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As it happenedended

Westminster today - LIVE: Jeremy Corbyn faces unprecedented protest over antisemitism in Labour Party

Jewish community groups to hold demonstration outside Parliament to say 'enough is enough' amid fresh allegations

Benjamin Kentish
Political Correspondent
Monday 26 March 2018 03:59 EDT
Comments
Jeremy Corbyn said he was 'sincerely sorry' for the pain caused to the Jewish community
Jeremy Corbyn said he was 'sincerely sorry' for the pain caused to the Jewish community

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Jeremy Corbyn is facing an 'unprecedented' protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party.

The Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies, which represent British Jews, will hold a demonstration outside Parliament to demand the Labour leader do more to stamp out racism in the party.

In an explosive statement, the groups said Mr Corbyn "personifies" the "problems and dangers" of left-wing antisemitism and accused him of "issuing empty statements" while doing "nothing to understand or address it".

"Again and again, Jeremy Corbyn has sided with antisemites rather than Jews," they said.

Mr Corbyn admitted on Sunday that there remain "pockets" of antisemtism in Labour and said he was "sincerely sorry" for the pain this has caused.

Welcome to The Independent's live coverage from Westminster - we'll be bringing you all the latest news as it happens.

Kristin Hugo26 March 2018 08:32
Kristin Hugo26 March 2018 08:44
Kristin Hugo26 March 2018 09:01

Labour MPs are continuing to voice concern about the response to anti-Jewish sentiment in the party:

Kristin Hugo26 March 2018 09:18

Theresa May is facing mounting pressure over allegations that one of her closest advisers intentionally "outed" his former partner who claimed the Vote Leave campaign broke spending rules during the referendum.

Stephen Parkinson, Ms May's political secretary, released a statement referring to his previous relationship with Shahmir Sanni, who worked closely with Vote Leave during the campaign.

Mr Sanni alleges that Vote Leave passed money to him and a colleague in order to bypass strict spending limits. 

Christopher Wylie, a friend of Mr Sanni whose revelations about Cambridge Analytica triggered a row about the company and its links to the Brexit campaign, told the BBC Today ​programme: 

"He was forced to come out to his mum in the middle of the night because No 10 Downing Street decided it was appropriate to out somebody.

"[Mr Parkinson] should resign for outing somebody and endangering his family."

Kristin Hugo26 March 2018 09:36

A senior civil servant at the Brexit department is leaving to go to work for Prince William...

Kristin Hugo26 March 2018 10:59

Owen Smith, who was sacked as Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary on Friday, has said he will vote against a Brexit deal if he thinks it will be damaging for Britain. It comes amid reports that Barry Gardiner, Labour's Shadow International Trade Secretary, claimed MPs would have to vote in favour of a Brexit agreement even if they think it is a bad deal..

Kristin Hugo26 March 2018 11:12

The Free Speech on Israel group has called a counter-protest in opposition to the demonstration against antisemitism in the Labour Party.

Another group, called Jewish Voice for Labour, has also criticised the organisers of the protest against Jeremy Corbyn. They said:

"We are appalled by the actions and statements of the Board of Deputies.

They do not represent us or the great majority of Jews in the party who share Jeremy Corbyn's vision for social justice and fairness."

The Board of Deputies and the JLC and those supporting them must be aware that this is an attempt to influence local elections and has nothing to do with the real and necessary task of challenging racism and anti-Semitism at all levels of political life.

We call on them to stop playing party politics and start representing what our community needs. We believe that is best represented by the politics we fight for and hope to see win on May 3."

Kristin Hugo26 March 2018 11:20

Downing Street has said Theresa May has "full confidence" in her political secretary, Stephen Parkinson, who is facing calls to resign over claims he "outed" a former partner who claimed the Vote Leave campaign, of which Mr Parkinson was a director, had broken spending rules. 

Kristin Hugo26 March 2018 11:38

Theresa May's spokesman also said the Prime Minister was "shocked" and "bitterly disappointed" over ball-tampering by the Australian cricket team

He said: "The Prime Minister is clear that cheating has absolutely no place in cricket or indeed in any sport."

Kristin Hugo26 March 2018 11:56

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