UK's Labour Party hit by fresh anti-Semitism row

Britain's main opposition Labour Party was embroiled in a fresh row today over anti-Semitism within its ranks after its new code of conduct designed to address the issue was condemned by Jewish groups and MPs.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of allowing anti-Semitism to spread in the left-wing party.

Labour MP John Woodcock, a prominent critic of Corbyn, said he was quitting the party over the issue.

Matters came to a head in March when British Jewish leaders wrote a joint letter claiming "enough is enough", and protests were held outside parliament.

The letter claimed a "repeated institutional failure" within Labour to tackle the problem and accused Corbyn of siding with anti-Semites "again and again".

In response, Labour drew up a new code of conduct on anti-Semitism, which was approved by its governing body on Monday -- in the face of intense criticism from the Jewish community.

The code states explicitly that "anti-Semitism is racism" and it is "unacceptable".

However, it stops short of signing up in full to the definition drawn up by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Many British institutions use the full IHRA definition.

In a joint statement, the leaders of the main British Jewish organisations said the "watered-down definition" would be regarded with "incredulity and outrage by the overwhelming majority of the UK's Jews."
Spokesman Euan Philipps said: "The Labour movement has lost its moral compass, appears to have an institutional anti-Semitism issue and can no longer claim to represent the values of solidarity, justice and equality."
The Jewish Labour Movement said: "The Labour Party has acted in a deliberate and offensive reckless manner in believing it understands the needs of a minority community better than the community itself."