Antisemitism is an ‘urgent issue’ across the UK, Penny Mordaunt warns

Dame Penny Mordaunt has said she was “stunned into silence”, when she undertook a Government-backed review into antisemitism in the UK.

The former Conservative Minister has chaired an independent commission with the Government’s antisemitism adviser, Lord John Mann.

The commission, working with Britain’s largest Jewish community organisation the Board of Deputies, probed the extent of antisemitism in the UK.

Writing in the Telegraph, the pair warned of the “urgent” issues they found in their investigation.

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“Even with decades of these experiences, we were still stunned into silence by the evidence that we received as independent chairs of the Board of Deputies Commission on Antisemitism, particularly from young people in the Jewish community,” they said.

“This is an urgent issue not just for the Jewish community, but for the United Kingdom as a whole. We are all harmed if we tolerate the abuse of some of our fellow citizens by those who hold warped or extreme views.”

In 2024, Parliament heard from then-Minister for Crime, Policing and Fire Chris Philp that incidents of antisemitism had risen by 147% between 2022 and 2023.

Similarly, Jewish charity the Community Security Trust (CST) reported in 2024 that 5,583 antisemitic attacks took place in the UK following the October 7 attacks.

The commission’s findings spanned beyond the general public however: the report, due for publication on Tuesday, is expected to make recommendations to public services on how to better safeguard from antisemitism.

Lord Mann and Dame Mordaunt set out ten specific recommendations, largely aimed at the public sector.

As well as making broader recommendations for those working in education and the arts to do more to tackle antisemitism, they have recommended the NHS holds a specific summit and “basic training on contemporary antisemitism” to tackle the “unaddressed” issue within their ranks.

They stated: "From evidence that we heard, we can identify that there is a specific unaddressed issue of antisemitism within the NHS. We recommend that a summit should be held with NHS leaders across the UK to begin to address this," the pair wrote.

NHS Employers do currently host training seminars on antisemitism and islamophobia, but the Jewish Medical Association has complained of increased “unanswered” instances of antisemitism against medical staff since 2023.

An NHS spokesperson said: "It is completely unacceptable for anyone to experience racism, discrimination or prejudice in the health service, whether staff or patient, and the NHS takes any instance of antisemitism or discrimination extremely seriously.”

"The NHS provides care and treatment for everyone regardless of race, faith, or background and all NHS healthcare providers should have policies in place to address issues like this in the workplace."

They also called for more of an emphasis on antisemitism awareness and training in primary schools, calling on faith schools to highlight anti-Jewish tropes in their curriculum.

“It is unacceptable that the Jewish community has faced an onslaught of antisemitism since October 7,” Lord Mann said.

“While this is not new, the commission heard shocking experiences that we will not ignore. Antisemitism is racism, and it must be treated as such.”

“No person should face abuse or discrimination whilst going about their business, whether it is pursuing the career of their choice or accessing public services,” said Dame Mordaunt.