Labour's Chuka Umunna Says Left 'Fringes' Have Anti-Semitism 'Problems', And Singles Out Ken Livingstone

Chuka Umunna has identified problems with anti-Semitism “on the fringes of the left”, and singled out Ken Livingstone as the “obvious example” of someone who has “very much offended” Jewish people. Speaking to The House magazine, the Labour MP underlined the tensions within the party as he referred to a key ally of Jeremy Corbyn amid its row over anti-semitism in the party's Oxford University branch. Umunna has launched an inquiry, with Corbyn's backing, into why the party lost so many votes among black, Asian and ethnic minority voters, among whom it used to poll so well.

In 2005, Livingstone, the left-wing former London mayor, faced heavy criticism after he likened a Jewish newspaper reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard. Livingstone later said the incident was “a huge fuss over nothing”, and attacked the Jewish community for being “obsessive” about his relationship with an extremist preacher. Earlier this month, an investigation” into anti-Semitism within the Oxford University Labour Club was launched after its co-chair resigned and more members came forward with allegations of ‘anti-Jewish’ incidents.

Alex Chalmers, a student at Oriel College, issued a strongly-worded statement which said he was stepping down from his position because a large proportion of both the Club and the student left in Oxford “have some kind of problem with Jews.”

Ed Miliband's office announced the former Labour leader had postponed a talk at the Club following reports of bigoted behaviour.

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