Sadiq Khan has joined the Jewish Labour Movement, calling on “decent Labour members” to demonstrate “support and appreciation” for British Jews in and outside his party.

Announcing his decision to join JLM as an affiliated member, the Mayor of London described how “it has been an extremely difficult time” for the movement’s members.

“There’s no question, in my mind, that the Labour Party has been far too slow at stamping out appalling antisemitism by some party members and supporters,” Mr Khan said.

He added this had led “to a depressing collapse of trust between Labour and the Jewish community” which had left him and many other Labour members “devastated".

“That’s why it’s so important that we come together across the Labour movement to do whatever we can to make Jewish people feel at home in our party once again.”

Mr Khan has spoken out on the issue of Labour antisemitism over the last few years, condemning the party’s lack of action.

Last year, he was the guest of honour at the Board of Deputies’ annual dinner, with the organisation’s president, Marie van der Zyl, praising his strong support for the Jewish community.  

Mr Khan said he was “proud to join Gordon Brown and others” in being part of the JLM, and said he would “encourage all my Labour friends to do the same.”

Earlier this month, the former Labour Prime Minister released a video in which he said he had joined the JLM as an affiliate member and criticised his own party for having “allowed legitimate criticism of the current Israeli government to act as a cover for the demonisation of the entire Jewish people”.

In his own message, Mr Khan said: “Standing in solidarity when any community is attacked or oppressed goes to the very core of Labour values. 

“Now is the time for the hundreds of thousands of decent Labour members to be true to these values by demonstrating our support and appreciation for our Jewish Labour colleagues and the whole Jewish community. “