One third of voters believe Jeremy Corbyn is antisemitic, new poll reveals

The YouGov survey reveals more people believe he is personally antisemitic than those who do not (Photo: Getty Images)

 

A majority of voters believe Jeremy Corbyn has been dishonest and ineffective in his handling of Labour's antisemitism problem, a new poll has found.

The YouGov survey for the Jewish Labour Movement showed large numbers of people considering voting Labour were “much less likely” to vote because they believe Labour has a problem with antisemitism.

The figures also revealed voters are deeply unimpressed with Mr Corbyn's handling of the issue and that one-third of people believe Mr Corbyn himself is antisemitic (33 per cent). 24 per cent said he is not, while 34 per cent said they did not know.

Just under a quarter — 24 per cent — believe the Labour Party itself is antisemitic.
 
“These figures are deeply depressing,” a spokesperson for the Jewish Labour Movement said.

“Hundreds of thousands of voters have made up their minds that Labour is a racist party that they can’t support. 

“The leadership says it will take action. But when a Jewish Labour MP comes under vile attacks from Jew-haters, they support the people who have tormented her and too many others.”

The figures come on the weekend former MP Michael Dugher, who previously advised Gordon Brown and served in Ed Miliband's shadow cabinet, resigned from the Labour Party over the issue.

“Time after time, allegations are brought to the party’s attention. But too often the Jew-haters are given a free pass,” he said.

“In solidarity with all my Jewish friends, and everyone who abhors antisemitism, I’m leaving Labour. That it has come to this is truly heartbreaking.”

The YouGov poll — which interviewed 5,000 people — showed Mr Corbyn’s own personal ratings have suffered a major collapse. 57 per cent of voters now say he is performing badly as Labour leader, an increase from 52 per cent when the same question was asked in a similar YouGov poll late last summer. 

43 per cent of all voters say “yes” when asked “Generally speaking, do you think Labour does or does not have a problem with antisemitism?”

14 per cent of people who might consider voting Labour at the next election say that Labour has a problem with antisemitism and, unless it is dealt with, it will make them much less likely to vote Labour.

Another 7 per cent of Labour’s current voters also believe there is a problem that will make them much less likely to back Labour unless it is addressed, according to the figures.