Labour Party members take out ad to portray Corbyn as soft on anti-Semitism

More than 60 opposition Labour members of the U.K.'s upper house of Parliament signed a statement in a newspaper on Wednesday accusing leader Jeremy Corbyn of failing "the test of leadership" over anti-Semitism within the party.

Corbyn, a veteran campaigner for Palestinian rights and critic of the Israeli government, has long been dogged by charges he has allowed a culture of anti-Semitism to thrive in Britain's main opposition party, something he denies.

Eight lawmakers left the party earlier this year over anti-Semitism and Corbyn's position on Brexit, a move that has also angered many members who want Labour to adopt an unequivocal pro-European Union position.

The statement in the Guardian newspaper was signed by several former ministers when Labour was in power from 1997 to 2010. It has a stark message: "The Labour Party welcomes everyone* irrespective of race, creed, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation. (*except, it seems, Jews)."

"You have failed to defend our party's anti-racist values. You have therefore failed the test of leadership."

The statement, signed by about a third of Labour members in the House of Lords including former ministers such as Peter Mandelson, challenged whether the party could ever win a national election "if we can't get our own house in order."

Stormy session

British Prime Minister Theresa May seized the advantage in the House of Commons on Wednesday, wielding the newspaper.

"He needs to apologize for his failure to deal with racism in the Labour Party," said May, who is in her final week before giving way to either Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt.

Corbyn hit back, citing to a YouGov poll last week in which a majority of Conservative Party members responded that they believed Islam was "a threat to British life," as well as referring to what has been called the Windrush scandal, in which the Conservative government has agreed to pay the equivalent of $325 million Cdn in compensation after many long-term residents and citizens originally from the Caribbean were wrongly labelled illegal immigrants.

"This party totally opposes racism in any form whatsoever," said Corbyn. "Anti-Semitism has no place in our society, no place in any of our parties, and no place in any of our dialogue. Neither does any other form of racism."

Last week, a BBC program reported Corbyn's office had interfered in the independent party discipline processes aimed at rooting out anti-Semitism, a charge rejected by the party.

A Labour spokesperson said the party stood "in solidarity with Jewish people and are fully committed to the support, defence and celebration of the Jewish community" and speeding up its procedures to deal with anti-Semitism cases.

"Regardless of false and misleading claims about the party by those hostile to Jeremy Corbyn's politics, Labour is taking decisive action against anti-Semitism," he said.