Labour’s leadership does not understand anti-Semitism, the party’s London mayoral candidate has said as he criticised Jeremy Corbyn for not stopping “unacceptable” racism against Jews from some members.
Sadiq Khan
said recent high-profile incidents of anti-Semitism in Labour should be a “badge of shame” for the party and called for members of the ruling body to be retrained in what constitutes discrimination.
The Tooting MP also directly challenged his leader to take a “tougher stance” on the issue, saying he was “embarrassed” by the party’s record and demanding it was time not just to “talk the talk” but “walk the walk”
The comments marked a concerted effort by Mr Khan to win over Jewish voters concerned at a spate of anti-Semitic rants from Labour members and rows among students have made recent national headlines.
Baroness Royall is leading a party inquiry into anti-Semitisim after the chairman of the Oxford University Labour Club resigned claiming that a “large proportion” of its members had “some kind of problem with Jews.”
Mr Khan joined Zac Goldsmith, the Tory MP for Richmond Park & North Kingston, and other London mayoral candidates for a hustings with the Jewish community in north London.
Before the event, co-hosted by the London Jewish Forum and Jewish News at JW3, some attendees distributed printouts attacking Mr Khan’s alleged links to anti-Semites titled “do you know what Sadiq Khan said?”
Addressing concerns in his opening remarks, Mr Khan said: “It is unacceptable for 2016 that there is anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. It is with sorrow that I wear that badge of shame.
“We need to walk the walk not simply talk the talk. There should be no hierarchy when it comes to racism. Racism is racism.
“And if it means members of my party – senior members including members of the NEC – being trained on what anti-Semitism is then so be it.”
Labour’s National Executive Committee is the party’s ruling body as includes Jeremy Corbyn, the leader, and Kev Livingstone, the former London mayor, among others.
Mr Khan later went further, calling on Mr Corbyn himself to do more to tackle anti-Semitism in the party, when candidates were asked if their leader was a “help or hindrance” to getting elected.
Mr Khan, who nominated Mr Corbyn for leader but has put distance between themselves since becoming Labour’s candidate for mayor, said: “Jeremy Corbyn is not on the ballot paper. Nor is David Cameron. Nor is Boris Johnson. …”
He added: “Let me be absolutely clear. I am embarrassed and sorrowful about the state of our party. I think the Labour leader could have taken a tougher stance and needs to take a tougher stance.”
The comments increase pressure on Mr Corbyn to take swifter action against members who are found to have made anti-Semitic posts on social media.
Louise Ellman, a Labour MP and vice chair of Labour Friends of Israel, made a similar call during a broadcast interview on Sunday.
She said: “The leader has spoken out clearly that he is against anti-Semitism but it is not just about words, there has got to be some action, and we haven’t seen enough of that.”
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