Listen: Shami Chakrabarti lost for words over anti-Semitism

Labour’s anti-Semitism row rumbles on. Step forward Shami Chakrabarti to make matters worse. The shadow attorney general took to Radio 4 this morning to say it was time for all sides to come together. But there was a sticking point. One of the ongoing issues is whether it is acceptable to call the foundation of Israel racist. Many think it isn’t right to make such a point. But when the question was put to Chakrabarti, she was lost for words:

Mishal Husain: Do you think it is acceptable to describe the circumstances surrounding the foundation of the state of Israel as racist?

Shami Chakrabarti: …It depends how you do it. People have called Britain racist, you know that they have. Lord Macpherson called the British police racist…

MH: The circumstances around the state of the Jewish state, if you call that racist, is that acceptable?

SC: Well, I think, I think, there has to be a space for disagreement in a reasonable way otherwise we cannot move forward.