Jewish voter told new Bury South MP: ‘Thanks to you we no longer have to leave’

A new Tory MP has urged colleagues not to let anyone “try to convince them otherwise” of the fear the Jewish community say they felt during the general election.

Giving his maiden speech in the Commons, Christian Wakeford said a Jewish woman spoke to him after the election and said “thanks to you and the Conservatives we no longer have to leave the country”.

Labour is being investigated for alleged instances of antisemitism in the party by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

During the campaign, Britain’s Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis suggested Jeremy Corbyn’s failure to tackle the issue made him unfit for high office.

Mr Wakeford thanked the Jewish community in his Bury South constituency for their support and said: “This is a community that actually had real fear in the run-up to the election and don’t let anyone either in this House or any other place try to convince them otherwise.

“Ultimately the best example I have of the fear they had was the day after polling day where a Jewish lady approached me in the street as I was heading back to my car with tears running down her face with the simple message of ‘thank you’.

“‘Thank you because thanks to you and the Conservatives we no longer have to leave the country’.

“So that is a meeting that I will always hold with me until the end of my days.”

Mr Wakeford’s predecessor, former Labour minister Ivan Lewis, urged voters in his constituency to vote Conservative to stop Mr Corbyn becoming prime minister.

He thanked Mr Lewis for his support, adding: “Not only did he endorse me, but on polling day he actually donned a blue rosette and knocked on doors for me.”

Mr Lewis resigned his Labour Party membership in December 2018, a year after he was suspended over sexual harassment claims which he denies.