Fury as Jeremy Corbyn refuses FOUR times to apologise for anti-Semitism in car crash Andrew Neil grilling

JEREMY Corbyn was branded “shameful” last night after he refused four times to apologise for his failure to stamp out anti-Semitism in a car crash interview with Andrew Neil.

In the most shambolic day of his leadership Labour boss Jeremy Corbyn was ripped apart by the BBC rottweiler for his woeful record on kicking Jewish haters out of his party.

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The Labour leader refused at least four times to say sorry in the excruciating 30-minute interview, and repeatedly tried to dodge questions on whether he’d done enough to tackle anti-Jew hate.

Mr Neil demanded that he apologise, but a tetchy Mr Corbyn tried to dodge it and talk about other forms of racism instead.

“Wouldn’t you like to take this opportunity tonight to apologise to the British Jewish community for what’s happened?” the BBC interviewer asked.

“So, no apology? No apology for how you’ve handled this?

“I’ll try one more time… no apology?”

After repeatedly refusing to say sorry, Mr Corbyn even claimed Britain’s Chief Rabbi was wrong to accuse Labour of failing to tackle Jew-hate just hours earlier – and even claimed anti-Semitism “didn’t rise after I became leader”.

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After the excruciating prime time grilling, Mr Corbyn was branded “shameful” in a damning one-word tweet by The Board of Deputies of British Jews, which represents Britain’s Jewish community.

Countdown star Rachel Riley retweeted that post, and the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) also attacked the leader for not tackling anti-Semite supporters.

It tweeted: “Holocaust denial and conspiratorial antisemitism have no place in society, let alone the Labour Party.

“Jeremy Corbyn could start by saying sorry. Act.”

The group’s chairman Mike Katz added: “Sorry really does seem to be the hardest word. Woeful.”

During the interview, veteran broadcaster Mr Neil said viewers would “make up their own minds” on whether Mr Corbyn had done enough to tackle such hatred.

Mr Corbyn insisted that “racism in our society is a total poison, be it Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, or any other form of racism”.

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Mr Corbyn went on to admit his plans would see taxes for ordinary Brits soar — accepting that pensioners on just a £14,000 yearly income would be slapped with an extra £400 tax bill.

Elsewhere in the damning broadcast clash:

• He refused repeatedly to say whether it was anti-Semitic to say that “Rothschild Zionists run Israel” – as a Labour member did but was not suspended
• Mr Corbyn defended his decision to stay neutral in a future Brexit referendum – saying it would make him an “honest broker” in the vote
• He was pressed to admit that ordinary married Brits on low incomes would face extra taxes under his government
• And he was grilled on where “Corbyn’s credit card has a limit” with his £83billion fantasy borrowing promises
• The leftie boss couldn’t get out of the interview quick enough, tearing off his mic and setting it on the floor as the credits rolled

SITTING ON THE FENCE

The Labour leader sparked ridicule by claiming he would be the “honest broker” in a second Brexit referendum by “making sure the referendum is fair and making sure that the Leave deal is a credible one and the Remain option is alongside it”.

“I will be the honest broker that will make sure that the referendum is fair and make sure that the leave deal is a credible one and the remain option is alongside it,” he claimed.

And Mr Neil forced Mr Corbyn into admitting that taxes will go up for Brits on modest incomes – not just the super rich.

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Everyone would be stripped of the £250 marriage allowance under a Labour government, Mr Neil insisted.

The leader was unable to even take a guess at the share of income tax revenue that comes from the top five per cent of earners, who Mr Corbyn has vowed to clobber with extra demands.

The Labour boss said that everyone would benefit from better public services.

He added: “The whole purpose behind our manifesto is to recognise that we have to do something about the underfunding of our public services and the poverty and inequality that austerity has brought to this country.”

On the leftie boss’s huge plans to spend billions of pounds extra, Mr Neil joked: “You intend to borrow hundreds of billions for investment. You’re going to borrow a couple of hundred million more for nationalisation. You’re going to borrow billions for the green deal.

“Borrow, borrow. Is there no limit to what can go on the Corbyn credit card?”

Borrow, borrow. Is there no limit to what can go on the Corbyn credit card?

BBC's Andrew Neil

Mr Corbyn was also put under pressure on whether he would order the killings of terror bosses to keep Britain safe.

He floundered and would only reply: “I will take the appropriate decision at the appropriate time with all the information.”

And he sparked fury again by saying that the West was part of the problem, saying “they didn’t get their arms from nowhere.”

He went on: “I think we also have to look at how we’ve created these dangers as well.”

Boris has blasted him as “naive and dangerous” for saying the Isis chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi should have been arrested and not killed.

Piers Morgan said the interview was “brilliant” and Andrew Neil “absolutely skewered” the Labour boss.

“No wonder Corbyn ducks most tough interviewers – he has no answers to tough questions,” he said.

Former Labour MP Mike Gapes blasted: “Corbyn does not apologise. Period. In his eyes he is never wrong.

“He cannot admit error. He is incapable of apology. Particularly to the Jewish community. He is unfit to be Leader of the Labour Party. He must never be Prime Minister of our country.”

And former Labour minister Chris Leslie blasted: “What a tragedy for the whole country that the once-great Labour Party has ended up in this state. Those of us who took a stand tried to prevent this very situation.

“Such a shame that those who ‘stayed’ never actually had the fight to do anything about it.”

Michael Gove, responding to the interview last night, said:  “Jeremy Corbyn won’t be straight with the British people.

“He won’t apologise for his failure to stamp out racism in his Party. He can’t say whether he backs leave or remain in his own second referendum. He can’t answer how he would pay for his fantasy plans for the country or how he’d keep Britain safe.

“All that’s on offer from prime ditherer Corbyn is more Brexit delay, the chaos of another two referendums and lasting damage to our economy – leaving hardworking taxpayers to foot the bill.”

Mr Corbyn’s BBC interview was so torrid that Corbynistas received texts urging them to flood social media to drown it out on social media.

It read: “Jeremy has pre-recorded the Andrew Neil interview already and apparently it’s truly horrific. Like awful.

“Ten mins purely on AS [anti-Semitism]. JC refused to apologise to the Rabbi so it’s going to be brutal.”

It urged his supporters to push Labour’s policies to hand more cash to the NHS and Sure Start centres instead to flood Twitter with positive messages.

Mr Corbyn’s election campaign was rocked  after Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said most British Jews are “gripped by anxiety” by the ideas of a Corbyn government.

In an unprecedented intervention in an election, he said voters must examine their consciences when deciding how to vote on December 12.

Mr Corbyn desperately tried to fend off the onslaught of attacks on his failure to tackle anti-Semitism at yesterday’s anti-racism manifesto launch.

But the event in Tottenham, north London, descended into farce as he was mobbed outside by Jewish protesters who furiously accused him of being a racist.

And he sparked fresh controversy by being flanked on stage at the event by Claudia Webbe and Apsana Begum – election candidates embroiled in anti-Semitism rows.

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Labour has been dogged by anti-Semitism ever since Mr Corbyn became leader.

Jewish politicians Luciana Berger and Dame Louise Ellman have been hounded out of the party by anti-Semitic bullying,

And the Equality and Human Rights Commission are investigating Labour over claims it is institutionally racist against Jews.

The BNP is the only other British party to have faced a similar investigation.