Karate Kid Raab’s antisemitism row

FOREIGN Secretary Dominic Raab was involved in an angry clash with a senior Labour frontbencher over the party’s record on antisemitism.

Mr Raab, who is a black belt in karate, faced up to Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald – above – after Friday’s BBC1 Question Time party leaders’ special in Sheffield.

The two men were seen pointing at each other after Mr Raab noted that only Labour and the BNP had ever been investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

The row erupted after Jeremy Corbyn had been challenged during the programme by one audience member who said he was ‘terrified’ for his daughters’ future after seeing the way Mr Corbyn treated female Jewish MPs.

Labour is currently being investigated by equalities watchdog the EHRC over how it handled antisemitism allegations in the party.

Its report is now expected to be published in the New Year.

But on Friday, Mr McDonald goaded Mr Raab over the Tories’ failure to deal with its own complaints about Islamophobia in the wake of the party’s decision to broaden an inquiry into ‘all types of prejudice’.

Mr Raab retorted: ‘ Two parties in this country’s history have been investigated by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission – Labour under Corbyn and the BNP. Answer that.’

The visibly frustrated Mr Raab t hen walked away.

Later, on BBC’s Newsnight, Mr McDonald said that Labour was ‘happy’ to be subject to an inquiry into antisemitism because its efforts to tackle the issue could be ‘externally validated’.