74 cases of anti-Semitism? It could be 5,000

LIKE ALL Labour supporters, I want nothing more than for Labour to be returned to power.

But to achieve that we need a leader who can be trusted to be Prime Minister.

There is no doubt that the latest disclosures surrounding antiSemitism in the party have damaged our leadership.

I welcome Jeremy Corbyn’s apology for having endorsed a disgusting mural which showed Jewish bankers playing a Monopoly-style game on a board resting on the backs of bowed naked workers. But Mr Corbyn’s contrition is not enough. We have been told this week that the party has a backlog of 74 cases of alleged anti-Semitism that are yet to be dealt with. But I have been told the problem is so widespread in the party there could be anything from 2,000 to 5,000 claims of anti-Semitic behaviour. It is no exaggeration to say this issue has become a serious threat to our ability to present ourselves to the electorate as a party ready to run the country.

But it is not too late for Mr Corbyn to redeem himself.

The most egregious instances of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party have involved Ken Livingstone. He has said Hitler supported Zionism, among other ludicrous and offensive statements.

I have had one or two public confrontations with him over his views. In the eyes of many, Mr Livingstone embodies all that is deplorable about Labour antiSemitism. Several complaints have been made against him but nothing gets resolved.

My advice to Mr Corbyn is this: if you want to show you are serious about rooting out anti-Semitism, then expel Mr Livingstone.

He needs to send a very clear message to anti-Semitic people in the Labour Party: You are not wanted. They should be kicked out whether they are activists or MPs.

At least Mr Corbyn has been spared the problem of dealing with Christine Shawcroft. She last night finally quit the party’s National Executive Committee after opposing the suspension of an apparent Holocaust denier.

The increasing evidence that Labour members simply do not get what anti-Semitism is and that quite a number of them are trying to excuse Holocaust denial shows precisely why Mr Corbyn has a duty to stamp his authority all over the issue.

A failure to act decisively will haunt him and damage Labour for the next ten years.