Theresa May: Jeremy Corbyn has allowed anti-Semitism to run rife in Labour
2 min read
Theresa May today accused Jeremy Corbyn of allowing anti-Semitism to “run rife” in Labour - as she heaped praise on two MPs who spoke out about the horrific abuse they have faced.
The Prime Minister singled out Labour backbenchers Ruth Smeeth and Luciana Berger for their “incredible bravery” in sharing their harrowing accounts.
The pair last night received standing ovations from fellow MPs during a highly-charged Commons debate, in which they detailed some of the slurs they had faced.
Ms Berger spoke of being called “Judas, a zio-Nazi, an absolute parasite” and being told to “go back to Israel”, while Ms Smeeth vowed to “keep fighting” until anti-Semitism is stamped out of Labour.
The debate was prompted by concerns Mr Corbyn has failed to tackle the issue head on - after a string of recommendations from an internal review were slow to be implemented.
Today Mrs May hit out at the Labour leader after he accused her of leading a “callous” administration when it comes to immigration, during a heated session of Prime Minister’s Questions.
“I will not take that following a debate last night where powerful contributions were made,” Mrs May fumed.
“Particularly by the members from Stoke-on-Trent North [and] from Barking and Liverpool Wavertree,” she noted, also pointing out the speech by Labour MP Margaret Hodge, who spoke of her family’s holocaust trauma.
“I will not take an accusation of callous from a man who allows anti-Semitism to run rife in his party."
The Prime Minister added that Ms Berger and Ms Smeeth had “suffered incredible abuse as a result of anti-Semitism but... have shown incredible bravery in being willing to stand up and set that out to this House”.
And she argued: "Theirs was a fine example of the best of this House of Commons and the best of this Parliament."
Yesterday Ms Smeeth told MPs: "Last month we heard a plea - enough is enough.
“I stand here to say we will not be bullied out of political engagement, we are going nowhere and we stand and will keep fighting until the evils of anti-Semitism have been removed from our society."
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