New poll suggests 84 percent of people think Corbyn is a threat to British Jews

Jeremy Corbyn has insisted he poses “no threat” to “any community whatsoever” despite a poll suggesting 84% of people believe he is a threat to British Jews.

The Labour leader, who has faced heavy criticism over his handling of antisemitism within his party’s ranks, said he wished the issue had been acted on more rapidly.

The Sunday Telegraph published polling by the Campaign Against Antisemitism in which 84% of respondents regarded Mr Corbyn as posing a threat to British Jews – compared to 15% who said they held such a view about Boris Johnson.

Responding to the poll in an interview on Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Mr Corbyn said: “I pose no threat to any community whatsoever in this country. I’ve spent my life fighting racism, fighting against racist attacks…

“I simply say this: there is no place anyway for antisemitism in our society ever.”

Asked if he thought he had done anything wrong when it came to his handling of the issue, he said: “I wished our party had acted on it more rapidly at the very beginning and dealt with it at that point and also I want to make it very clear to the Jewish community, to the Muslim community and to any other community, anyone under threat because of persecution, because of attacks on their temples, mosques, synagogues or places of worship will be very secure under a Labour government.

“We will make sure there is full funding of all the protection measures they need and full respect for their religion, their faith and their place in our society.

“Jewish people suffered like no other in the 20th century through antisemitism in Germany which led to the horrors of the Holocaust and Jewish people have made an incredible contribution to my party, to our trade unions, to our life and intellectual life in this country.

“I value that and I thank them for everything that they do, I want all communities to be safe.”