Labour’s anti-Semitism crisis deepens as at least THIRTY candidates are linked to claims of racism

Labour is facing yet another anti-Semitism storm as at least 30 candidates have been linked to the deepening scandal in the party.

Nineteen of the election hopefuls are first-time candidates, with half of them having faced claims directly.

Six of those under the microscope are backbench MPs who are vying for reelection on Thursday.

Nineteen of the election hopefuls are first-time candidates, with half of them having faced claims directly. Pictured: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn last niht

There are other backbenchers who have been criticised for defending those peddling anti-Semitism conspiracy theories.

And four candidates have been axed by Labour following anti-Semitism-related issues since the election was announced, according to the Telegraph.

Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has previously said any member ‘who is attacking people with anti-Semitic lanuage or abuse in any form is in breach of our party procedures, is in breach of our rules and will be dealt with’.

Yet nine candidates have been accused or told to apologise for remarks, six have backed peers facing allegations and four have tried to hush anti-Semitism claims.

During a bruising hour-long debate tonight, Boris Johnson appealed for the public to back him on Brexit on December 12 - condemning Jeremy Corbyn for a 'failure of leadership'

During a bruising hour-long debate tonight, Boris Johnson appealed for the public to back him on Brexit on December 12 – condemning Jeremy Corbyn for a ‘failure of leadership’

A Labour Party spokesman said: ‘There are a number of Conservative, Lib Dem and SNP candidates who have made anti-Semitic comments, including one Tory candidate who said events in the Holocaust were “fabricated”.

‘In government, Labour will introduce education on anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, xenophobia and racism in the national curriculum to tackle prejudice in our society.’

But the full extent of vicious anti-Jewish racism in Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party was laid bare in a bombshell document Thursday night.

A leaked 50-page submission to Britain’s equalities watchdog detailed the extraordinary litany of vile abuse faced by Jewish members at Labour Party meetings.

The row over twelve of his parliamentary candidates was highly embarrassing for Mr Corbyn

The row over twelve of his parliamentary candidates was highly embarrassing for Mr Corbyn

Shockingly, the dossier – from the Jewish Labour Movement and based on sworn statements by 70 serving and former Labour officials – also accused Mr Corbyn’s office of interfering in anti-Semitism cases, with complaints dismissed if they were made against those close to the leadership.

It concluded the Labour Party was ‘no longer a safe space for Jewish people or for those who stand up against anti-Semitism’.

The devastating dossier is the JLM’s submission to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which is conducting an inquiry into whether Labour is institutionally anti-Semitic.

Last month the Daily Mail revealed Labour’s ‘dirty dozen’ string of election candidates caught in the anti-Semitism controversy.

Gone: Gideon Bull was forced to quit the race for Clacton

Backed by Corbyn: Ian Byrne with his party leader at the general election rally on Thursday

Backed by Corbyn: Ian Byrne (right) with his party leader at the general election rally on Thursday. Left: Gideon Bull

In one case, Gideon Bull was forced to leave the race for Clacton in Essex after allegedly referring to a Jewish councillor as Shylock.

And Corbyn-back councillor Ian Byrne also came under pressure to quit after sharing misogynistic posts about female politicians.

During last night’s final leaders’ debate before the General Election, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Mr Corbyn were involved in a series of acrimonious exchanges over racism and anti-Semitism.

With less than a week left to polling day on Thursday, the two men traded accusations of a ‘failure of leadership’ on one of the key issues which has hung over the campaign.

The PM and the Labour leader faced off in the final head-to-head of the campaign, in front of a primetime Friday night audience on BBC One and chaired by Nick Robinson (right)

The PM and the Labour leader faced off in the final head-to-head of the campaign, in front of a primetime Friday night audience on BBC One and chaired by Nick Robinson (right)

A snap YouGov poll of 1,322 viewers following the debate narrowly gave victory to Mr Johnson by 52 per cent to 48 per cent, although Mr Corbyn was judged the more trustworthy by a margin of 48 per cent to 38 per cent.

Both sides will be relieved that they avoided any major slip-ups in the course of the hour-long confrontation before a live BBC studio audience in Maidstone.

But with the Tories continuing to lead in the polls overall, they are likely to be the happier with the outcome.

The parties return to the campaign trail on Saturday with Labour promising every bus in England will be electric-powered by 2030, reducing emissions by more than 70 per cent.

The Tories are pledging extra cash for grassroots football to bolster the UK and Ireland’s bid for 2030 World Cup, with an an extra £550 million over 10 years for community sports facilities

And the Liberal Democrats are promising to bring in ‘safe standing’ areas at top flight football matches, saying it would offer fans more choice, a better atmosphere, and cheaper tickets.

It was chaired by former BBC political editor Nick Robinson

A snap YouGov poll found the PM performed better in the primetime BBC One clash by 52 per cent to 48 per cent

A snap YouGov poll found the PM performed better in the primetime BBC One clash by 52 per cent to 48 per cent – mirroring the 2016 referendum. It was chaired by former BBC political editor Nick Robinson 

As in their previous TV confrontation, Friday’s debate involved Mr Johnson and Mr Corbyn clashing over Brexit and the NHS, as well as their response to terrorism following the London Bridge attack.

However the sharpest exchanges were prompted by a question from an audience member about Islamophobia and anti-Semitism.

Mr Johnson said it was ‘extraordinary’ the Chief Rabbi had felt the need to speak out during an election campaign about his fears for his community if Mr Corbyn became prime minister.

The Labour leader insisted there was ‘no place’ in his party for anti-Semitism, adding in an apparent reference to Mr Johnson’s past comments: ‘I do not ever use racist language in any form to describe anybody in this world or in our society.’

Mr Johnson replied: ‘Mr Corbyn I am sure is very well-intentioned but in his handling of this particular issue, his unwillingness to take a stand, to stand up for Jewish people in the Labour Party, his unwillingness to protect them, to put an arm round them, is, in my view, a failure of leadership.’

Mr Corbyn retorted: ‘The failure of leadership is when you use racist remarks to describe people in different countries or in our society. I will never do that.

‘I hope the Prime Minister understands the hurt that people feel when they hear remarks and articles that he has written in the past. I hope that he will regret those.’

Mr Corbyn did not specify which comments he was referring to but Mr Johnson has been widely criticised for articles he wrote referring to ‘piccaninnies’ and likening Muslim women in burqas to letterboxes and bank robbers.

The Prime Minister denied a claim by Mr Corbyn that leaked Treasury documents released earlier in the day by Labour showed there would be customs checks and restrictions on trade between Britain and Northern Ireland as a result of his Brexit deal.

‘I do find it slightly curious to say the least to be lectured about the union between Great Britain and Northern Ireland by a man who all his political life has campaigned to break up that union and actually supported the IRA for four decades their in their campaign violently to destroy it,’ he said.

Mr Corbyn said Mr Johnson should show a ‘degree of honesty’ about the implications of the arrangements he had agreed for Northern Ireland.

He said: ‘He spoke at the DUP conference and said there would be no restrictions whatsoever. We now know there are restrictions. He could and should have said that at the time.’

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