Labour reinstates former complaints chief John Stolliday amid factional controversy

John Stolliday has returned to Labour as executive director of the party’s governance and legal unit, a role he previously held from December 2016 to June 2018 during the height of the antisemitism crisis under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. The appointment was made through a standard recruitment process, but party general secretary Hollie Ridley - a close ally of Keir Starmer - is understood to have pushed the decision before stepping down after the upcoming Liverpool conference.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s investigation had identified systemic failures in handling antisemitism complaints, though it did not single out Stolliday. Since his 2018 exit, the party overhauled its complaints procedures, addressing issues such as inadequate training and a policy of ignoring social-media “likes”. Party insiders describe the move as a deeply factional choice that risks reviving past mismanagement, while the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy calls for a fresh start with impartial staff. Labour’s spokesperson maintains that the EHRC’s findings have been fully remedied and warns against defamatory links between institutional failings and individual staff.