Nearly 100 prominent Liverpool figures have signed a declaration condemning antisemitism, saying that Jewish former MPs Luciana Berger and Dame Louise Ellman in the city were left to “walk alone” over the party's failure to address it.

The two women resigned from Labour this year, denouncing the Jew-hate that had grown in Jeremy Corbyn's party.

Among the rabbis, politicians and academics who signed the Liverpool Against Antisemitism declaration were Rabbi Ariel Abel, of the city's Princes Road Synagogue, and legal expert Prof Bernard Jackson.

It read: “Liverpool has a proud history of mobilising against racism and a proud history of solidarity with the victims of racism.

"Over the past few years we have seen a string of antisemitic incidents culminating in 2019 with the successive resignations from the Labour Party of two Liverpool MPs, Luciana Berger and Louise Ellman.

"They both denounced institutional antisemitism in the Labour Party and a culture of bullying, bigotry and intimidation in their local CLPs.

"This should have been a turning point. Instead, they were largely allowed to 'walk alone'.

"We, citizens of this city, Jewish or not Jewish, want to express our profound disquiet and regret at these events as well as our solidarity with Luciana and Louise.

"We will not tolerate antisemitism and we will not tolerate the accommodation of antisemitism. We commit to hold to account, to educate and to mobilise. Today, we reclaim Liverpool’s proud history."

Raphael Levy, one of the community activists behind the declaration, told the Liverpool Echo he hoped it would “put a marker in the sand” over how the city feels about Labour's antisemitism problem.

He added: “We hope people will take it into account but that doesn’t mean we are anti-Labour. The question of antisemitism shouldn't be brushed under the carpet.”

Ms Berger, who quit the party in February, was subject to no confidence motions brought by her Liverpool Wavertree Constituency Labour Party, while Dame Louise declared the party was “no longer a safe place for Jews” when she quit in October.