Chuka Umunna: Corbyn’s actions ‘arguably amount to anti-Jewish racism’

Leading Liberal Democrat Chuka Umunna has launched a stinging attack on Jeremy Corbyn for having “allowed anti-Jewish racism to proliferate” the Labour Party.

In a wide-ranging speech, the Lib Dem foreign affairs spokesman hit out at both the leader of the opposition and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, accusing them of racism.

This comes after he quit the Labour Party in February 2019 to join the Change UK Party, citing Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to tackle Jew-hate and its stance on Brexit. He since stepped aside to join the Lib Dems in June.

Umunna said: “Jeremy Corbyn has done things which, arguably, amount to anti-Jewish racism.

“And he has allowed anti-Jewish racism to proliferate in the party, the Labour Party, during his leadership.”

During his speech on Monday, he hit out at Boris Johnson who he said is unfit to be Prime Minister, accusing him of having said and done racist things.

PM had chosen to align himself with “right wing, authoritarian nationalists” on the world stage.

Asked if he thought Mr Johnson was racist, Mr Umunna told the PA news agency: “I think the things that he has said and done are racist.

“Only he in his heart knows whether he is a racist.”

Speaking in Watford, Mr Umunna said he was not surprised by the “squeeze” the Lib Dems had received in the polls, but insisted voting for the party was the only way to stop a Tory majority.