Labour’s Umunna declares his party is racist

JEREMY CORBYN has claimed Labour will tackle the “social cancer” of anti-Semitism as a senior MP accused the party of being “institutionally racist”.

Labour leader Mr Corbyn acknowledged it was a “difficult time” for Britain’s Jewish communities, but reiterated his promise to tackle anti-Semitism in the party.

But the row over the Labour response to the issue and the divisions among the party’s MPs over Mr Corbyn’s leadership continued to simmer.

Former frontbencher Chuka Umunna made the claim that Labour was an institutionally racist as a result of the anti-Semitism row.

He said it was a “very painful” admission, but vowed to stay on as a Labour member because he felt it was better to “try and argue and see change through in an organisation” rather than “leave the field”.

The Labour MP for Streatham told Sky News’s

“If you look at the definition of institutional racism as outlined by Sir William Macpherson in the Macpherson Report and the Macpherson Inquiry produced the institutional racism definition.

“The Labour Party, it’s beyond doubt for me that it has met it – it’s very painful for me to say that.

“Part of the reason that I joined the Labour party, my party, my family started supporting the party was because it was an antiracist party and I think the fail- ure to deal with the racism that is anti-Semitism is particular and clearly is a problem.”

Mr Corbyn yesterday reiterated that the Labour Party “stands in solidarity” with the Jewish community in the fight against anti-Semitism.

He added: “We will work to eradicate the social cancer of anti-Semitism wherever is surfaces, including in our own party. We need change and I hope this year we can make this happen.

“Let us all re-commit to doing things differently, working together for community and social justice and changing not just ourselves but our society.”