Labour activists last night slammed Jeremy Corbyn’s performance on the Andrew Neil show as ‘truly horrific’ as they vowed to ‘push images and stories with positive messages’ to try and deflect from the ‘awful’ appearance.
During the interview which aired last night on the BBC, Corbyn refused four times to apologise to the UK Jewish community after the Chief Rabbi slammed the party for how it deals with anti-Semitism.
The Labour leader was challenged over Ephraim Mirvis’s allegation that the party’s claims it is doing everything to tackle anti-Jewish racism was a ‘mendacious fiction’.
‘No, he’s not right. Because he would have to produce the evidence to say that’s mendacious,’ Mr Corbyn replied.
But he floundered when Mr Neil detailed specific cases of anti-Semitism by Labour members who faced little or no sanction.
The messages which are alleged to have been sent between so-called Corbynistas attacked the Labour leader’s performance on the show, before discussing how they would try and rectify it.
The messages are thought to have been leaked from a private WhatsApp or Apple group chat and start with one user saying ‘folks need to listen up for a sec’.
They then go on to state how the interview was pre-recorded, and mention his non-apology to the Chief Rabbi. The messages seem to have all come from one user.
‘Jeremy has pre-recorded the Andrew Neil interview already and apparently it’s truly horrific.
‘Like awful. Ten minutes purely on AS. The chief rabbi ect. JC refused to apologise to the Rabbi so it’s going to be brutal’.
The same person then calls for the group to ‘flood all hashtags relating to the programme with the above’.
‘Stories with positive messages and push integrity policies’.
A source told MailOnline that the messages had not come from the Labour party.
It also urges them to ‘not attack Andrew Neil’ and also tells them to ‘ignore Brexit’, an issue which has so far divided many Labour supporters who feel the party does not have a clear message on leaving the European Union.
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Jeremy Corbyn (right) is thought to have pre recorded the interview with Andrew Neil, which was aired earlier this evening
The messages (examples above) were thought to have been sent by Labour activists who described the interview as ‘horrific’
In last night’s half-hour grilling, the Labour leader also:
- Admitted his party could not pay for its £60billion plan to compensate so-called ‘Waspi’ women who lost part of their pension – and said the party would have to borrow the cash;
- Conceded low earners could face higher taxes under Labour, despite his previous pledge to limit rises to the rich;
- Repeatedly refused to say whether he would authorise the killing of the Islamic State terror group leader if UK special forces found him;
- Could not say who would lead the campaign for his Brexit deal in a second referendum in which he has pledged to remain neutral;
- Acknowledged that Labour would keep free movement in all but name;
- Did not know that the top 5 per cent of earners, who he has targeted for tax rises, already pay 50 per cent of all income tax.
The Labour party was unable to be reached for comment last night over the content of the messages.
Following the interview which has been dubbed as a ‘car crash’, many took to social media to discuss the outcome.
Journalist Robert Peston said he had been ‘slightly surprised’ from comments by Corbyn supporters who ‘thought it went well’.
He added: ‘But I am mainstream media, and I am in the bubble, so maybe I know literally nothing.’
The activists seemed to rally around their leader, wanting to make sure any bad messages from the show dismissed
This is while another user Julie Lenarz added: ‘I am of the strong belief that Corbyn intentionally harbours anti-Semitic views.
‘And unlike some who see him as a misguided old man, I think Corbyn knows exactly what he’s doing.’
Some even joked that Corbyn’s interview had been worse that that given by Prince Andrew earlier this month.
‘The only people who think the Corbyn interview went well are Aaron Bastani and Prince Andrew’, one user commented.
Another added: ‘Corbyn won’t apologise because he isn’t sorry. It’s not complicated’.
Many people took to Twitter after the interview to discuss Corbyn’s performance (tweets above)
The messages come as the Chief Rabbi faced a torrent of sickening abuse from Corbyn supporters today after his unprecedented condemnation of anti-Semitism under his leadership of Labour.
Ephraim Mirvis was labelled a ‘sewer rat’ after claiming that the vast majority of British Jews were ‘gripped by anxiety’ at the idea of Mr Corbyn in No 10 after the election in December.
Other critics used anti-Semitic tropes, complaining of ‘Israeli interference’ in the election after South Africa-born Mr Mirvis’s intervention.
Others accused him of being a close friend of Boris Johnson, suggesting he was speaking out for party political reasons.
He accused Mr Corbyn of allowing the ‘poison’ of anti-Semitism to take root in Labour, saying it could no longer claim to be the party of diversity, equality and anti-racism.
Ephraim Mirvis (pictured) said the vast majority of British Jews were ‘gripped by anxiety’ at the idea of Jeremy Corbyn in No 10
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, waded into the row today by saying the rabbi’s intervention should ‘alert us to the deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews’
Urging voters to examine their consciences in the polling booth, he warned: ‘The very soul of our nation is at stake.’
In response one Twitter user said: ‘The Chief Rabbi is an utter disgrace. Backing the most right wing UK government ever and telling lies about the man who has opposed racism for decades.
‘A rabbi, dancing on the grave of all victims of racists, how low has he sunk. Sewer rat would be an underestimate.’
Twitter users claiming to by Corbyn supporters vented fury at the Chief Rabbi, branding him a ‘sewer rat’ and also turned their fire on Mr Welby
But current and former Labour politicians also weighed in behind Rabbi Mirvis.
Jess Philips, who is defending her Birmingham Yardley seat, said: ‘The only response to the chief Rabbi that is moral is, ‘I’m sorry and I’ll do whatever I possibly can to win back your community’s trust.’ So that’s what I will say.’
Luciana Berger, who quit Labour in protest at anti-Semitism and joined the Lib Dems, said the comments were ‘devastating’.
Former minister Ian Austin said: ‘It is unprecedented for the Chief Rabbi to have to do this.
‘It is heartbreaking to see a party so many of us joined to fight racism and which had such a proud record of fighting for equality reduced to this. Utterly shameful. A complete disgrace. Corbyn & co should be so ashamed.’
Home Secretary Priti Patel said it was ‘staggering’ that Labour would ‘lecture people about race and faith’ while the party was under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission for anti-Semitism.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, waded into the row today by saying the rabbi’s intervention should ‘alert us to the deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews’.
The Chief Rabbi took aim at Mr Corbyn for supporting a racist mural and for describing terrorists who endorse the murder of Jews as ‘friends’.
Mr Welby said: ‘That the Chief Rabbi should be compelled to make such an unprecedented statement at this time ought to alert us to the deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews.’
The warnings came as Mr Corbyn prepared to launch his party’s ‘race and faith manifesto’ this morning, which includes a plan to hold an inquiry into far-Right extremism.
It propose to teach all schoolchildren about the ‘injustice’ of the British empire.
And it accuses the Equality and Human Rights Commission watchdog – which is investigating Labour over institutional anti-Semitism – of not being ‘truly independent’.
In his attack, in an article for The Times, the Chief Rabbi wrote: ‘The way in which the leadership of the Labour Party has dealt with anti-Jewish racism is incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud – of dignity and respect for all people
The Chief Rabbi took aim at Mr Corbyn (pictured together) for supporting a racist mural and for describing terrorists who endorse the murder of Jews as ‘friends’
‘It has left many decent Labour members and parliamentarians, both Jewish and non-Jewish, ashamed.
‘What we do know from history is that what starts with the Jews, never ends with the Jews.’
Rabbi Mirvis quoted a claim from the Jewish Labour Movement that 130 cases of anti-Semitism had not been dealt with by party officials.
A Labour spokesman insisted this figure was false, adding: ‘Jeremy Corbyn is a lifelong campaigner against anti-Semitism and has made absolutely clear it has no place in our party and society and that no one who engages in it does so in his name.’ The storm came as:
Mr Corbyn has been blamed for Labour’s anti-Semitism problem because he has spent his political life fraternising with the hard Left.
Mr Corbyn prepares to launch his party’s ‘race and faith manifesto’ this morning
On one occasion in Parliament he even greeted representatives of the Islamist terror groups Hamas and Hezbollah as ‘friends’.
In 2012, Mr Corbyn offered his backing online to Los Angeles-based street artist Mear One, whose mural, featuring several known anti-Semitic tropes, was due to be removed after complaints.
Later, he was pictured holding a wreath yards from the graves of terror leaders linked to the 1972 Munich Olympics killings.
Since he became Labour leader in 2015, two female Jewish MPs have been driven out of the party by the anti-Semitic abuse they have faced and one of them even needed a bodyguard at the party conference.
Now Labour is under investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission over its racism problem – only the second party after the BNP to face such a probe.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said it was ‘staggering’ that Labour would ‘lecture people about race and faith’ while the party was under investigation
Two rabbis have already come out to urge voters not to back Mr Corbyn’s party.
But last night’s intervention of the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, at the height of an election campaign, is utterly unprecedented.
Sajid Javid said he was ‘saddened’ by the Chief Rabbi’s comments, calling for a period of reflection in a post on Twitter.
The Chancellor wrote: ‘Very saddened to read this. To think the Chief Rabbi of a European nation has to say this about a contender for high office in 2019.
‘We should all reflect on the state of our politics.’
The Labour spokesman said the party was taking robust action to root out anti-Semitism, with swift suspensions, processes for rapid expulsions and an education programme for members.
‘Anti-Semitism complaints account for about 0.1 per cent of the Labour Party membership, while polls show anti-Semitism is more prevalent among Conservative than Labour supporters,’ he added. ‘In the past week it’s been revealed Conservative candidates said events in the Holocaust were ‘fabricated’ and called British Jews ‘extremists’.
‘A Labour government will guarantee the security of the Jewish community, defend and support the Jewish way of life, and combat rising anti-Semitism in our country and across Europe.’
‘We known from history, what starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews’: Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis’s message in full
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said Labour’s inaction on anti-Semitism has left many ‘ashamed’
The overwhelming majority of British Jews are gripped by anxiety. The question I am most frequently asked is: What will become of Jews and Judaism in Britain if the Labour Party forms the next government?
The Jewish community has… learned the hard way that speaking out means that we will be demonised… and accused of being partisan or acting in bad faith by those who still think of this as an orchestrated political smear. Yet, I ask myself: should the victims of racism be silenced by the fear of yet further vilification?
The way in which the leadership of the Labour Party has dealt with anti-Jewish racism is incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud. It has left many decent Labour members and parliamentarians, both Jewish and non-Jewish, ashamed.
It is a failure to see this as a human problem rather than a political one. It is a failure of leadership. A new poison – sanctioned from the very top – has taken root in the Labour Party.
Many members of the Jewish community can hardly believe this is the same party that they proudly called their political home for more than a century.
How complicit in prejudice would a leader of Her Majesty’s opposition have to be in order to be considered unfit for high office? Would associations with those who have openly incited hatred against Jews be enough? Would describing as ‘friends’ those who endorse and even perpetrate the murder of Jews be enough? It seems not. What we do know from history is that what starts with the Jews, never ends with the Jews.
It is not my place to tell any person how they should vote. I simply pose the following question: What will the result of this election say about the moral compass of our country? I ask every person to vote with their conscience. Be in no doubt – the very soul of our nation is at stake.
Torn apart: In TV Skewering Corbyn refuses four times to apologise for anti-Semitism, is humiliated over £58bn women’s pensions and shamed over tax rises for thousands on low incomes
By Jason Grieves, Daniel Martin and John Stevens for the Daily Mail
Jeremy Corbyn was humiliated on TV last night as he tried to defend Labour’s policies.
He also refused four times to apologise for his handling of the anti-Semitism crisis and said the Chief Rabbi was ‘not right’ in accusing Labour over the issue.
Ephraim Mirvis had said British Jews were ‘gripped with anxiety’ at the prospect of Labour in power.
Mr Corbyn floundered repeatedly when quizzed by the BBC’s Andrew Neil over his party’s electoral pledges and spending plans.
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured above) was humiliated on TV last night as he tried to defend Labour’s policies
It capped a disastrous day for the Labour leader, who was called ‘racist’ by protesters when he arrived to unveil a ‘Race and Faith’ manifesto.
Senior Labour figures warned that hopes of a revival in the final fortnight of the campaign were at risk. Secret messages on an internet chat group for Corbyn supporters described the interview as ‘truly horrific’.
Activists were urged to drown it out with positive messages on social media platforms.
Mr Corbyn had avoided facing tough interviews during the election campaign. But in last night’s half-hour grilling, the Labour leader:
- Admitted his party could not pay for its £60billion plan to compensate so-called ‘Waspi’ women who lost part of their pension – and said the party would have to borrow the cash;
- Conceded low earners could face higher taxes under Labour, despite his previous pledge to limit rises to the rich;
- Repeatedly refused to say whether he would authorise the killing of the Islamic State terror group leader if UK special forces found him;
- Could not say who would lead the campaign for his Brexit deal in a second referendum in which he has pledged to remain neutral;
- Acknowledged that Labour would keep free movement in all but name;
- Did not know that the top 5 per cent of earners, who he has targeted for tax rises, already pay 50 per cent of all income tax.
In an unprecedented intervention yesterday, Rabbi Mirvis publicly suggested Mr Corbyn was ‘unfit for office’ because of his failure to deal with the anti-Semitism crisis that has ‘poisoned’ Labour since he became leader in 2015. He dismissed Labour’s claims to be doing everything it could on the issue as ‘mendacious fiction’.
Britain’s most senior Jewish leader was backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, who said it should ‘alert us to the deep sense of insecurity and fear felt by many British Jews’.
Labour MP Wes Streeting, welcomed the archbishop’s comments, saying: ‘This is how a real leader responds to the unprecedented statement by the Chief Rabbi. I am proud of my church and ashamed of my party.’
Former Labour cabinet minister Lord Falconer, who was due to lead an inquiry into anti-Semitism in the party for Mr Corbyn before the Equality and Human Rights Commission announced its own probe, said Labour ‘deserved’ the criticism.
The peer said that Mr Corbyn was guilty of a ‘failure of leadership’ over the issue and the Chief Rabbi’s intervention was ‘absolutely extraordinary but justified’.
The Hindu Council also backed Rabbi Mirvis – and said that anti-Hindu prejudice had festered under Labour.
Anil Bhanot, the Hindu Council’s director for interfaith relations, said: ‘It is a sad state of affairs that a major political party in our country which used to be a progressive socialist voice has veered towards what is almost a fascist ideology.’
Mr Corbyn described anti-Semitism as ‘an evil within our society’, adding: ‘There is no place whatsoever for anti-Semitism in any shape or form or in any place whatsoever in modern Britain.’
But, during a fractious interview, in which he appeared to be close to losing his temper, Mr Corbyn suggested the Chief Rabbi had got his facts wrong.
The Labour leader was challenged over Rabbi Mirvis’s allegation that Labour’s claims it is doing everything to tackle anti-Jewish racism was a ‘mendacious fiction’ (Mirvis above)
Asked about the rabbi’s comments, he said: ‘I’m looking forward to having a discussion with him because I want to hear why he would say such a thing.’
Mr Corbyn also denied that the blight increased after he took over the party.
The Labour leader was challenged over Rabbi Mirvis’s allegation that Labour’s claims it is doing everything to tackle anti-Jewish racism was a ‘mendacious fiction’.
Insiders say at least 130 cases are still outstanding and the independent group Mainstream last night produced a dossier claiming 10 Labour candidates have made anti-Semitic comments.
But Mr Corbyn rejected the rabbi’s comments, saying: ‘No, he’s not right. Because he would have to produce the evidence to say that’s mendacious.’
Mr Neil offered the Labour leader four chances to apologise, all of which he rejected.
Mike Katz, chairman of Jewish Labour, last night said: ‘Sorry really does seem to be the hardest word.’
Labour Party’s Apsana Begum (centre) and Claudia Webbe (right) at the launch of the Labour Party race and faith manifesto at the Bernie Grant Arts Centre, north London
Mr Corbyn initially declined to say whether it was anti-Semitic to suggest ‘Rothschild’s Zionists run Israel and world governments’, as one Labour activist had claimed. After several attempts, Mr Corbyn eventually conceded that it was.
Mr Corbyn was also challenged over why three senior Labour figures who have faced accusations of anti-Semitism joined him on the stage for the launch of Labour’s ‘Race and Faith manifesto’ yesterday.
Asked directly about the case of Aspana Begum, Labour’s candidate in Poplar and Limehouse, who shared a Facebook post suggesting some of Saudi Arabia’s actions were ‘inspired by their Zionist masters’, Mr Johnson said: ‘It’s not the language they should use, not the language I would use.’