Q&A

When did allegations of antiSemitism first surface?

Claims that anti-Semitism was rife in the party began soon after Corbyn’s leadership victory in 2015. They took off in 2016 when Corbyn’s ally, Ken Livingstone, claimed Hitler supported Zionism. While he has long been a critic of Israel, Corbyn insisted he has devoted his life to tackling antiSemitism “and all other forms of racism”. That irritated some moderates who say it failed to appreciate the scourge of antiSemitism in its own right. Some on the hard left have merged criticism of Israel and support for Palestinians into slurs, smears and anti-Semitic abuse of Jews.

How big is the problem?

Bigger than it needed to be. Labour has been far too slow to grasp the scale of the problem and it is unclear whether, even now, the hierarchy appreciates the damage caused. Corbyn’s opponents say he has been too timid in tackling hate speech.

What is Labour doing?

The party insists it has introduced in full the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism. But some say Labour is more concerned about clamping down on criticism.