Jewish ‘exodus’ to Liberal Democrats expected at next election
Unease with Jeremy Corbyn's handling of antisemitism and opposition to the Tories' Brexit position means the community may shun the two main traditional parties
The centre ground of British politics appeared to dissolve under the Government’s Brexit stance in the House of Commons on Wednesday, fuelling expectations of a Jewish “exodus” to the Liberal Democrats in the next election.
Former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a Jewish Conservative politician, said Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s hard-nose no-deal Brexit could nullify the electoral threat from Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party, but warned that this might come at a cost.
“They need to give equal attention to people – whatever their background, whether they’re Jewish or not – who disagree with Boris Johnson’s views on Brexit and who will never vote for [Jeremy] Corbyn,” he said.
“In current circumstances, being realistic, some relatively moderate people will vote for the Liberal Democrats as a nice half-way house, which means they don’t have to vote for Corbyn or Johnson, both of whom some of them will disapprove of.
“So yes, that will happen, and in the south and west of the country, the candidates who usually come second to the Conservatives are Liberal Democrats.”
Polls have repeatedly shown that the majority of British Jewish voters in recent UK general elections have voted Conservative, but Johnson’s no-deal Brexit strategy has alienated Tory voters who prefer to retain a close working relationship with the EU.
Lib Dem peer Lord Monroe Palmer agreed that there could be an “exodus” of British Jewish voters towards his party in any general election later this year.
“We expect substantial numbers of Jewish community members not to support Corbyn and we expect that many have now decided to vote Liberal Democrat,” he said. “But a week is a long time in politics. Watch this space.”
Jewish historian Sir Simon Schama described the week’s tumultuous events as “a kind of weird British revolutionary moment, minus the ferocious Calvinism of Oliver Cromwell”.
Describing the shifting political sands, he said: “It feels like the Gladstone ‘Home Rule’ movement, it feels like 1846 and the Repeal of the Corn Laws. It feels like a time when these parties that we’ve been so used to since the war, with these adamantine structures, could melt and dissolve and become something else.”
Read more:
- Anti-Brexit Jewish peers will ‘play their part’ to block no deal
- OPINION: Twin pincers of Brexit and antisemitism leave us in a political pickle
- British Jews face being sidelined by Succot election
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.
