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Ken Livingstone cites ‘the Jewish vote’ as factor in Labour election loss
Former mayor of London who infamously claimed that 'Hitler had supported Zionism' suggests it may be the end of the road for Jeremy Corbyn as leader
Ken Livingstone has identified “the Jewish vote” as a contributory factor in Labour’s poor showing at the ballot box.
The former mayor of London admitted Jeremy Corbyn would have to resign imminently over his failure to deal with antisemitism.
Mr Livingstone, who quit the party last year amid a torrent of allegations of antisemitic behaviour against him, told the PA news agency: “The Jewish vote wasn’t very helpful.
“Jeremy should have tackled that issue far earlier than he did.
“It looks like the end for Jeremy, which is disappointing for me since I’m a close ally. I’m sure he’ll have to resign tomorrow.”
The issue of antisemitism within the Labour party dogged Mr Corbyn during the election campaign.
The matter came under even sharper focus following the unprecedented intervention of the Chief Rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, who said that the “overwhelming majority of British Jews are gripped by anxiety” at the prospect of a Labour government.
Mr Livingstone was originally suspended in 2016 after claiming in a radio interview that Hitler had supported Zionism in the 1930s.
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