While Britain’s Jewish Labour Movement has been affiliated with the Labour Party since 1920, it is refusing to back its current leader due to an ongoing anti-Semitism scandal.
By World Israel News Staff
Britain’s Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) has announced that it won’t campaign for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in this year’s upcoming general elections.
“Fighting racism, prejudice and intolerance is at the heart of our Labour values. It is the failure of the leader and his supporters to live these values which has led us to take this stance,” said JLM in a statement on Thursday.
“This crisis of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party stems from a failure of leadership from Jeremy Corbyn. Time and time again, the Party has not engaged in good faith to try to implement the actions that we believe are necessary to tackle anti-Jewish racism,” the statement said.
JLM has been affiliated with the Labour party since 1920.
Instead of Corbyn, JLM opted to endorse MP’s Ruth Smeeth and Dame Margaret Hodge who are fighting to keep their seats.
Earlier this month, former Labor MP Louise Ellman left the party after serving in it for 55 years because of the prospect that Corbyn may win the elections.
“We cannot allow him to do to the country what he has done to the Labour Party,” she said. “The Labour Party is no longer a safe place for Jews, and Jeremy Corbyn must bear the responsibility for this.”
Ellman noted that under Corbyn’s leadership anti-Semitism “has become mainstream in the Labour Party. Jewish members have been bullied, abused and driven out. Anti-Semites have felt comfortable, and vile conspiracy theories have been propagated.”
In September, former Labour MP John Mann resigned from the party to protest Corbyn’s refusal to adequately address anti-Semitism.
“I’m not prepared to stand as an MP with Corbyn as leader. I have told him to resign for the good of the country and for the good of the Labour Party,” Mann said.
U.K.’s general election is tentatively scheduled for December 12.
In a poll taken by YouGov on October 21, the conservative party led by Boris Johnson is polling at 37%, while Corbyn’s Labour coming in at 22%, followed by Liberal Democrats at 19%, Brexit Party at 11%, Greens at 7%, the SNP at 3%, Plaid Cymru at 1% and “other” at 1%.