Jeremy Corbyn finally vows to ‘root out’ Labour anti-Semites as he admits Jews have been made to feel unwelcome in the party
JEREMY Corbyn has finally vowed to “root out” anti-Semites within Labour as he admits Jews have been made unwelcome in the party.
The opposition leader tried to shake off the crisis engulfing his party by making his strongest comments on the subject yet after hundreds of protesters descended on Labour's headquarters to demand he takes tougher action yesterday.
Mr Corbyn told an audience at the launch of the local election campaign in London that hatred of Jews “has no place whatsoever in society and every one of us has a responsibility to ensure it is never allowed to fester again”.
He appeared alongside the capital’s mayor Sadiq Khan as his party hopes to make major gains in next month’s votes, targeting Tory strongholds in the capital including Wandsworth and Kensington and Chelsea.
But Labour have been blasted by Jewish groups in recent weeks after a rising anger about a failure to tackle the issue was ignited by a row over Mr Corbyn defending a vile anti-Semitic mural.
He attempted to take the issue head-on today, saying “we will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish communities, which have been at the heart of our party for over a century”.
Mr Corbyn said: “We will not tolerate any concession to anti-Semitism or anti-Jewish bigotry in any form.
“Our party prides itself on being the party that brought in the Race Relations Acts into law in 1968 and 1976, that delivered the Equality Act in 2010, we’re the party that was home to the first black MPs in 1987.”
He added: “I know my party, the party I have been a member of for 50 years and I know that the overwhelming majority of members are united, determined to root out any anti-Semitism, and to make our party the welcoming movement that is has always been.
“Prejudice and hatred of Jewish people has no place whatsoever in society and every one of us has a responsibility to ensure it is never allowed to fester again.”
His comments come a day after activists led by the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism waved flags and placards shouting "racists" and "shame" at Labour’s HQ in Westminster.
There were also boos for Momentum leader Jon Lansman and Christine Shawcroft - the former National Executive Committee member who was forced to resign last week after backing a candidate who shared Holocaust denial posts on Facebook.
Messages on signs carried by the demonstrators read: "Zero tolerance for anti-Semitism" and "Labour hold Corbyn to account".
Mr Corbyn has previously apologised for "pockets" of anti-Semitism in the party and vowed to meet Jewish leaders to get a grip on the crisis, but has been urged to do more.
One of those attending the protest was the Jewish actress and longtime Labour supporter Maureen Lipman, who said he should step down as party leader – claiming he had “made her a Tory”.
The 71-year-old said it was “pretty scary” to be protesting in 2018 about antisemitism in the Labour Party and it was “time Jeremy Corbyn left the stage because he’s pretty malign”.
In response the Labour leader told LBC: “I think Maureen Lipman is a great actress, and I think she's a great comic. I have always enjoyed watching her and I hope she'll reflect on what she’s said.
“Because if she really wants to live in a Tory Britain, then she will have to accept that all the poverty and inequality that goes with it.”
Asked if Ms Lipman had got it wrong he repeated the phrase “Maureen Lipman is a great actress”.
Pressed again on her claim Labour had a problem with anti-Semitism, Mr Corbyn added: “Well Maureen Lipman should understand, and I'm sure she does, that this party does not accept anti-Semitism in any form.
“I would invite her to discuss this with our General Secretary.”