Keir Starmer vows to restore British values to challenge passive tolerance of hatred of Jews

Keir Stamer has pledged to restore fundamental British values into society, including a fight back against those who display a “passive tolerance” towards hatred of Jews.

In a speech which saw the Prime Minister fighting for his future in the role in the midst of the scandal over the appointment of Peter Mandelson as British ambassador to the US and his ties to the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Stamer said:”We need to be more vigilant in asserting British values and call out those who want to divide us.”

After citing extreme right ideologies , Starmer then devoted a lengthy section of his speech on the need to counter “Islamist ideologies and their hatred of Britain and Jews”.

He continued:”It is not hard to support the just cause of Palestinian state without being antisemitic. Millions of people do that, and I’m one of them.

“It is the policy of this government to recognise a Palestinian state, yet marches that supposedly support this will often see racist banners, antisemitic hate, that leaves a minority community in tihs country scared and intimidated.

“A community which let us not forget suffered the most recent antisemitic attack on these shores.”

Starmer then questioned the values of a country that allowed this to take place.”

He added:”How can it be right to turn a blind eye to racist hatred of any kind?

“Whether the victims are Jews, Muslims or any minority? It can’t.

“And so frankly, we do need to be much clearer as a society about what we expect of people nd the responsibilities that come with rights.”

He also used his speech to call for stronger powers for the Charity Commission to “shut down charities that promote extremism.”

Continuing he also said:”Everyone who comes here, who lives here, should have an opportunity to learn English.

“Because it is essential for participation in our society, and so they should be expected to learn English. ”

The speech had been intended to promote the government’s new funding, worth up to £800 million in the Pride in Place programme

Funding, with the benefits rippling far beyond individual neighbourhoods, is aimed at fostering thriving and more cohesive communities that help build a stronger, more prosperous country for everyone.

But the new funding measure was dwarfed by the on-going scandal over Mandelson and Epstein.

Speaking at an event in East Sussex, on Thursday, Sir Keir also addressed the scandal at the start of a speech as he faces growing pressure from Labour MPs furious about his decision to hand the peer the top diplomatic job.

“It has been publicly known for some time that Mandelson knew Epstein, but none of us knew the depth of the darkness of that relationship,

He  said Lord Mandelson was “asked directly” about the nature of his relationship with the paedophile, whether he had stayed with Epstein after his conviction, and whether he had accepted gifts from the financier..

The PM added: “The information now available makes clear that the answers he gave were lies.

“He portrayed Epstein as someone he barely knew. And when that became clear and it was not true, I sacked him.
“Such deceit is incompatible with public service.”

The PM then apologised to Epstein’s victims. He said: “The victims of Epstein have lived with trauma that most of us can barely comprehend, and they’ve had to relive it again and again.

“I want to say this: I am sorry, sorry for what was done to you, sorry that so many people with power failed you, sorry for having believed Mandelson’s lies and appointed him, and sorry that even now you’re forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.”