Two of the most spectacular standing ovations at Labour’s Annual Conference at Brighton, only exceeded by those in Jeremy Corbyn’s closing address, were for podium speeches of just 3 and 5 minutes duration. The speakers were two Jewish delegates, Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi and Leah Levene, both members of an organisation that only launched itself on the second day of conference.
That organisation was Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), set up for Jewish members of the Labour Party. Several non-members who attended the launch told me that it was, for them, the best fringe meeting of the Conference. I am a member of JVL. So this account (of why it was born, and what it might achieve) is not that of a neutral observer.
What did those heartfelt conference cheers signify? One of JVL’s defining characteristics is that it is not the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM). But more of that later. There is a need for some historical background.
