Difference between revisions of "Antisemitism Policy Trust"

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The Antisemitism Policy Trust lists four active directors – [[William Bennett]], Sir [[Trevor Pears]], [[Nigel Rowley]] and [[Ian Shaw]].<ref>Companies House [https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04146486/officers Antisemitism Policy Trust.] </ref> The Trust provides the secretariat to the [[All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism]] and the office to the Government's Independent Advisor on Antisemitism, [[John Mann]].
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The Antisemitism Policy Trust lists four active directors – [[William Bennett]], Sir [[Trevor Pears]], [[Nigel Rowley]] and [[Ian Shaw]].<ref>Companies House [https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/04146486/officers Antisemitism Policy Trust.] </ref> The Trust provides the secretariat to the [[All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism]] and the office to the Government's Independent Advisor on Antisemitism, [[John Mann]].
  
 
The [[Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism]] 23 Jan 2001 - 08 Jul 2010 was succeeded by the [[Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Foundation]] 08 Jul 2010 - 27 Feb 2017 and then by the [[Antisemitism Policy Trust]] 27 Feb 2017 to present.
 
The [[Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism]] 23 Jan 2001 - 08 Jul 2010 was succeeded by the [[Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Foundation]] 08 Jul 2010 - 27 Feb 2017 and then by the [[Antisemitism Policy Trust]] 27 Feb 2017 to present.

Revision as of 17:20, 24 June 2023

The Antisemitism Policy Trust lists four active directors – William Bennett, Sir Trevor Pears, Nigel Rowley and Ian Shaw.[1] The Trust provides the secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism and the office to the Government's Independent Advisor on Antisemitism, John Mann.

The Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism 23 Jan 2001 - 08 Jul 2010 was succeeded by the Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Foundation 08 Jul 2010 - 27 Feb 2017 and then by the Antisemitism Policy Trust 27 Feb 2017 to present.

History

The Trust was incorporated on 23 January 2001 (company no. 04146486) and registered with the Charity Commission on 11 December 2001 (charity no. 1089736). It began life as the Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism (PCAA), (23 Jan 2001-8 Jul 2010). Its founding directors were Mandy Louise Bendel, Lord Peter Archer, Lord David Hunt, Lord Greville Janner, Stuart Levy, Jonathan (later Lord) Mendelsohn, Jonathan Metliss, Michael Portillo and Stephen Rubin.[2] On 8 July 2010, the organisation changed its name to the Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Foundation before assuming its current name on 27 February 2017.[3]

Upon incorporation at Companies House, PCAA described its principal business activities as 'promoting racial harmony between Jewish community and other members of society by working towards elimination of racism in form of antisemitism'.[2] Its charitable objects are:

  • the advancement of education on the history and the culture of the Jewish people
  • the promotion of racial harmony for the benefit of the public between the Jewish Community and other members of society by working towards elimination of racism in the form of antisemitism
  • the promotion of such purposes as shall be charitable in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

The second of these points provides the principal object of the charity which, it was envisaged, would be achieved through 'education, lobbying and the organisation of lectures to the community as a whole'.[4]

People

In the first two years of operation, the company was kept afloat by consultants and legal advisors. From 2003 until 2009, Elliot Conway was designated as Chief Executive after a stint in Senator Joseph Lieberman's office and two years at Deloitte. We know from the company's financial information (below) that Conway's salary was covered by Stephen Rubin through the Pentland Group. Interestingly, in his online biography for the period 2003–9, Conway describes himself as both Director of the Rubin Foundation and Chief Executive of the All-Party Parliamentary Group.[5] There is a certain amount of irregularity here. Firstly, Conway's salary was put through the books of APT as a donation from Rubin, but it seems he was operating two charities simultaneously. Secondly, all-party parliamentary groups are expressly forbidden from employing staff (which explains why, in 2010 and 2011 John Mann employed a researcher, paid for by APT, to work in his office and provide support to the APPGAA). Since 2011, Conway has been Head of Ventures at Pentland Ventures (another company owned by Stephen Rubin).

In 2010, Conway was replaced by two co-directors – Danny Stone and Jardena Lande. John Mann would later erroneously identify that 'Danny Stone is the director; Jardena Lande does the international work; and Amy Wagner does the research'.

In 2015, Lande relocated to Berlin and Stone continued as director, being paid in the range of £60-70,000 pa.

Since its inception, the charitable company has not employed more than three administrative staff. In 2005, we are told that two new staff had been appointed, 'including the former aide to the Deputy Mayor of London'.[6]

Amy Wagner joined the company in 2014. Having studied Hebrew for GCSE, she volunteered as a teaching assistant in an Israeli nursery before writing a university dissertation on the question 'Is the West Bank barrier justified?' which was awarded first-class honours. After a month-long internship at the Jewish Leadership Council, Wagner arrived at the PCAA Foundation in time to help research and draft the 2014 inquiry report. When John Mann became the Government's Independent Advisor on Antisemitism, Wagner was appointed as his special advisor.[7]

Current Policy and External Affairs Manager at APT, Rosanna Rafel-Rix, served as a Campaigns Assistant for the Conservative Party, Campaigns and Events Assistant at Stand With Us and Communications Assistant/Communications and Media Manager at the Henry Jackson Society. She spent seven years at the Community Security Trust, initially as a research analyst before migrating into digital media.[8]

Activities

When considering APT's remit for 'education, lobbying and the organisation of lectures to the commuity as a whole', the emphasis has been on lobbying. The organisation has coordinated receptions in the House of Commons and events at the major party conferences. Via its association with the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism, the organisation has led many international trips and delegations. In 2003, PCAA reported that the 'organisation has gained a good reputation in its field among key players in Westminster, Whitehall and beyond and is often the first stop for media outlets and other interested parties. Working relationships have been built with government bodies, foreign embassies and key academics and agencies'.[9] In 2009, PCAA broadened its conference activities to include parliamentary candidates, and the organisation participated fully in the Inter-Departmental Working Group on Antisemitism involving civil servants and Jewish communal organisations.[10]

In 2014, PCAA Foundation embarked on a working relationship with the Pears Institute for the Study of Antisemitism at Birkbeck. In the same year, joint briefings were delivered with the Institute for Jewish Policy Research and the Henry Jackson Society.[11] Inverting the usual relationship, the PCAA describes itself as the driving force of the parliamentary inquiry ostensibly led by the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism: 'The Foundation worked to bring together a group of MPs under the rubric of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism and support them as they inquired into the nature of antisemitism in the UK with a particular focus on the antisemitism that emanated from the Middle East conflict during the summer' of 2014.[12]

When the company rebranded in 2017, it took the opportunity to revise its strategic priorities, clarifying three organisational aims:

1. Working with British parliamentarians, policy makers and opinion formers to address policy issues relating to antisemitism
2. Providing the secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism
3. Working internationally with parliamentarians and others to address antisemitism.[13]

In relation to point 1, APT organised 'discourse' training sessions with parliamentarians to inform the language used in parliamentary fora such as select committees. The organisation 'worked with parliamentarians to inform numerous parliamentary questions and Early Day Motions' while also having an input into legislation and consultations.[13] In 2018, APT reported that the 'heightened profile of, and concerns about antisemitism led numerous parliamentarians and others to contact the Trust. [...] The Trust was heavily involved in supporting parliamentary debates on antisemitism. This included a major debate in the House of Commons and two smaller-scale debates in the House of Lords'.[14]

After Rubin stood down as director/trustee in late 2015, the organisation became more streamlined. Over two years, it shed trustees, changed auditors, rebranded, moved offices and focused its work in four key areas:

  • working as a catalyst to promote, support and advise upon the elimination of anti-semitism
  • lobbying for its objectives in the public arena
  • working to ensure compliance by Parliamentarians with the London Declaration
  • organising pulbic [sic] lectures to enable views and opinions to be disseminated.[15]

In the autumn of 2019, APT reported that 'Work on antisemitic discourse increased exponentially in 2018. This included the provision of advice on articles, speeches and parliamentary questions. It involved providing detail on the definition of antisemitism and other matters, and commenting in the media.[16] In the same year, a major piece of work was completed which analysed google searches conducted between 2004 and 2018 in a bid to understand the nature of antisemitism. This was jointly published with the Community Security Trust as Hidden Hate: What Google searches tell us about antisemitism today.[17]

APT is instrumental in running the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism.

Funding

Funders of the Antisemitism Policy Trust in £ sterling
Organisation 2015-2016 2016-2017 2017-2018 2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2021-2022 Total
???
MHCLG 503,000
The Pears Family Charitable Foundation 150,000 150,000 100,000 100,000 275,000 775,000

In its first year of operation, the charitable company received goods and services to the value of £37,440 from Stephen Rubin, Chair of the PCAA Executive Committee, through one of his companies (Robert Stephen Holdings Ltd). Almost £30,000 of this went on consultancy fees and £6,671 on legal fees.[4] This pattern continued in 2002, with donations coming Rubin's main company, Pentland Group Ltd and being used towards consultancy and legal fees; at the same time, the company began to accrue modest donations.

In 2003, PCAA began to run an office and to report the salary and NI contributions of a member of staff in its annual return. However, the company's annual return stated that PCAA 'did not directly employ any staff for the period under review. [...] All costs in the period were met by intangible income'.[9] In the accounts, Rubin's donation is allocated to salaries, national insurance and office running costs. In 2004, PCAA allocated £21,620 to research costs, which continued to feature in subsequent accounts.[18]

In 2009, coinciding with Conway's departure as Executive Director, Rubin's donation was reduced and some of the shortfall was made up by the Pears Charitable Foundation, which had as a trustee Sir Trevor Pears, who had taken over as Chair of the PCAA Executive Committee when Rubin became PCAA's Chair of Trustees (with Pears as his Vice Chair). [10] On 11 December 2015, Rubin resigned as a trustee, exempting the charitable company from reporting his donations in their accounts.[19] In the 2017 accounts, it was stated explicitly that 'As with last year, the majority of donations received by the charity are from The Pears Family Charitable Foundation'.[13] Donations declared in the APT accounts are as follows and not entirely corroborated by the accounts for the Rubin Foundation (which list donations of £170,000, £30,000 and £20,000 for the years ending April 2015, 2016 and 2017) or the Pears Family Charitable Foundation (which report donations of £150,000 in the years ending March 2017 and 2018).

YEAR SOURCE TRUSTEE ITEM AMOUNT
2001 Robert Stephen Holdings Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £37,440
2002 Pentland Group Ltd Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £34,904
2003 Pentland Group Ltd Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £50,009
2004 Pentland Group Ltd Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £68,527
2005 Pentland Group Ltd Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £104,928
2006 Pentland Group Ltd Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £129,742
2007 Pentland Group Ltd Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £144,132
2008 Pentland Group Ltd Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £199,879
2009 Pentland Group Ltd Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £107,180
2009 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Unrestricted donation £72,297
2010 Pentland Group Ltd Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £82,500
2010 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Unrestricted donation £50,000
2011 Rubin Foundation Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £82,500
2011 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Unrestricted donation £65,360
2012 Rubin Foundation Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £82,500
2012 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Unrestricted donation £100,000
2013 Rubin Foundation Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £86,000
2013 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Unrestricted donation £125,000
2014 Rubin Foundation Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £86,000
2014 Rubin Foundation Stephen Rubin Unrestricted donation £70,000
2014 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Unrestricted donation £75,000
2015 Rubin Foundation Stephen Rubin Donated services and facilities (staff and offices) £86,000
2015 Rubin Foundation Stephen Rubin Unrestricted donation £130,000
2015 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Unrestricted donation £100,000
2016 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Unrestricted donation £96,238
2016 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Purchases £99,720
2017 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Unrestricted donation £307,486
2017 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Purchases £113,393
2018 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Unrestricted donation £157,818
2018 Pears Family Charitable Foundation Trevor Pears Purchases £7,486
£2,952,039

Related

Offices

Between 2001 and 2014, the charitable company was registered at:

38 Great Smith Street London. SW1P 3BU

Coinciding with the resignation of Stephen Rubin in 2015, the registered office moved to:

30 City Road London. EC1Y 2AB

APT lists its principal place of business as:

Haskell House 152 West End Lane London. NW6 1SD[16]

Notes

  1. ↑ Companies House Antisemitism Policy Trust.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Annual Return 2002, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  3. ↑ Antisemitism Policy Trust Company Overview, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Directors' Report and Financial Statements for the Period 23 January 2001 to 31 December 2001, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  5. ↑ Elliot Conway LinkedIn profile, Accessed 4 June 2020.
  6. ↑ Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism [1], Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  7. ↑ Amy Wagner LinkedIn profile, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  8. ↑ Rosanna Rafel-Rix LinkedIn profile, Accessed 4 June 2020.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Foundation Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2003, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2009, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  11. ↑ Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Foundation Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2013, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  12. ↑ Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Foundation Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2014, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Antisemitism Policy Trust Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2017, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  14. ↑ Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2018, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  15. ↑ Antisemitism Policy Trust Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2016, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Antisemitism Policy Trust Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2018, Companies House, Accessed 4 June 2020.
  17. ↑ Seth Stephens-Davidowitz Hidden Hate: What Google searches tell us about antisemitism today, Antisemitism Policy Trust, 2019.
  18. ↑ Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2004, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
  19. ↑ Parliamentary Committee Against Antisemitism Foundation Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2015, Companies House, Accessed 3 June 2020.
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