Theresa May: Voters ‘rejected vile Labour anti-Semitism’ in Barnet
Prime Minister says people have "rejected the vile anti-Semitism" which has gone unchallenged in Labour
Theresa May has hailed Conservative “success” in Barnet during the Local Elections, saying people “rejected the vile anti-Semitism” in Labour.
In Barnet, there was clear evidence of voters from the area’s large Jewish community turning their backs on Labour after the party became embroiled in allegations of anti-Semitism.
Speaking in Barnet after the Tories’ win, May said “people of all faiths have rejected the vile anti-Semitism that has gone unchallenged in the Labour Party for too long”.
Mrs May was greeted by cheering supporters in Barnet, where congratulated Conservative Cllrs who were newly-elected, and paid tribute to MPs Mike Freer (Finchley and Golders Green), Matthew Offord (Hendon) and Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet) for their support.
The Tories made concerted efforts to target wards with large Jewish populations in the wake of the controversy. The breakthrough came when they made a clean sweep in one of those wards – Hale – taking a seat off Labour in the process and increasing their vote in the ward by almost 2,800.
"People of all faiths have rejected the vile anti-Semitism that has gone unchallenged in the Labour Party for too long" @theresa_may speaking to Barnet councillors #Election2018 pic.twitter.com/nrXHEPyjXC
— BBC Daily Politics and Sunday Politics (@daily_politics) May 4, 2018
The crushing blow came when the Conservatives took all three seats in West Hendon, a long-time Labour stronghold.Labour group leader Barry Rawlings said: “I must say that in some wards where there is a large Jewish community, it has made a difference.”
He added: “Of course the Tories did go hard in those areas on that issue, saying that if you vote Labour you’re voting for Jeremy Corbyn.
‘”But to be honest most of the conversations (with voters) have been about potholes rather than anti-Semitism. That said, we want people to know it is an issue we take very seriously in the Labour Party.”
Conservative chairman Brandon Lewis said voters were being turned off by “hard abuse from some of the hard left, that anti-Semitism problem that Labour clearly have got and are just not dealing with”.
Mr Lewis hailed “a good night” for Tories, with Labour not gaining a single council in London.
“Eight years into a government, Labour was losing 4,000 councillors, whereas we at the moment are holding councils and in some areas making positive inroads,” he said.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
