Labour’s John Mann has made an impassioned speech in the House of Commons, calling for opponents of antisemitism to “stand up and be counted” in 2019 to ensure Jewish people “stay in this country wishing to contribute and no longer fearing for their future.”
The long-time campaigner against Jew-hate spoke during Prime Minister’s Question Time on Wednesday to say: “For almost 400 years this country almost uniquely in the world has been a place of safety and security and a place where Jewish communities have thrived.”
“Many in the Jewish community are questioning whether this will be the case going into the future,” the MP for Bassetlaw said, adding: “A disturbing large number of young Jewish people are questioning whether they should remain in this country.”
Mr Mann then asked Prime Minister Theresa May to support his call for action over antisemitism in 2019.
The PM replied she “absolutely agreed with him” and added she “never thought I would see the day when Jewish people questioned staying in this country.”
Insisting this was a “terrible” state of affairs, Mrs May said she was “very pleased” to host a reception for the recent “ground-breaking” Sara Conference on the “twin evils of misogyny and antisemitism.”
She praised the work of the All Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism, which Mr Mann chairs, and the Antisemitism Policy Trust before adding Mr Mann was “absolutely right” to call for “everyone of us to stand up and say there is no place for antisemitism and racism in our society.”
The PM’s remarks came during a stormy PMQs session with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who appeared to mouth the words "stupid woman" at her during one exchange.
