Corbyn insists no MP under threat after Luciana Berger has police escort
Labour leader seeks to reassure Jewish MPs that their safety is not at risk during the party's annual conference in Liverpool
Jeremy Corbyn has insisted that his MPs are not under any threat within Labour’s conference in Liverpool.
His comment came after prominent Jewish MP Luciana Berger was pictured flanked by police protection as she attended an event on the fringe of the annual gathering.
Ms Berger is reported to have sought protection after receiving threats via social media in the wake of her criticisms of the Labour leadership’s handling of the anti-Semitism row.
In an interview with Channel 4 News, Mr Corbyn was shown pictures of the Liverpool Wavertree MP and asked whether he felt concerned that she felt under threat attending her own party’s conference.
He replied: “There is no threat being made in this conference to anybody.
“We are a party that is open and inclusive and oppose anti-Semitism as a totally united party. I’ve opposed anti-Semitism and racism all my life and will continue to do so.”
"There is no threat being made in this conference to anybody."
Jeremy Corbyn responds to an image of Jewish MP Luciana Berger being escorted by a policeman during Labour Party conference. pic.twitter.com/zQDF4pkpYX
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) September 25, 2018
A Labour spokesman later pointed out that the Jewish Labour Movement rally where Ms Berger received her police escort took place in a venue outside the conference area.
The spokesman said: “We support whatever security is necessary for any of our MPs.
“We have had one fatal incident involving one of our MPs. There have been extremely serious threats made against our MPs – including Jeremy, in the case of the trial of the killer from Finsbury Park – from far-right white supremacists.
“We take these threats extremely seriously and we work with the police and security services to do whatever is necessary to protect our MPs.”
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.
