Jeremy Corbyn finally said sorry today for the anti-Semitism crisis that has engulfed the Labour Party – but insisted he has ‘dealt with it’.
The opposition leader apologised in a bad-tempered exchange live on This Morning after being pressed by host Philip Schofield.
Mr Corbyn has steadfastly refused to apologise directly in media interviews in recent days as the issue has reared its head in the election campaign – although he has had sorry previously.
But appearing on ITV’s magazine show with Schofield and co-host Holly Willoughby, he was pressed to say sorry three times.
Asked the first time Mr Corbyn tried to repeat the words he frequently uses on the subject.
He said: ‘Our party … can I make it clear …’ but Schofield cut him off, saying: ‘No, just say sorry.’
Corbyn tried again, saying: ‘Can I just make it clear … our party and me do not accept antisemitism in any form…’
But Schofield again interrupted to ask: ‘So are you sorry? Why can’t you say sorry?”
Mr Corbyn finally relented saying: ‘Obviously I am very sorry for everything that has happened.
‘But I would like to make it clear that we are dealing with it – I have dealt with it.’
Appearing on ITV’s magazine show with Philip Schofield and co-host Holly Willoughby, he was pressed to say sorry, with Schofield asking: ‘Why can’t you say sorry?’
Mr Corbyn finally relented, telling them: ‘Obviously I am very sorry for everything that has happened’
He added: ‘Other parties are also affected by anti-Semitism.
‘Candidates have been withdrawn by the Liberal Democrats, and the Conservatives and by us because of it. We just do not accept it in any form whatsoever.’
Mr Corbyn was embroiled in a row with the Chief Rabbi last week, saying he was ‘wrong’ to accuse Labour of failing to tackle anti-Semitism – as the party leader refused four times to apologise to British Jews.
In a bruising prime time pre-election interview with the BBC’s Andrew Neil, Mr Corbyn said he wanted to have ‘a discussion’ with Ephraim Mirvis after he accused the left-winger of allowing the ‘poison’ of anti-Semitism to take root in Labour.
The Labour leader was challenged over Mr Mirvis’s allegation that Labour’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.
He insisted he has ‘developed a much stronger process’ and had sanctioned and removed members who have been anti-Semitic.
But he floundered when Mr Neil detailed specific cases of anti-Semitism by Labour members who faced little or no sanction.
On ITV’s This Morning, Mr Corbyn was asked about questions arising over whether Russian disinformation was behind Labour’s 451-page unredacted report that revealed the details of talks between UK and US officials regarding a future trade deal between the two countries.
In a bruising prime time pre-election interview with the BBC ‘s Andrew Neil last week, Mr Corbyn said he wanted to have ‘a discussion’ with Ephraim Mirvis after he accused the left-winger of allowing the ‘poison’ of anti-Semitism to take root in Labour
Mr Corbyn added: ‘Other parties are also affected by anti-Semitism. Candidates have been withdrawn by the Liberal Democrats, and the Conservatives and by us because of it’
He told the programme: ‘I held the dossier up because it had been released, and I’ve seen it, and at no stage until today when this new conspiracy theory arose has anyone challenged the correctness of that document, the veracity of that document.’
Mr Corbyn added: ‘If the document is not accurate, then why is it, it’s been out there all this time, no minister has claimed it’s inaccurate.
‘No Government has, and in reality the minutes are there of meetings which involved Liam Fox in the early stages and officials later on.
‘And Donald Trump himself said everything is on the table, including our National Health Service.’
It comes as Boris Johnson and the Tories hold a 12 point poll lead over Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party with the general election now just nine days away.
A new survey conducted by Kantar between November 28 and December 2 puts the Conservative Party on 44 per cent overall, a one per cent increase on the company’s last poll on November 26.
But while the Tories have edged forward, Labour has stalled with the party recording a rating of 32 per cent – the same as the last poll.
The numbers will cause alarm in Labour headquarters this morning as the party scrambles to try to overhaul Mr Johnson’s massive poll lead.
Labour has been shown to be making gains in a number of polls published in the past few days.
However, with time running out before the UK goes to the ballot box on December 12 the Kantar survey suggests a Labour victory is increasingly unlikely.
Jeremy Corbyn REFUSES to say if terrorists should get full life prison terms and is forced to deny that he wants to ABOLISH MI5 after Boris Johnson called him a security risk
Jeremy Corbyn today refused to say whether he believed ‘life should mean life’ for terrorists convicted of the most serious offences.
He was also forced to deny that he and his allies want to abolish the UK’s intelligence services.
He made the remarks during an appearance on ITV’s This Morning programme as he was grilled by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.
It came after Boris Johnson suggested Mr Corbyn would be a security risk if he becomes PM.
Mr Johnson said the UK’s closest allies were ‘very anxious’ about Mr Corbyn being elected to Number 10 and accused him of being ‘naive’ to the terror risk Britain faces in the wake of the London Bridge attack.
Mr Corbyn is desperately trying to kick start Labour’s general election campaign amid signs that the party is stalling in the polls and still remains a long way behind the Tories.
But the Labour leader’s appearance on TV this morning was dominated by questions about his approach to justice and national security.
Jeremy Corbyn was forced to deny that he wants to abolish MI5 during an appearance on This Morning today
The Labour leader also refused to say whether terrorists convicted of the most serious offences should serve full life terms in prison
Mr Corbyn was asked by Mr Schofield ‘should life be life’ for terrorists convicted of the most serious offences.
The Labour leader refused to be drawn as he replied: ‘Prison sentences should be decided by courts and the management of the prison sentence should be also decided by a combination of the prison service.
‘But the point I am making very strongly is that our prison service is woefully underfunded and the rehabilitation and the programmes to stop people being radicalised have often been insufficient in prison and I think the lesson from this horrible tragedy is that we have to improve that.’
His latest remarks come after he said yesterday that convicted terrorists should only be released from prison after completing a ‘significant proportion’ of their jail sentences.
He also stressed that they must have been rehabilitated so they present no threat to the public and must also remain under strict supervision.
Mr Corbyn said in an interview broadcast by Sky News on Sunday that convicted terrorists should ‘not necessarily’ have to serve the entirety of their prison sentences.
Meanwhile, in an extraordinary moment Mr Corbyn was forced to deny that he would scrap MI5 if he wins the election on December 12.
Mr Schofield referred to comments previously made by shadow home secretary Diane Abbott who had backed calls for MI5 to be axed.
But Mr Corbyn responded to the question by insisting: ‘I am not calling for the abolition of any of our services.’
However, the Labour leader did say the security services need to be subject to ‘greater accountability’.
Ms Abbott signed a parliamentary motion back in 1989 which called for the ‘abolition of conspiratorial groups like MI5 and special branch’.
She distanced herself from the statement in May 2017 during an appearance on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.
She said at the time: ‘At that time I and a lot of people felt MI5 needed reforming. It has since been reformed and of course I would not call for its abolition now.’