Jeremy Corbyn apologises for antisemitism in the Labour party

Jeremy Corbyn has apologised for antisemitism in the Labour party after criticism for his earlier failures to say sorry | WATCH

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Picture: Peter Summers/Getty Images

Jeremy Corbyn has apologised for “everything that has happened” over antisemitism in the Labour party after criticism for his earlier failures to say sorry.

The Labour leader refused four times to apologise in an interview with the BBC’s Andrew Neil, which came on the day the chief rabbi wrote in The Times that Mr Corbyn’s handling of the allegations made him “unfit for high office”.

In a testy exchange with Phillip Schofield on ITV’s This Morning, Mr Corbyn was again repeatedly asked to apologise to British Jews and ultimately did. Asked if he would apologise, Mr Corbyn began saying: “Our party . . . can I make it clear”, at which point Schofield interrupted to say: “Just say sorry.”

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Mr Corbyn replied: “Wait a minute, I and our party . . .” before Schofield again interjected: “Just say sorry.” The Labour leader then asked: “Can I say something?” to which Schofield answered: “Well, I want you to say sorry.”

At this point Mr Corbyn said: “Our party and me do not accept antisemitism in any form,” prompting Schofield to ask: “So are you sorry for anything that’s happened”, to which the Labour leader responded: “Obviously I’m very sorry for everything that has happened. But I want to make this very clear: I am dealing with it, I have dealt with it, other parties are also affected by antisemitism.”

Labour's @JeremyCorbyn joined @schofe and @Hollywills on the show today, and after a grilling he apologised for the anti-Semitism issue that has dogged his party - while insisting it's not an issue that affects Labour alone. pic.twitter.com/ml5d9jrjKn

— This Morning 🎄 (@thismorning) December 3, 2019

Ephraim Mirvis’s unprecedented intervention last week reignited the row over antisemitism in Labour. He said “a new poison” had taken hold in Labour “sanctioned from the very top” and said the way the party had handled the claims was “incompatible with the British values of which we are so proud”.

When asked to apologise by the BBC last week Mr Corbyn said Rabbi Mirvis was “not right” and insisted that he wanted to ensure “our society will be safe for people of all faiths”.

Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, disputed Mr Corbyn’s claim to have solved the issue. “Mr Corbyn has not dealt with it in the past few years,” she said. “Whether he will deal with it remains to be seen. While we can and do criticise antisemitism from other parties, we would resist any attempt to deflect from Labour’s antisemitism problem by claiming any serious rival party has the same issue with Jew hate.

“When it comes to antisemitism, no other mainstream party in British society has anything close to Labour’s current problem.”

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis. Picture: Chris Jackson/via AP

Despite his refusal to say sorry in the wake of the chief rabbi’s intervention, Mr Corbyn has apologised over antisemitism in the past. In August 2018, after a wave of allegations engulfed the party and Tom Watson, the deputy leader, warned that Labour could “disappear into a vortex of eternal shame”, Mr Corbyn released a video message saying he was “sorry for the hurt that’s been caused to many Jewish people”.

Mr Corbyn also suggested that he would serve a full term as prime minister if he wins the election. He said: “I feel I’m fit, I’m quite young enough to do the job . . . and I’m determined to carry out what we’ve got there.”

In 2012 Schofield ambushed David Cameron, then the prime minister, handing him a list of alleged paedophiles during an interview on This Morning. Mr Cameron was being questioned about historical claims of a paedophile ring linked to No 10 when he was unexpectedly handed the list of names by Schofield, which the presenter said had been mentioned online as paedophiles.

After the show, Schofield was forced to apologise amid suggestions that the names on the card could be seen by viewers. He was later disciplined by ITV. Schofield and ITV paid £125,000 compensation to Lord McAlpine.

THE TIMES