The Jewish community has started to realise that Sir Keir Starmer is serious about tackling antisemitism – and is returning to the Labour Party in droves, shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting said this week.

Speaking to the JC from Israel, Mr Streeting said he had personally experienced the increase in confidence while out campaigning for last week’s local elections. He cited the example of Barnet in north London, whose large Jewish electorate helped Labour take the council from the Tories for the first time.

“It felt like a blessed relief on the doorstep – I was knocking on doors and finding that Jewish people were coming back,” Mr Streeting said. “They know the leadserhip is serious about ridding the party of antisemitism. But the message I have now is, we are not complacent – we know there is still work to do.”

STREETING WILLIAM AMBULANCE

Wes Streeting on an Ambulance ride to Ramla with a paramedic from Israeli-Arab community to discuss how MDA operates alongside minority communities (Magen David Adom)

Mr Streeting, who is widely tipped as a future Labour leader, was an outspoken critic of the antisemitism that flourished inside Labour under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership. A leading member of Labour Friends of Israel, he revealed that his trip this week is the fifth time he has visited the country.

He said: “Many of the hard left people who denied Israel’s right to exist have left the party. But I think in my time as an MP I’ve shown it is possible to be critical of the Israeli government and aspects of its policies without being antisemitic, and to accept that Israel not only has a right to exist, but to so with security.

“The attacks we have seen in the past few weeks demonstrate that we must do all we can to end the cycle of violence, and it’s really important for the next Labour government to be an honest brokers to help deliver justice both for Israelis and Palestinians.”

Mr Streeting said he had been deeply impressed by Israeli healthcare, and especially its use of cheap, widely available technologies to improve it. “I would say that Israel is ten years ahead of the NHS. Its health system is digital, where ours is analogue. We need to emulate it to improve patient experience and to clear the enormous Covid backlog – and in many cases, this will save money,” Mr Streeting said.