Labour’s newest MP got one thing right: under Keir Starmer, Labour is back firmly in the centre of British politics. In his letter of resignation to the rime minister, former Tory MP Christian Wakeford explained his decision to cross the floor as being about much more than Johnson’s “disgraceful” conduct.
Indeed, he set out why he saw his move to Labour as making a positive choice, praising Starmer’s integrity and leadership — not least on the issue of tackling antisemitism in the Labour Party.
This is no mere issue of principle for Wakeford. His constituency of Bury South has a significant Jewish population in places like Prestwich — it’s the most Jewish seat in the country outside London. Labour’s antisemitism crisis under Jeremy Corbyn no doubt impacted electoral fortunes there and cost the party the seat which had been Labour from 1997.
Wakeford is known for his commitment to supporting his local Jewish community both in his constituency and parliament, where he’s co-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Jews and was active in Conservative Friends of Israel. So it’s no coincidence he chose to highlight an issue which Starmer rightly made a priority from day one.
Going into the last general election, Labour under Jeremy Corbyn had done everything it could do to show an utter lack of respect towards Britain’s Jews.
ADVERTISEMENT For the Jewish Labour Movement, affiliated to the Labour Party for more than a century, this had a catastrophic impact, as the far left targeted, bullied and gaslit our members, all for calling out antisemitism and the party’s unwillingness to do anything about it.
And it led to a damning verdict from the Equality and Human Rights Commission that Labour had been guilty of breaking the law in discriminating against its Jewish members. But Starmer has shown a steely determination and real political leadership in dealing with this dreadful inheritance from Corbyn.
We’ve seen a huge sea change in the year and a half of his leadership, kicking out antisemitism, changing toxic party culture and implementing the commission’s recommendations, including bringing in an independent complaints system.
And these efforts are bearing fruit.
A couple of weeks ago The Times reported results of a ground-breaking survey of our Jewish members, which showed how their attitude had changed with our new leader.
It’s worth repeating: 70 per cent of JLM’s Jewish members now think Labour is a safe space for Jews under Starmer’s leadership – only 4 per cent agreed it was under Corbyn. What’s more, nine of our ten think Starmer is genuinely trying to tackle antisemitism and that the Party had made positive changes to its rules and culture in this regard.
And our experience on the ground from campaigning in last year’s elections and ahead of May’s polls show that many Jewish voters have seen what Starmer has said and done — and are willing to give Labour a second chance now.
This is just getting to base camp – the start of a journey back to political respectability, where Jews will ask if Starmer has the right policies, not whether he is a racist.
Whether in Bury or Barnet, Starmer has led Labour to a place which not only underlines the utter break made with the dismal days of Corbyn, but which will win over voters from all parts of the country, with an emphasis on security, prosperity and respect.
These are values that can chime with many in the Jewish community. Values that all of Christian Wakeford’s constituents — whatever their heritage — can endorse; and which offer a stark contrast to Johnson’s tired Tories.
Mike Katz is chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement
Always proper makes me happy and smile to see Jewish voters and or Jewish Labour figures feel comfortable to come back to the party after the Corbyn years, like Louis Ellman.
You’d have to be blind tbh to ignore that this is probably Keir’s proudest achievement in the party since becoming leader; eradicating the stench of anti-semitism and anti-semites who liked to use ‘zionist’ as an insult, from the party forever.
Makes me even prouder to have voted for him to be leader in 2020.
It’s been a while since our last ClumperFaz bashing of Corbyn
Isn’t it kind of fucked up that a single pressure group seems to claim it speaks for the entire Jewish Labour community? And seems to imply all Jewish members feel and behave as a monolith that just happens to be on the right of the party?
Like if I started a group called Buddhist Labour Movement, and claimed all party members from Buddhist backgrounds wanted Corbyn back, you’d probably say I was full of shit, right?
4 comments
Labour’s newest MP got one thing right: under Keir Starmer, Labour is back firmly in the centre of British politics. In his letter of resignation to the rime minister, former Tory MP Christian Wakeford explained his decision to cross the floor as being about much more than Johnson’s “disgraceful” conduct.
Indeed, he set out why he saw his move to Labour as making a positive choice, praising Starmer’s integrity and leadership — not least on the issue of tackling antisemitism in the Labour Party.
This is no mere issue of principle for Wakeford. His constituency of Bury South has a significant Jewish population in places like Prestwich — it’s the most Jewish seat in the country outside London. Labour’s antisemitism crisis under Jeremy Corbyn no doubt impacted electoral fortunes there and cost the party the seat which had been Labour from 1997.
Wakeford is known for his commitment to supporting his local Jewish community both in his constituency and parliament, where he’s co-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for British Jews and was active in Conservative Friends of Israel. So it’s no coincidence he chose to highlight an issue which Starmer rightly made a priority from day one.
Going into the last general election, Labour under Jeremy Corbyn had done everything it could do to show an utter lack of respect towards Britain’s Jews.
ADVERTISEMENT For the Jewish Labour Movement, affiliated to the Labour Party for more than a century, this had a catastrophic impact, as the far left targeted, bullied and gaslit our members, all for calling out antisemitism and the party’s unwillingness to do anything about it.
And it led to a damning verdict from the Equality and Human Rights Commission that Labour had been guilty of breaking the law in discriminating against its Jewish members. But Starmer has shown a steely determination and real political leadership in dealing with this dreadful inheritance from Corbyn.
We’ve seen a huge sea change in the year and a half of his leadership, kicking out antisemitism, changing toxic party culture and implementing the commission’s recommendations, including bringing in an independent complaints system.
And these efforts are bearing fruit.
A couple of weeks ago The Times reported results of a ground-breaking survey of our Jewish members, which showed how their attitude had changed with our new leader.
It’s worth repeating: 70 per cent of JLM’s Jewish members now think Labour is a safe space for Jews under Starmer’s leadership – only 4 per cent agreed it was under Corbyn. What’s more, nine of our ten think Starmer is genuinely trying to tackle antisemitism and that the Party had made positive changes to its rules and culture in this regard.
And our experience on the ground from campaigning in last year’s elections and ahead of May’s polls show that many Jewish voters have seen what Starmer has said and done — and are willing to give Labour a second chance now.
This is just getting to base camp – the start of a journey back to political respectability, where Jews will ask if Starmer has the right policies, not whether he is a racist.
Whether in Bury or Barnet, Starmer has led Labour to a place which not only underlines the utter break made with the dismal days of Corbyn, but which will win over voters from all parts of the country, with an emphasis on security, prosperity and respect.
These are values that can chime with many in the Jewish community. Values that all of Christian Wakeford’s constituents — whatever their heritage — can endorse; and which offer a stark contrast to Johnson’s tired Tories.
Mike Katz is chairman of the Jewish Labour Movement
Always proper makes me happy and smile to see Jewish voters and or Jewish Labour figures feel comfortable to come back to the party after the Corbyn years, like Louis Ellman.
You’d have to be blind tbh to ignore that this is probably Keir’s proudest achievement in the party since becoming leader; eradicating the stench of anti-semitism and anti-semites who liked to use ‘zionist’ as an insult, from the party forever.
Makes me even prouder to have voted for him to be leader in 2020.
It’s been a while since our last ClumperFaz bashing of Corbyn
Isn’t it kind of fucked up that a single pressure group seems to claim it speaks for the entire Jewish Labour community? And seems to imply all Jewish members feel and behave as a monolith that just happens to be on the right of the party?
Like if I started a group called Buddhist Labour Movement, and claimed all party members from Buddhist backgrounds wanted Corbyn back, you’d probably say I was full of shit, right?