Charedi in lunch with Corbyn

JEREMY CORBYN has been criticised by Jewish Labour campaigners after meeting controversial Charedi activist Shraga Stern for lunch in Westminster.

The Labour leader and his wife Laura Alvarez were seen in conversation with Mr Stern — who has aggressively opposed changes to government policy on the teaching of LGBT issues in schools — on Wednesday.

Dan Carden, Labour’s shadow international development secretary, was also at the meeting.

A Jewish Labour Movement spokesperson said: “It’s a shame that the only representatives of any part of the Jewish community that Corbyn is prepared to listen to are those from its most reactionary sections.

“Shraga Stern has been an inveterate campaigner against children being taught that LGBT people exist.”

In February, Mr Stern attended a protest outside Parkfield, a Birmingham school, against the introduction of lesson about same-sex relationships and gender reassignment.

Mr Stern said he had gone to parliament for PMQs and had run into Mr Corbyn: “It was a casual sit-down, it wasn’t a planned meeting. We had a general chat and spoke about everything except education.

“I am not a homophobe and my campaign was to continue the Charedi tradition that sex education is taught only by parents at home — and nothing to do with LGBT teaching. I am against any sex education in the classroom and I made that clear in my speech at Parkfield. “

He said JLM’s attack on him for defending the Charedi tradition was “extremely hurtful”.

Labour said: “The Labour Party has long supported and campaigned for LGBT+ inclusive education in schools.”