Boris Johnson: Weevil infestation of antisemitism still evident under Starmer

Prime minister makes comments during speech to Conservative Friends of Israel, adding the 'thing I am most proud of all' is stopping Jeremy Corbyn from getting into Number 10

Boris Johnson and Yair Lapid at CFI

Boris Johnson has suggested that “the weevil infestation of antisemitism” within the Labour Party is still in evidence under current leader Sir Keir Starmer.

In a speech delivered at a Conservative Friends of Israel lunch event, the Prime Minister said that following his election victory in 2019 “the thing I am most proud of all” is that “we protected this country” from antisemitism in Labour.

But he then told guests at the gathering in central London “though we kept Corbyn out and we sent the corduroy communist into space where he belongs you can still hear the noise of those weevils in the timbers of that Labour Party.”

The PM added:”I’m afraid some of the prejudices are still sadly the same and the people who have taken power are still part of the same movement, in many cases sadly still the same people who count Hamas and Hezbollah as their friends..”

Johnson added this was the reason the CFI organisation “have to keep going” adding “that’s why we’ve got to keep the fight up.”

Over 200 parliamentarians attended Monday’s event, including Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid.

Jewish News has contacted the Labour leader’s office for comment on the PM’s claims.

 

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