REDDITCH MP Rachel Maclean has spoken out following the ongoing antisemitism row in the Labour Party.

Jeremy Corbyn recently broke his silence over the antisemitism row engulfing Labour, acknowledging the party has a problem with the issue.

The Labour leader accepted that the party’s incomplete adoption of an internationally recognised definition of antisemitism had caused genuine worries.

But, he strongly rejecting the idea that it posed any threat to the Jewish community in the UK.

Mrs Maclean said: “I’m sure many of you will be questioning my decision to comment on an internal Labour Party row, however I feel the need to reassure Redditch’s Jewish community following the ongoing anti-Semitism row in the Labour Party.

"The issue of anti-Semitism goes beyond the Labour Party, it’s about decency and respect for all people, no matter which god they may pray to or believe in. There is no room for bigotry, hatred and anti-Semitism in our town.

“This row has erupted once again because Labour have failed to adopt, in full, the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, which has been adopted by the UK Government and hundreds of countries around the world.

"For some reason Labour, under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, have an issue with this definition. They have an issue because they believe the definition prevents their supporters from criticising the Israeli Government. Let me be clear, it doesn’t!

“Now, no matter your opinion on Israel, and I support Israel and believe it has a right to exist, in the same way I believe Palestine has a right to exist, you can legitimately criticise Israel without resorting to anti-Semitic rhetoric.

"Unfortunately, the hard-left fail to make this distinction. You cannot blame British Jews for the actions of the Israeli Government, in the same way you cannot blame British Muslins for the actions of ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

"The vast majority of people in Redditch and the UK I know would agree with this point, but the hard-left in the Labour Party, time and time again, fail to make this distinction and resort to anti-Semitic abuse."

She added: “Perhaps the most shocking part of this sorry saga is Jeremy Corbyn’s complicity, by that I mean his failure to rid his party of anti-Semitism.

"Jewish Labour members and MPs have all said the same. Many of them no longer feel welcome in their party because of the hostility towards them from the hard-left and many are frightened as to what a Corbyn-led Government would mean for the Jewish community in the UK. Let me be clear, you will always be welcome in our town and our country.”