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.
‘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
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’.