Jewish Labour supporters hail Britain’s ‘damning verdict’ on Jeremy Corbyn

Labour’s Jewish supporters expressed ‘relief’ today as Britain delivered a ‘damning’ verdict on ‘Jeremy Corbyn’s politics of division, extremism and anti-Semitism’ and his ‘institutionally racist’ party.    

Labour Against Antisemitism [LAAS] has demanded that Mr Corbyn resigns immediately after his election disaster so a new candidate can be brought in to sweep away his ‘legacy of anti-Jewish hatred’.

And the Jewish Labour Movement said the blame for Labour’s devastating election failure ‘lies squarely with the party’s leadership’ and also demanded the party leader quits.

Mr Corbyn has been dogged by claims he has allowed his party to be swamped by anti-Semites despite his insistence he had ‘done all he could’ to root it out. 

Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn is pictured outside his home in Islington, North London, this morning

Rachel Riley has suffered years of abuse because of her anger with Corbyn over anti-Semitism and she said: 'Love you Britain' as Labour was defeated

Rachel Riley has suffered years of abuse because of her anger with Corbyn over anti-Semitism and she said: ‘Love you Britain’ as Labour was defeated

Hailing his defeat the LAAS said: ‘The overwhelming reaction of our members to this election result is one of relief.

‘The British public have delivered a damning verdict on Jeremy Corbyn and his institutionally racist Labour Party. Labour Against Antisemitism stated at the beginning of the election that neither Corbyn or his party were fit for government, and the public have agreed.

‘Underlying that emotion [of relief], however, runs anger that the British Jewish community has been brought close to serious threat by the complete failure of the Labour movement to deal with the poison of antisemitism.

Jewish Labour Movement has also demanded that Mr Corbyn resigns immediately

Jewish Labour Movement has also demanded that Mr Corbyn resigns immediately

‘The next leader must be prepared to take all necessary measures to deal with Corbyn’s legacy of anti-Jewish hatred, including cooperating fully with the Equalities and Human Rights Commission investigation. Failure to do so will only lead to further electoral catastrophe for the Labour Party.’

Chancellor Sajid Javid told BBC Radio 4’s The World At One: ‘There will be Jewish citizens waking up today for the first time able to feel safe in our country, the first time since Jeremy Corbyn became leader of the Labour party.’

He added: ‘Muslims, absolutely, I think should feel safe because we have a Conservative majority governing on behalf of one nation.’

And Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said today: ‘This election victory is an historic achievement for Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party.

Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said today: 'History will not look kindly on Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party, where anti-Jewish racism has been allowed to run amok'

Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said today: ‘History will not look kindly on Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party, where anti-Jewish racism has been allowed to run amok’

‘We hope that the Prime Minister will use his new mandate to bring the country together, and put an end to the toxicity and prejudice which has become too regular a feature of our politics.

Countdown host Rachel Riley (pictured delivered a petition to Downing Street on December 7) shared relief with the Jewish community about Mr Corbyn's humiliation

Countdown host Rachel Riley (pictured delivered a petition to Downing Street on December 7) shared relief with the Jewish community about Mr Corbyn’s humiliation

‘We look forward to working with the Government to ensure that our country strives to be a beacon of inclusion and respect for all its inhabitants.

‘When he eventually steps back, history will not look kindly on Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of the Labour Party, where anti-Jewish racism has been allowed to run amok and some at the highest levels of the party have appeared to collude to protect antisemites.

‘We urge the next leader of the Labour Party to act quickly to implement the steps repeatedly recommended by Jewish communal groups to begin solving this crisis and moving our politics forward.’

Richard Ferrer, editor of the Jewish News, told MailOnline: ‘I didn’t realise how scared I was of a Corbyn government until the threat had passed.

‘For the last four years Labour members have been given a free pass to vilify and abuse the Jewish community, with the party leadership colluding in this behaviour.

‘Now, at last, anguish and despair has been replaced with relief and restored faith in British decency.

‘The Jewish community has a long and illustrious association with the Labour Party, one that has been annihilated by Jeremy Corbyn. Now it’s time to start rebuilding that proud relationship.’

Countdown star Rachel Riley tweeted ‘Love you Britain’ as the Tory landslide victory emerged.

She told LBC today: ‘When I saw the first exit poll, I’ll be perfectly honest. I burst into floods tears and I couldn’t control the emotion because it’s been the hardest year.

Veteran actress Maureen Lipman (pictured on the Coronation Street set) wrote about how 'five years of a Corbyn government... would be a stain on all of us' in yesterday's Mail and faced online abuse as a result

Veteran actress Maureen Lipman (pictured on the Coronation Street set) wrote about how ‘five years of a Corbyn government… would be a stain on all of us’ in yesterday’s Mail and faced online abuse as a result

‘I think I speak them for a large number of Jews when I say it’s just tearing people apart. 

‘To actually see that the general public, Britain, rejects terrorists supporters, it rejects anti-Semitism, it rejects bigotry. It’s all the things that, as a Brit, I’m proud of my country for. 

‘We reject this kind of stuff and to actually see it in practice… I mean, I think it’s a sorry state of affairs that I think this is a very unpopular government for a large number of people and they didn’t have a credible opposition, so I don’t it’s anything to celebrate.’

Another Jewish Labour supporter tweeted: ‘I want to say thank you to the British public for confirming my faith that you would never vote an antisemite into No 10’.

And Tory Michael Gove told the Conservative victory rally that Jewish voters should ‘never have to live in fear again’ as the Labour leader’s time in charge could end imminently.

Ken Livingstone said it’s ‘the end’ for Jeremy Corbyn and said ‘the Jewish vote wasn’t very helpful’ to his comrade. 

The Tory general election win sets the stage for an ugly fight to succeed Mr Corbyn after a campaign dominated by his dithering over Brexit and his failure to deal with anti-Semitism in his party. 

It will pitch Labour’s hard-Left against the moderates who have been out in the cold for four years.

Mr McDonnell – who had been touted as a potential interim leader should Mr Corbyn go, but appeared to rule himself out last night – said the result proved that people want to ‘get Brexit done’.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is greeted by staff as he arrives back at Downing Street after meeting Queen Elizabeth and accepting her invitation to form a new government today

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is greeted by staff as he arrives back at Downing Street after meeting Queen Elizabeth and accepting her invitation to form a new government today

Responding to the exit poll, the shadow chancellor told the BBC: ‘We knew it would be tough – if it’s anywhere near this it’s extremely disappointing. This was a Brexit election… I hate to say this, but I think they probably did want to get it done.’

When Andrew Neil put it to him that the result was a judgement on him, Mr Corbyn, and their ‘brand of socialism’, he replied: ‘I disagree’.

Mr Lansman also tried to blame Brexit, and claimed the policies in Mr Corbyn’s left-wing manifesto had been popular.

In a dramatic confrontation on ITV, former home secretary Mr Johnson told him: ‘Corbyn was a disaster on the doorstep. Everyone knew he couldn’t lead the working class out of a paper bag.

‘Now Jon’s developed this Momentum group party within a party aiming to keep the purity. The cultural betrayal goes on.

‘You’ll hear it now more and more over the next few days as this little cult get their act together. I want them out of the party. I want Momentum gone. Go back to your student politics and your little left wing.’

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home in Islington, North London, this morning

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home in Islington, North London, this morning

Former Labour general secretary Ian McNicol – a moderate – tweeted: ‘We are going to lose a lot of great Labour MPs tonight. Our communities are going to suffer. It is heartbreaking.

‘To those of you who led this campaign, own it. It is the least you can do.’

A senior Labour source told the Guardian: ‘Jeremy Corbyn and the IRA came up an awful lot in the north among older voters. In Darlington and Sedgefield where there are barracks they really felt it.

Odds for Labour leadership contenders

Keir Starmer 3/1

Rebecca Long-Bailey 3/1

Yvette Cooper 8/1

Angela Rayner 10/1 

John McDonnell 16/1

Lisa Nandy 16/1 

Source: Ladbrokes  

‘Anti-Semitism was a problem in London at the beginning of the campaign but in the middle of the campaign it became a problem in the rest of the country. People didn’t understand why he wouldn’t say sorry for that.’

One Labour candidate who expected to lose their seat told the Guardian: ‘The only upside of this is that Corbyn will have to go now. He can retire to the Chagos Islands. They own this lock, stock and barrel.’

Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls said: ‘This is a catastrophe, it is a hammer blow for the Labour Party, a terrible defeat for the Jeremy Corbyn leadership.’

Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair’s ex-spin doctor, tweeted: ‘Labour has to face some hard truths – this was not just about Corbyn but the broader worldview and an economic plan that so many people did not believe.’

If he does quit, Mr McDonnell is reportedly poised to take over as interim leader for six months to help his wing of the party to regain control. He is understood to want his protégé Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow business secretary, to take over – or employment spokesman Laura Pidcock.

But the moderates will fight back with candidates such as the strongly pro-Remain Sir Keir Starmer, the Brexit spokesman. Other likely candidates include Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry.

Justice spokesman Richard Burgon and Treasury spokesman Clive Lewis could also throw their hats into the ring – along with outspoken backbencher Jess Phillips.

Even though he is on Labour’s moderate wing, the bookies make Sir Keir the favourite. But Mr McDonnell has said he believes the next leader should be a woman.

 

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