Jeremy Corbyn apologises over anti-Semitism in Labour ahead of meeting with Jewish leaders
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Jeremy Corbyn has delivered his most fullsome apology yet for the anti- Semitism within his party ahead of a key meeting with Jewish leaders.
The Labour leader has been dogged by claims anti-Semitism has been allowed to run “rife” in the party under his premiership.
He admitted the party’s internal checks have “been simply not fully fit for purpose” and “we did not look closely enough at ourselves”.
“We have not done enough fully to get to grips with the problem, and for that the Jewish community and our own Jewish members deserve an apology,” he writes.
“My party and I are sorry for the hurt and distress caused.”
The Labour leader’s admissions came in an article for the London Evening Standard, published just hours before his meeting with representatives from the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Jewish Leadership Council.
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He said: "We must also face the uncomfortable fact that a small number of our members and supporters hold anti-Semitic views and attitudes, which need to be confronted and dealt with more rapidly and effectively."
It comes after Jewish Labour MPs stood up in the House of Commons and gave distressing testimony of the anti-Semitic abuse they have faced.