Kezia Dugdale admits presence of '˜abhorrent views' in Labour

Former Labour leader Kezia Dugdale has taken a swipe at the party's handling of the anti-semitism row, admitting to the presence of 'abhorrent views' towards the Jewish community.

Speaking for the first time over the complaints that have triggered Jeremy Corbyn’s most difficult period as leader, the Lothians MSP admitted it had been an upsetting few weeks for Labour Party members.
“What undermines our cause are the abhorrent views held by some in our party towards the Jewish community,” Ms Dugdale wrote in a Daily Record column, “For too long, too many party members have been involved in defending the indefensible.”

Ms Dugdale becomes the latest Labour member to break ranks with her own party to criticise the “stain” of anti-Semitic attitudes.

Former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale MSP.

Her comments come as Jeremy Corbyn’s commitment to tackling anti-Semitism was questioned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews as the UK Labour leader defended his decision to attend a Seder with a radical Jewish group.

Mr Corbyn faced fresh criticism after the Guido Fawkes website reported that he attended a meeting of the left-wing group Jewdas, which has criticised mainstream Jewish organisations for their protests over alleged anti-Semitism in his party.

Mr Corbyn said the Seder feast was “very interesting” and involved “talking to a lot of young people about their experiences of modern Britain”.