Corbyn condemns anti-Semitic abuse of Jewish BBC journalist

Jeremy Corbyn has insisted he won’t tolerate abuse after BBC Radio presenter Emma Barnett was subjected to anti-Semitic slurs from his supporters following an interview with the Labour leader.

Corbyn took to airwaves this morning to launch Labour’s childcare policy, but was left scrambling to put a cost on the proposal under repeated questioning from the Women’s Hour presenter.

In the minutes that followed, a number of his supporters attacked her online. One accused her of being a “Zionist shill” while another suggested she had spent much of her early career writing “Zionist drivel”.

Corbyn, launching a race and faith manifesto in Watford today, didn’t explicit use the word anti-Semitic but said: “It is totally, absolutely and completely unacceptable for anyone to throw abuse at anyone else.

Under no circumstances should anyone throw abuse because of the job they’re doing. I will not tolerate it.”

A strikingly relaxed-looking Corbyn insisted anyone who puts themselves up for office should be ready to take any questions.

The manifesto referred to Labour’s adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism.