.”

Peter Mason, right, at the Downing Street meeting with Labout advisers

The NEC is made up of representatives from every section of the party – the Shadow Cabinet, MPs, Councillors, Trade Unions, Socialist Societies, Constituency Labor Parties (CLP), Young Workers and BAME Labour.

Its main purpose is to provide strategic direction for the entire Party and to work in partnership with the Party’s representatives in Parliament, devolved administrations and local government to ensure the Party’s objectives across the country.

In recent years, the NEC has had a pro-Starmer majority among its 40-odd members, who also perform crucial roles such as sitting on disciplinary committees, including some involving anti-Semitism.

Mason, who joined Labor aged 18, was national secretary of the JLM during the critical fight against antisemitism under Jeremy Corbyn, before becoming leader of Ealing Council in 2021.

His JLM colleague at the time was Adam Langleben, now director of the influential group Progressive Britain. The pair were instrumental in forcing the equality watchdog, the EHRC, to launch their devastating investigation into Corbyn’s failure to tackle anti-Jewish racism.

“No one has done more than Peter in the bad times to shine in the dark depths of the party,” Langleben said. The Jewish News.

“Now he wants to finish the job we all started and help Keir hold on to his hard-fought victories.

“Labor will be kept in the service of Labor people because of Peter and other Labor To Win NEC members.

Mason was recently elected deputy leader of the LGA Labor Group by councilors from across the UK, who were invited to a meeting in Downing Street this week.

Gurinder Singh Josan, Chairman NEC Labor Disputes Committee

Gurinder Singh Josan MP at Labor To Win meeting

Alongside him in the NEC election are Angela Davies, Abdi Duale, Anu Prashar, Jane Thomas and Mary Wimbury.

Meanwhile, two new MPs Luke Akehurst and Gurinder Singh Josan, who quit the NEC during the election campaign, were re-elected after their fellow MPs elected new MPs to fill NEC roles reserved for MPs on Wednesday. .

In a further boost to the influence of Starmer’s wing within the party, Labor MPs this week voted for his former parliamentary private secretary, Jessica Morden, to be their “promoter” as chair of the Parliamentary Labor Party.