Soon after Jeremy Corbyn’s ascent to the Labour leadership, we saw two changes: anti-Semites in the party became bolder, and those anti-Semites ceased to be firmly punished, emboldening others to join their denunciations of the Jews or ‘Zionists’.

As this cycle developed, the roar of anti-Semitism grew louder and louder, until it now roars from the Labour Party’s grassroots with the support or acquiescence of its leadership.

At first, our British Jewish community looked on hoping to believe Corbyn’s failure to act was born out of incompetence or a failure to recognise the Jew-haters among whom he had marinated for much of his life.

That hope died when Corbyn instituted the Chakrabarti inquiry into anti-Semitism in the party, which produced a whitewash of the problem and a peerage and shadow cabinet seat for Chakrabarti.

As revelations about Corbyn’s own past emerged into the light, many of us felt that we were dealing with an anti-Semite steadily allowing the institutionalisation of anti-Semitism within his party.

Ironically, it was the once fiercely anti-racist Labour Party which created a watchdog to guard against just such a nightmare. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the last line of defence against brazen racists and institutional failures to deal with them.

It has tackled the British National Party and uncovered discrimination within the Metropolitan Police. It has tough powers to investigate systemic hatred and compel action against it.

As an apolitical charity, it is only as a last resort that Campaign Against Anti-Semitism asked the commission to step in, and step in it has, yesterday launching a full statutory investigation into anti-Semitism in the Labour Party under section 20 of the Equality Act 2006.

The country has watched for years as incidents of anti-Jewish hatred have become commonplace in the once anti-racist Labour Party, as the machinery of the party has been corrupted to excuse anti-Semitism while punishing those, like MP Ian Austin, who stand up against it.

Campaign Against Anti-Semitism has given evidence of this discrimination, harassment and victimisation to the commission, and now all this will be scrutinised methodically and impartially.

The EHRC has set terms of reference for its investigation, which closely follow our recommendations and will see a root and branch examination of anti-Jewish racism in Labour, as well as how the party’s processes and decisions may have contributed to its rise.

The commission has statutory powers to compel Labour to reveal details of its handling of anti-Semitism in recent years, including internal communications such as WhatsApp messages and e-mails. The commission can also seek court injunctions against Labour to prevent further anti-Semitic discrimination, harassment and victimisation.

At the end of the investigation, the commission will not just issue a report; it can also impose an action plan on Labour and enforce compliance through the courts.

It should not have come to this. Jeremy Corbyn, general secretary Jennie Formby and Labour’s National Executive Committee should have listened to British Jews, and Labour’s own MPs, MEPs, councillors and activists who have been quitting the party they love because it has become institutionally racist against Jews.

Just yesterday, when Labour expelled Alastair Campbell, we were reminded that when Labour wants to act, it can do so with great speed. That makes it all the more contemptible that it has dithered for years over how to treat Holocaust deniers and anti-Jewish conspiracy theorists, often excusing them and welcoming them back into the fold.

Under Corbyn’s leadership, the once ferociously anti-racist Labour Party is perceived as such a danger that we hear from members of our community constantly that were Corbyn to become prime minister, they would take the drastic step of leaving the country. Some have made preparations already.

The commission’s investigation has begun and not a moment too soon. Justice must be delivered, but the fact such an investigation became necessary forever shames the Labour Party and those who defend it.

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