John McDonnell ‘condemns Jeremy Corbyn over anti-Semitism scandal’

Jeremy Corbyn has been condemned by his closest political ally over his handling of the anti-Semitism scandal embroiling Labour, it was claimed last night.

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is said to have demanded a climb down over a damaging stance which has seen the Labour leader branded an ‘existential threat’ to the UK’s Jewish community.

Amid mounting signs of a shadow cabinet revolt, Mr McDonnell is said to be particularly unhappy about disciplinary proceedings against Dame Margaret Hodge.

Actions is being taken after the former Labour Cabinet minister, a Jewish MP who lost family members in the Holocaust, accused Mr Corbyn to his face of being a ‘racist anti-Semite’.

Mr Corbyn, who in the past has described the Hamas terror group as ‘friends’, has said he was ‘upset’ by Dame Margaret’s words.

According to the Times, a senior shadow cabinet source said: ‘We are not comfortable at all with the way Jeremy has handled this and don’t know why we have got ourselves in this mess.

‘Strong words have been said to him by people to Jeremy. Conversations have been held at the highest level.’

Mr McDonnell is said to be particularly unhappy about disciplinary proceedings against Dame Margaret Hodge (pictured)

Asked if Mr McDonnell had demanded a ‘climb down’, the source said: ‘Yes.’

Criticism has focused recently on Labour’s failure to adopt the internationally-accepted definition of anti-Semitism in its new code of conduct.

The decision, which has angered moderate MPs, Jewish leaders and the Chief Rabbi, has fuelled concerns that the watered-down version means activists could avoid being punished for making slurs such as comparing the actions of Israel to those of the Nazis.

Three Jewish newspapers last week said they had teamed up for an unprecedented joint front page editorial because of the ‘existential threat to Jewish life in this country that would be posed by a Jeremy Corbyn-led government’.