The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-semitism – IHRA – was adopted by Theresa May’s Conservative government in 2016. Since then, many statutory bodies have adopted the definition, most recently, NHS England.

In October 2025, the government asked NHS England to adopt the IHRA definition of anti-semitism, without public consultation. Serious concerns were raised by Doctors in Unite and over 23 other organisations. The definition contains vague, imprecise examples and conflate criticism of Israel or Zionism with anti-semitism. With many Jews identifying as anti-Zionist, this has led to the absurd position where Jews themselves have been arrested by the police with the accusation that they are anti-semitic! Such a ludicrous
situation was emblematic in Keir Starmer’s Labour Party before he became Prime Minister in July 2024. The Labour Party adopted the IHRA definition in 2018. Jewish labour members who identified as anti-Zionist or critical of Israel’s war crimes and apartheid laws, found themselves labelled as anti-semites and suspended – or expelled – from the party.

Jewish Voice for Labour identified that:

“There is considerable evidence that Jewish members have been disproportionally targeted with investigation for antisemitism. It appears that as a population share, almost five times more Jewish than non-Jewish Labour members have faced complaints of antisemitism which have been investigated. We estimate that Jewish JVL members have been subject to actioned antisemitism complaints at a rate 20 times greater than non-Jewish Labour members”

Jewish Voice for Labour

How Labour’s claim of countering antisemitism has resulted in a purge of Jews

Official JVL statement submitted to the EHRC and the Forde Inquiry.

The IHRA has serious flaws and has been used to unlawfully restrict freedom of expression and political debate, and to silence regulated professionals from speaking out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

All UK statutory bodies most uphold equality and freedom of expression of the British people, guaranteed under Art 10 ECHR and s.6 HRA 1998. That means revoking the IHRA.

Right to Protest Ltd will continue to challenge the adoption of the IHRA, which we believe unlawfully suppresses free speech, criticism of Israel, criticism of Israeli war crimes, criticism of imperialism and further, constitutes a blasphemy law.