A third of UK voters think Corbyn is an antisemite – poll
YouGov survey commissioned by Jewish Labour Movement suggests 60 percent believe leader's handling of Jew-hate in party has been 'incompetent'
Joe Millis is a journalist
As many of one-third of British voters think Jeremy Corbyn is an antisemite, while 60 percent say he has been “incompetent” in handling the party’s Jew-hate crisis.
Only four percent think the Leader of the Opposition has been “very competent” in handling antisemitism within Labour, according to the YouGov poll, commissioned by the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM).
The research – published in the Sunday Times – reveals that more people think Corbyn is himself antisemitic (34 percent) or don’t know (32 per cent) than those who believe he is not.
Of voters who acknowledge Labour has an antisemitism problem, three out of 10 say it will make them “much less likely” to vote for the party.
The feeling is deepest among potential Labour voters, rather than those who are already solid in their support, with almost 40 per cent saying antisemitism makes them less likely to back the party.
Our poll in today's @thesundaytimes shows the electoral and moral urgency of needing to meaningfully deal with antisemitism in our Labour Party. https://t.co/qbFSaytP2j
— Jewish Labour Movement (@JewishLabour) February 17, 2019
About a quarter – 24 percent – believe the party itself is antisemitic.
A JLM spokesperson said: “These figures are deeply depressing. Hundreds of thousands of voters have made up their minds that Labour is a racist party that they can’t support.
“The leadership says it will take action. But when a Jewish Labour MP comes under vile attacks from Jew-haters, they support the people who have tormented her and too many others.
“Britain is not a racist country and the British people will never vote for a party they think is racist. We want a progressive government because we are progressive and this country desperately needs one.
“But to win an election and regain its moral standing as a truly anti-racist party, Labour’s leadership must urgently tackle the issue of antisemitism in its ranks.”
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