Following years of torment for the Jewish community, there has been a significant departure of seven Labour MPs, Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker and Ann Coffey, from the Labour Party over antisemitism.
Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “The once fiercely anti-racist Labour Party has become institutionally antisemitic under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. He had every opportunity to tackle antisemitism within his Party, but his failure to do so and his appalling personal choices during his political career should leave nobody in any doubt that he himself is an antisemite.
“Many Labour MPs and members implored Mr Corbyn to act and gave him an unreasonably generous amount of time to act. He has not acted and he will not act. Moreover, those who have been swept into positions of power behind Mr Corbyn have shown that they have no intention of addressing antisemitism and instead will wield their power to obstruct the fight against antisemitism.
“The fight from within the Labour Party is dead. We applaud the seven Labour MPs who have today drawn a line in the sand.
“They have decided that if they must choose between the political Party that they have given their lives to build, and the cause of anti-racism, then they must side with the anti-racists against their Party. We are thankful for the solidarity and leadership that they have shown.”
Recently, former Labour MPs Frank Field and Ivan Lewis also resigned the whip over antisemitism in the Labour Party.
Campaign Against Antisemitism has referred the Labour Party to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which is now due to decide whether to open a full statutory investigation into antisemitic discrimination and victimisation within the Party.
