Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of Labour’s anti-Semitism row goes from bad to worse

After a weekend of horrid headlines for Labour over anti-Semitism, Jeremy Corbyn is keen to be seen to be talking tough on the issue. The Labour leader has told Channel 4 news that his party will not be ‘tolerating anti-Semitism in any form’ and Momentum – the pro-Corbyn grassroots group – has acknowledged that ‘accusations of anti-Semitism should not and cannot be dismissed simply as right-wing smears’.

Only, despite this, Corbyn appears to have gone one step forward and two steps back. Guido reports that the Labour leader tonight attended a Seder in Islington held by ‘Jewdas’. Jewdas are a ‘radical Jewish diaspora group’ who sit on the fringes of the Jewish community. Jewdas have previously said Israel ‘needs to be properly disposed of’. In a blog just last week, the group criticised the Parliament Square rally to demonstrate against Corbyn’s handling of anti-Semitism allegations as a ‘cynical manipulation’. The comments appeared to be directed at the Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council.