Local party says sorry to Jewish community

LOCAL Labour leaders in a Scottish constituency have apologised to the Jewish community for the anti-Semitism crisis engulfing the party.

Labour chiefs in East Renfrewshire, home to a sizeable Jewish community, said they feel a ‘deep sense of shame’ at the ‘unacceptable extent’ of anti-Jewish sentiment across the party.

They called on the UK leadership to take a tougher line on dealing with the problem.

The constituency party contacted local leaders of the faith after unprecedented protests were staged by the Jewish community outside Westminster this week.

In a letter to the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council, it said: ‘It is with a deep sense of shame that we write to you.

‘We do not believe anti-Semitism exists only in pockets, nor that it is a matter of a few bad apples. We believe that it is present to an unacceptable extent in the party at all levels. We are sorry for this.’

The constituency party has received ‘a very positive response’ to its letter and will meet the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council next month.

Last week, Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard claimed his party does not have a problem with racism, despite claims about one of its councillors.

His comments came after Labour councillor Jim Dempster, who was already at the centre of a racism row over remarks about Transport Minister Humza Yousaf, faced new claims over comments he allegedly made to a six-year-old Muslim girl.

Mr Leonard said: ‘We have no more of a problem with racism than Scottish society as a whole.’