Anti-Semitism crisis could cost Labour a million votes at an election

Labour could lose nearly one million votes at the next General Election as Britons desert the party over the anti-Semitism crisis, a poll today reveals.

Jeremy Corbyn’s party has been plunged into turmoil over the crisis and has been branded ‘institutionally racist’ by one of its own MPs.

And the Labour leader was accused of being an ‘anti-Semite’ by ex chief Rabbi Lord Sacks after MailOnline exclusive published a video in which he said British Zionists have no sense of English irony.

A survey published today shows voters are so angry over the crisis that they could withhold their votes over the issue – potentially costing Labour the next election.

The figures, revealed in a YouGov poll, found that 12 per cent of potential Labour voters said they might not back the party because of the scandal – amounting to nearly 500,000 people.

While among 7 per cent of Labour waverers said the crisis could change how they act at the ballot box – amounting to around 300,000 people.

Labour could lose nearly one million votes at the next General Election as Britons desert the party over the anti-Semitism crisis, a poll today reveals

And among self-styled ‘solid’ Labour voters, 2 per cent said the scandal could make them much less likely to back the party – amounting to 100,000 votes.

The Tories only narrowly beat Labour to No 10 by 758,224 votes – meaning that the anti-Semitism crisis could cost the Mr Corbyn the next election. 

Euan Philipps, of Labour Against Antisemitism, the campaign group that commissioned the poll, said: ‘This poll delivers a damning judgement on a Labour leader who has lost the moral authority to lead. 

Bid to make deselection of Labour moderates to be voted on by party conference 

Proposals to make it easier to deselect Labour MPs could be passed by the party today amid fears the hard-left wants to purge the organisation of moderates.

Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has backed controversial moves to slash barriers to ousting MPs.

And they are expected to be voted through by party delegates at their conference in Liverpool today.

Under the proposals, MPs will face open selection battles if a third of local branches or affiliated unions demand one – cutting it from the current 50 per cent threshold.

And plans to make it easier for a Corbynista to take over as leader are also expected to be passed today.

Under them, anyone wanting to stand to be leader would have to get the backing of 5 per cent of constituency parties or trade union members.

The move would hand the 500,000 Labour Party members far more power and almost certainly ensure that the left get onto the ballot.    

A Labour source said: ‘The proposal agreed unanimously by the NEC reforms the existing reselection process, giving members and trade union affiliates a greater say in who represents them, but doesn’t move to automatic open selections.’

The moves come after several Labour moderate MPs have faced no confidence votes from their local parties after they spoke out against Mr Corbyn’s over anti-Semitism.

Joan Ryan, Gavin Shuker and Chris Leslie have all blamed the hard-left who have flooded into the party after they were hit by the votes.

‘Jeremy Corbyn’s foolish and misguided decision to spend an entire summer baiting the British Jewish community appears to have backfired drastically, and turned thousands of vital swing voters away from the Labour Party.’

He added: ‘Labour party members must now ask themselves how much they wish to remain loyal to Corbyn, how much they want to risk further tarnishing the party’s already sullied reputation for fighting racism, and how much they want a Labour government?

‘Because while Mr Corbyn remains leader the prospect of a Labour government remains increasingly far away.’

The survey was revealed on the day where Labour Party delegates at conference in Liverpool are expected to pass a radical shake-up of party rules to make it easier to oust MPs.

Under the plans, already backed by party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), MPs will face open selection battles if a third of local branches or affiliated unions demand one – cutting it from the current 50 per cent threshold.

Critics have warned that the plan would make it easier for hard-left entryists to purge the party of MPs that have criticised Mr Corbyn’s handling of the anti-Semitism crisis. 

Labour MPs who are Jewish or who have spoken out against the anti-Semitism crisis have faced a wave of abuse and threats of deselection from the hard-left.

Joan Ryan, a Labour MP and chair of the Labour Friends of Israel Group, and Gavin Shuker have both lost confidence votes – and blamed hard-left the for attempts to purge them from the party. 

The poll of more than 5,000 people, carried out between September 10 and 13, is the largest yet carried out about the political fall-out of the anti-Semitism scandal.

It comes as it was revealed that a Labour MP critical of Mr Corbyn is in secret negotiations to receive a 24-hour armed guard after being subjected to chilling death threats.

The backbencher has been in talks with Commons security advisers about being given unprecedented police protection on a par with the Home Secretary.

If agreed, it will be the first time that a rank-and-file MP on mainland Britain has been granted such security.

One senior Commons source said: ‘This is an extremely serious threat. I would say that this MP needs this protection more than the Northern Ireland Secretary does – which is a sign of the times.’

Several prominent Jewish figures have revealed they are planning to flee Britain if Mr Corbyn is elected PM as they fear they are no longer welcome in the country. 

Mark Lewis, an ex Labour supporter who represented victims in the phone-hacking case, and Mandy Blumenthal said they are planning to move to Israel by the end of the year.

They accused Mr Corbyn of moving the ‘rock anti-Semites have crawled out from’ and said they have received a growing wave of hate and threats since he became Labour leader.

Under Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at the party conference in Liverpool today) , Labour has been plunged into turmoil over the anti-Semitism crisis and has been branded 'institutionally racist' by one of its own MPs

Under Jeremy Corbyn (pictured at the party conference in Liverpool today) , Labour has been plunged into turmoil over the anti-Semitism crisis and has been branded ‘institutionally racist’ by one of its own MPs

He told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire Show last month: ‘The online abuse might continue, the Israelis might not like me because I am too left, might not like me because they think I am too right, whatever their view.

‘But they are not going to dislike me because I am Jewish. And there is only so much you can take – when you are getting threats to kill you.

‘When you are getting threats from people that they want you to be ill etc, it’s a drip drip effect.’

Ms Blumenthal said: ‘People are – in the majority of circles that I mix in – actually talking about their options of leaving here because of the anti-Semitism.’

Labour said it is ‘fully committed to the support, defence and celebration of the Jewish community and its organisations. 

‘We are taking action against anti-Semitism, standing in solidarity with Jewish communities, and rebuilding trust’.

Timeline of anti-Semitic scandals which have erupted under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) has been accused of failing to tackle the racism among his supporters 

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) has been accused of failing to tackle the racism among his supporters 

The anti-Semitism scandal has dogged Labour since Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader  in 2015.

Here is a timeline of the controversies: 

April 2016:

Labour MP Naz Shah is suspended for anti-Semitic posts – including one in which she appeared to endorse calls for Israelis to be deported to the US. 

She apologised and was given a formal warning.  

Ken Livingstone goes on the radio to defend Ms Shah – but sparks fresh controversy by claiming that Hitler supported Zionism. 

He is suspended by Labour but refuses to apologise and has repeated the claim many times.

He eventually quits Labour two years later, saying his suspension has become a distraction.

June 2016: 

A two-month inquiry by civil liberties campaigner Shami Chakrabarti finds that Labour is not overrun by anti-Semitism. 

But the launch is overshadowed when Jewish Labour MP Ruth Smeeth flees it in tears after being accused by Corbyn supporter Marc Wadsworth of colluding with the press.

Critics accuse the report of being a whitewash and Ms Chakrabarti is widely criticised for accepting a peerage from Jeremy Corbyn shortly afterwards.

October 2016: 

The Home Affairs Select Committee says Labour is guilty of incompetence over its handling of anti-Semitism and of creating a safe space for people with ‘vile attitudes towards Jewish people’.

March 2018: 

It is revealed that Jeremy Corbyn defended an artist who painted an anti-Semitic mural and said the offensive art should be removed.

He apologises saying he did not properly look at the picture before he made the post.

Jewish leaders take the unprecedented step of holding a demonstration outside Parliament protesting Mr Corbyn’s failure to tackle anti-Semitism.

Several Labour MPs address the crowds.

April 2018:

Marc Wadsworth is expelled from Labour after being accused of anti-Semitism. 

Meanwhile, Labour Jewish MPs tell of the anti-Semitic abuse they have suffered in a powerful parliamentary debate – and round on their leader for failing to tackle it. 

July 2018:

The Labour leadership sparks fresh anger by failing to fully adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism

Peter Willsman, a strong ally of Jeremy Corbyn, is secretly taped ranting that Jewish ‘Trump fanatics’ invented the anti-Semitism storm engulfing Labour. 

In an angry diatribe at a meeting of Labour’s ruling executive committee, he said he was ‘amazed’ there was evidence party members hated Jews.

He claimed ‘some of these people in the Jewish community support Trump – they are Trump fanatics’ before shouting: ‘So I am not going to be lectured to by Trump fanatics making up duff information without any evidence at all.’

August 2018:

Jeremy Corbyn issues a video insisting he is committed to tackling the racism – but it is panned by Jewish leaders.

Corbynistas mount a social media campaign to get deputy Labour leader Tom Watson to quit after he criticises the party’s handling of anti-Semitism. 

The Daily Mail exclusively publishes photos of Jeremy Corbyn holding a wreath at a ceremony where a terrorist linked to the Munich massacre was honoured.

The Labour leader insists he was there to honour others killed – but faces fresh calls to quit over the scandal. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk