Katy Balls Katy Balls

Jeremy Corbyn’s anti-Semitism response backfires

As MPs go into the Easter recess, Jeremy Corbyn is rounding up one of his worst weeks as leader yet. After the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council wrote to the Labour leader accusing him of ‘again and again’ siding with ‘anti-Semites rather than Jews’, both members of the Jewish community and Labour moderates attended a demonstration in Parliament Square to voice their concerns. Only some of Corbyn’s more dedicated supporters weren’t having any of that and staged a rival protest defending their leader from ‘MSM smears’.

Today we begin to see Corbyn’s team’s attempt to change the narrative and tackle the issue. Corbyn has given an interview to the Jewish News to try and show that he is taking the issue seriously. Only it’s safe to say that hasn’t played out as his spin doctors would have imagined. The front page of the paper reads ‘not good enough’ – in a damning judgment on his answers. One particularly alarming exchange is Corbyn’s initial suggestion that it would be up to the local Labour party if they wanted to deselect an MP for attending the demonstration against anti-Semitism. He goes on to clarify, however, that he doesn’t think anyone should be deselected for that:

JN: There have been calls for David Lammy to be deselected in Tottenham because he turned out to support the rally against anti-Semitism. Again will you make it clear that you don’t want anyone deselected…?

JC: It’s up to the local party… but not for that, no. Obviously the local parties must decide what they want to do in the future. David Lammy is a colleague, a friend of mine, I admire what he stands for and what he does and he should not be condemned for that.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in