The Corbyn Effect
The Corbyn effect on Labour's poll ratings can be seen in the latest 'voting intention' surveys carried out by Survation and YouGov.
Anti-Semitic Posters (06/09/18)
News spreads that bus stops in central London have been vandalised with anti-Semitic posters carrying the message: "Israel is a racist endeavour"
Given his craven performance at the Labour Party's national executive committee, I think it is only fair to ask:
"Does Jeremy Corbyn has an alibi?"
Wish You Were Here....(01/09/18)
Jeremy Corbyn has been mired in allegations about anti-Semitism all summer and veteran Labour MP, Frank Field, is just the latest person to round on the Labour leader over his behaviour and the company he's kept over the years.
The BBC summarises events over the past couple of months and Morten Morland's cartoon in The Times sums up the whole dreadful mess up rather well.
A guide to Labour Party anti-Semitism claims
Image copyright - REUTERS
The row over claims of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party is not going away. Here's a guide to what's been going on.
The row over claims of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party is not going away. Here's a guide to what's been going on.
What's the latest?
Labour MP Frank Field has quit the party's group in Parliament, saying the leadership has become "a force for anti-Semitism in British politics".
The veteran MP has represented Birkenhead for almost 40 years.
He says he intends to continue representing the constituency in Westminster as an independent MP.
Labour MP Frank Field has quit the party's group in Parliament, saying the leadership has become "a force for anti-Semitism in British politics".
The veteran MP has represented Birkenhead for almost 40 years.
He says he intends to continue representing the constituency in Westminster as an independent MP.
What else has happened this summer?
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn faced criticism after a video emerged in which he said a group of British Zionists had "no sense of English irony".
The 2013 clip was published on the Daily Mail website.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn faced criticism after a video emerged in which he said a group of British Zionists had "no sense of English irony".
The 2013 clip was published on the Daily Mail website.
Ex-chief rabbi condemns Corbyn comments
Former chief rabbi Lord Sacks branded the comments as "the most offensive statement" by a politician since Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech and accused the labour Leader of being an "anti-Semite".
But allies of Mr Corbyn said his remarks had been "taken out of context". Mr Corbyn said he was "more careful" with language now.
It's not the only row he's been embroiled in this summer.
Former chief rabbi Lord Sacks branded the comments as "the most offensive statement" by a politician since Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech and accused the labour Leader of being an "anti-Semite".
But allies of Mr Corbyn said his remarks had been "taken out of context". Mr Corbyn said he was "more careful" with language now.
It's not the only row he's been embroiled in this summer.
The Tunis wreath row
The Labour leader also came under fire over his presence at a ceremony in Tunisia in 2014 which is said to have honoured the perpetrators of the 1972 Munich terror attack, during which 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and killed.
The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Mr Corbyn deserved "unequivocal condemnation" for laying a wreath on the grave of one of those behind the atrocity.
Mr Corbyn said he had attended the event in Tunis in 2014 as part of a wider event about the search for peace.
In response, the Labour leader said Mr Netanyahu's claims about his "actions and words are false".
The Labour leader also came under fire over his presence at a ceremony in Tunisia in 2014 which is said to have honoured the perpetrators of the 1972 Munich terror attack, during which 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and killed.
The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Mr Corbyn deserved "unequivocal condemnation" for laying a wreath on the grave of one of those behind the atrocity.
Mr Corbyn said he had attended the event in Tunis in 2014 as part of a wider event about the search for peace.
In response, the Labour leader said Mr Netanyahu's claims about his "actions and words are false".
The Holocaust memorial event
Earlier in August, Jeremy Corbyn apologised over an event he hosted in 2010 where a Holocaust survivor compared Israel to Nazism.
After the Times published details of the event, the Labour leader said he had "on occasion appeared on platforms with people whose views I completely reject" and was sorry for the "concerns and anxiety that this has caused".
Earlier in August, Jeremy Corbyn apologised over an event he hosted in 2010 where a Holocaust survivor compared Israel to Nazism.
After the Times published details of the event, the Labour leader said he had "on occasion appeared on platforms with people whose views I completely reject" and was sorry for the "concerns and anxiety that this has caused".
Corbyn apologises over 2010 event
There were also calls for one of Mr Corbyn's allies, Peter Willsman, to quit the party's ruling body after he criticised "Trump fanatics" in the Jewish community.
In July, the UK's three main Jewish newspapers published the same front page, warning that a government led by Mr Corbyn would pose an "existential threat to Jewish life".
Earlier that month the party brought disciplinary action against the Labour MP Margaret Hodge, after she reportedly called Mr Corbyn an "anti-Semite" and a "racist".
Ms Hodge refused to apologise and the action was later dropped.
There were also calls for one of Mr Corbyn's allies, Peter Willsman, to quit the party's ruling body after he criticised "Trump fanatics" in the Jewish community.
In July, the UK's three main Jewish newspapers published the same front page, warning that a government led by Mr Corbyn would pose an "existential threat to Jewish life".
Earlier that month the party brought disciplinary action against the Labour MP Margaret Hodge, after she reportedly called Mr Corbyn an "anti-Semite" and a "racist".
Ms Hodge refused to apologise and the action was later dropped.
A code of conduct row
The backdrop to this was the new code of conduct Labour adopted on anti-Semitism, which critics, including Jewish leaders and some Labour MPs, say is not as comprehensive as the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's guidelines.
Labour does not accept this, saying it has replicated the international definition word-for-word in its code of conduct.
The row centres on a list of "contemporary examples of anti-Semitism" cited by the IHRA. Labour has come up with its own list, "derived in part from the IHRA guidelines".
Labour says it has "expanded and contextualised" the IHRA examples to provide "legally sound guidelines that a political party can apply to disciplinary cases".
Critics say the Labour code leaves out examples of how criticism of Israel can be anti-Semitic. For example, it omits a line that warns against "claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour".
Labour says that "without contextualisation" this line "could curb legitimate criticism of the Israeli State", and could deny Palestinians the right to speak about the oppression and racism they feel they have suffered.
But the party says its code of conduct expressly prohibits criticism of the Israeli State that holds it to a higher standard than that expected of other democratic states, and which denies Jewish people the same right to self-determination as other peoples, in line with IHRA guidelines.
The backdrop to this was the new code of conduct Labour adopted on anti-Semitism, which critics, including Jewish leaders and some Labour MPs, say is not as comprehensive as the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's guidelines.
Labour does not accept this, saying it has replicated the international definition word-for-word in its code of conduct.
The row centres on a list of "contemporary examples of anti-Semitism" cited by the IHRA. Labour has come up with its own list, "derived in part from the IHRA guidelines".
Labour says it has "expanded and contextualised" the IHRA examples to provide "legally sound guidelines that a political party can apply to disciplinary cases".
Critics say the Labour code leaves out examples of how criticism of Israel can be anti-Semitic. For example, it omits a line that warns against "claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour".
Labour says that "without contextualisation" this line "could curb legitimate criticism of the Israeli State", and could deny Palestinians the right to speak about the oppression and racism they feel they have suffered.
But the party says its code of conduct expressly prohibits criticism of the Israeli State that holds it to a higher standard than that expected of other democratic states, and which denies Jewish people the same right to self-determination as other peoples, in line with IHRA guidelines.
How long has this been going on?
In 2016, Mr Corbyn announced an independent inquiry into anti-Semitism and other forms of racism in the Labour Party.
That was after his party suspended an MP, Naz Shah, and the Labour former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.
Ms Shah was suspended over historical social media posts, including one suggesting Israel should be moved to the United States. When she was reinstated, she blamed the posts on her "ignorance", admitting they were anti-Semitic.
In 2016, Mr Corbyn announced an independent inquiry into anti-Semitism and other forms of racism in the Labour Party.
That was after his party suspended an MP, Naz Shah, and the Labour former Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone.
Ms Shah was suspended over historical social media posts, including one suggesting Israel should be moved to the United States. When she was reinstated, she blamed the posts on her "ignorance", admitting they were anti-Semitic.
Image copyright - GETTY IMAGESImage caption - Ken Livingstone has now quit the Labour Party
Mr Livingstone - a long-term ally of Mr Corbyn - was suspended in 2016 over remarks he made as he defended Naz Shah.
His comments, linking Hitler and Zionism, led to calls for him to be thrown out of Labour. He said he had been misquoted and repeatedly insisted his version of events was historically accurate. But in May of this year, he quit the party, saying his long-running case had become a "distraction" for the party and its political ambitions.
The inquiry, carried out by human rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti, concluded that while the Labour Party was not overrun by anti-Semitism, there was an "occasionally toxic atmosphere" and made a series of recommendations, not all of which have been implemented yet.
Mr Livingstone - a long-term ally of Mr Corbyn - was suspended in 2016 over remarks he made as he defended Naz Shah.
His comments, linking Hitler and Zionism, led to calls for him to be thrown out of Labour. He said he had been misquoted and repeatedly insisted his version of events was historically accurate. But in May of this year, he quit the party, saying his long-running case had become a "distraction" for the party and its political ambitions.
The inquiry, carried out by human rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti, concluded that while the Labour Party was not overrun by anti-Semitism, there was an "occasionally toxic atmosphere" and made a series of recommendations, not all of which have been implemented yet.
Ken Livingstone quits Labour
In March, Mr Corbyn was criticised for sending an apparently supportive message to the creator of an allegedly anti-Semitic mural in 2012.
In a message sent via Facebook, he had appeared to question a decision to remove the artist's controversial mural. He later said he had not looked at it properly, calling it "deeply disturbing and anti-Semitic".
The artist, called Mear One, denied this, saying the mural was about "class and privilege".
In March, Mr Corbyn was criticised for sending an apparently supportive message to the creator of an allegedly anti-Semitic mural in 2012.
In a message sent via Facebook, he had appeared to question a decision to remove the artist's controversial mural. He later said he had not looked at it properly, calling it "deeply disturbing and anti-Semitic".
The artist, called Mear One, denied this, saying the mural was about "class and privilege".
Corbyn 'regret' over anti-Semitic mural row
Also in March, the head of the Labour Party's disputes panel quit after it emerged she had opposed the suspension of a council candidate accused of Holocaust denial. Christine Shawcroft said she had not not been aware of the "abhorrent" Facebook post that had led to his suspension.
Also in March, the head of the Labour Party's disputes panel quit after it emerged she had opposed the suspension of a council candidate accused of Holocaust denial. Christine Shawcroft said she had not not been aware of the "abhorrent" Facebook post that had led to his suspension.
Anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism
Debates about claims of anti-Semitism in Labour often involve Israel and another term, anti-Zionism.
Zionism is a political movement that supports the right of Jewish people to their own homeland in the land of their ancestors - modern-day Israel.
Some say "Zionist" can be used as a coded attack on Jewish people, while others say the Israeli government and its supporters are deliberately confusing anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism to avoid criticism.
Debates about claims of anti-Semitism in Labour often involve Israel and another term, anti-Zionism.
Zionism is a political movement that supports the right of Jewish people to their own homeland in the land of their ancestors - modern-day Israel.
Some say "Zionist" can be used as a coded attack on Jewish people, while others say the Israeli government and its supporters are deliberately confusing anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism to avoid criticism.
What does Mr Corbyn say?
Following the "British Zionist" row, Mr Corbyn said he used the term Zionist in an "accurate political sense and not as a euphemism for Jewish people".
He went on to say: "I am now more careful with how I might use the term 'Zionist' because a once self-identifying political term has been increasingly hijacked by anti-Semites as code for Jews."
Responding to criticism of his presence at the 2014 ceremony in Tunisia, Mr Corbyn tweeted that Mr Netanyahu's claims about his "actions and words are false", adding: "What deserves unequivocal condemnation is the killing of over 160 Palestinian protesters in Gaza by Israeli forces since March, including dozens of children."
Responding to news stories about the event where a Holocaust survivor compared Israel to Nazism - which dated back to his time as a backbench MP - by saying: "In the past, in pursuit of justice for the Palestinian people and peace in Israel/Palestine, I have on occasion appeared on platforms with people whose views I completely reject.
"I apologise for the concerns and anxiety that this has caused."
In March, following the row over his mural remark, he said he would not tolerate anti-Semitism "in and around" Labour.
"We must stamp this out from our party and movement," he said.
"We recognise that anti-Semitism has occurred in pockets within the Labour Party, causing pain and hurt to our Jewish community in the Labour Party and the rest of the country.
"I am sincerely sorry for the pain which has been caused."
His critics say action is needed, including replicating all of the internationally accepted examples of anti-Semitism and dropping disciplinary action against critical MPs.
Following the "British Zionist" row, Mr Corbyn said he used the term Zionist in an "accurate political sense and not as a euphemism for Jewish people".
He went on to say: "I am now more careful with how I might use the term 'Zionist' because a once self-identifying political term has been increasingly hijacked by anti-Semites as code for Jews."
Responding to criticism of his presence at the 2014 ceremony in Tunisia, Mr Corbyn tweeted that Mr Netanyahu's claims about his "actions and words are false", adding: "What deserves unequivocal condemnation is the killing of over 160 Palestinian protesters in Gaza by Israeli forces since March, including dozens of children."
Responding to news stories about the event where a Holocaust survivor compared Israel to Nazism - which dated back to his time as a backbench MP - by saying: "In the past, in pursuit of justice for the Palestinian people and peace in Israel/Palestine, I have on occasion appeared on platforms with people whose views I completely reject.
"I apologise for the concerns and anxiety that this has caused."
In March, following the row over his mural remark, he said he would not tolerate anti-Semitism "in and around" Labour.
"We must stamp this out from our party and movement," he said.
"We recognise that anti-Semitism has occurred in pockets within the Labour Party, causing pain and hurt to our Jewish community in the Labour Party and the rest of the country.
"I am sincerely sorry for the pain which has been caused."
His critics say action is needed, including replicating all of the internationally accepted examples of anti-Semitism and dropping disciplinary action against critical MPs.
