Labour's Richard Burgon DOES apologise on LBC over failure to tackle anti-Semitism

27 November 2019, 08:28

Jeremy Corbyn refused four times to apologise for Labour's failure to deal with anti-Semitism within the party - but Shadow Justice Secretary did say sorry for their actions on LBC.

Mr Corbyn was strongly criticised by the Chief Rabbi over his handling of anti-Semitism cases in his party and asked to apologise during an interview with Andrew Neil, he refused four times.

But speaking to Nick Ferrari the next morning, Richard Burgon did say sorry.

He said: "Jeremy has apologised on a number of occasions for the hurt caused to the Jewish community by the way the Labour Party's handled the small number of members who have said or done completely unacceptable anti-Semitic things.

"He apologised in the summer and it was covered quite extensively in the press at the time."

Asked why Mr Corbyn didn't apologise last night, Mr Burgon responded: "It was a combatative [sic] back and forth interview where, as is the nature of these things, he was being interrupted.

"But he was also trying to make a serious point about our support for the Community Security Trust which will protect synagogues, our announcement in the Race and Faith manifesto that a Labour government will assure awareness about anti-Semitism and the Holocaust is compulsory in education."

Nick asked if he was happy to apologise for the failure to tackle anti-Semitism swiftly.

Mr Burgon said: "Of course. I'm not happy to apologise. I wish we weren't in a position where this had happened.

"Jeremy has apologised before. And I am sorry at the hurt that has been caused. I am sorry that the Labour Party's processes weren't swifter and harder in the first place. Action has been taken to sort that out."