Michael David Katz, Baron Katz, , is a British politician and former national chairman of the

Jewish Labour Movement The Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), known as Poale Zion (Great Britain) from 1903 to 2004, is one of the oldest socialist societies affiliated to the UK Labour Party. It is a member of the progressive coalition of Avodah/ Meretz/ Arzenu/ Amein ...

. Katz served as a councillor for

Camden London Borough Council Camden London Borough Council, also known as Camden Council, legally The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Camden, is the local authority for the London Borough of Camden in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one o ...

from 2010 to 2014. He was the Labour parliamentary candidate for

Hendon Hendon is an urban area in the London Borough of Barnet, northwest London northwest of Charing Cross. Hendon was an ancient Manorialism, manor and parish in the county of Middlesex and a former borough, the Municipal Borough of Hendon; it has ...

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

and Cities of London and Westminster in

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

. In 2016, Katz was noted as saying that he had not seen any evidence of

antisemitism in the Labour Party Allegations and incidents of antisemitism within the British Labour Party have involved members and affiliates of the party. These incidents have spanned various periods and have involved stereotypes, conspiracy theories, and offensive langua ...

for which he was criticised by many in the Jewish community. However, as chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, Katz gradually came to believe that the Labour Party under

Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...

had become institutionally antisemitic, citing persistent inaction, denial, and political interference in addressing complaints. At the 2016

Labour Party Conference The Labour Party Conference is the annual conference of the British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party. It is formally the supreme decision-making body of the party and is traditionally held in the final week of September, during the party conferen ...

, Katz was heckled while speaking on antisemitism, an incident he saw as indicative of growing hostility. By April 2019, Jewish Labour Movement passed a motion of no confidence in Corbyn and warned of possible disaffiliation, describing local party environments as increasingly hostile to Jewish members. Following the

BBC Panorama ''Panorama'' is a British current affairs documentary programme broadcast on the BBC. First broadcast in 1953, it is the world's longest-running television news magazine programme. ''Panorama'' has been presented by many well-known BBC presen ...

documentary '''Is Labour Antisemitic?, broadcast in July 2019, Katz asserted in an article for

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

that ''“no objective viewer can doubt that Labour is institutionally racist against Jews"''. Katz was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(MBE) in the

2025 New Year Honours The 2025 New Year Honours are appointments by King Charles III among the 15 Commonwealth realms to Orders and decorations of the Commonwealth realms, various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The ...

for Political and Public Service. He was nominated for a life peerage in December 2024 by Prime Minister

Keir Starmer Sir Keir Rodney Starmer (born 2 September 1962) is a British politician and lawyer who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024 and as Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party since 2020. He previously ...

for the Labour Party as part of the

2024 Political Peerages A list of nominations for life peerages was announced by the Prime Minister's Office on 20 December 2024. Life Peerages Labour *Prof. Wendy Alexander, – Vice Chair of the British Council, former Member of the Scottish Parliament for Paisley No ...

. He was created as ''Baron Katz, of Fortune Green in the London Borough of Camden'' on 28 January 2025. On 11 April 2025, Katz was appointed as a

Lord in Waiting Lords-in-waiting (male) or baronesses-in-waiting (female) are peers who hold office in the Royal Household of the sovereign of the United Kingdom. In the official Court Circular they are styled "Lord in Waiting" or "Baroness in Waiting" (without ...

(

Government Whip A whip is an official of a political party whose task is to ensure party discipline (that members of the party vote according to the party platform rather than their constituents, individual conscience or donors) in a legislature. Whips a ...

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century British Jews 21st-century British Jews 21st-century British politicians Councillors in the London Borough of Camden Jewish British politicians Labour Party (UK) councillors Labour Party (UK) life peers Labour Party (UK) parliamentary candidates Life peers created by Charles III Members of the Order of the British Empire UK councillors 2010–2014 {{Life-peer-stub