Sadiq Khan turns up heat on Corbyn: Labour anti-Semitism ‘depressing, saddening and unacceptable’

London mayor bemoans alienation faced by Jews in the Labour party, adding that it's 'absolutely right' Corbyn has apologised for anti-Semitism

By Justin Cohen
  • Justin Cohen is the News Editor at the Jewish News
 26 March 2018, 12:37 pm
Mayor Sadiq Khan

Sadiq Khan has turned up the heat on Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Semitism in the party by saying it’s “depressing, saddening and completely unacceptable” that British Jews have been made to feel alienated by Labour.

The Labour leader last night went further than ever before in acknowledging the S course within “pockets” of his ranks, and explicitly apologised. But community leaders, in an unprecedented statement, said he had personally failed to understand and failed to respond to communal concerns, accusing him of repeatedly siding with anti-Semites rather than Jews.

The mayor told Jewish News it is “absolutely right” he has now apologised “and promised to thoroughly root out anti-semitism from every corner of the Labour Party. Frankly, the Labour Party must now urgently do so in order to restore trust with Britain’s Jewish communities”.

It is “depressing, saddening and completely unacceptable that that so many Londoners of Jewish faith have been made to feel so uncomfortable within, and alienated by, the Labour Party,” he said. “There can be no hiding place for anti-semitism in the Labour Party or anywhere else in society.”

He vowed “to continue standing alongside the community to ensure they fulfil their potential and that we combat anti-semitism – whether in the Labour Party or anywhere else”.

The Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council have called a major demonstration entitled ‘enough is enough’ at 5.30pm today outside the weekly meeting of the parliamentary Labour Party. Many MPs have pledged to stand alongside the community at the event.

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