Theresa May accuses Labour of ‘betraying’ the Jewish community by failing to expel Ken Livingstone over accusations of anti-Semitism
PM launched Tory campaign for May’s local elections with a stinging attack on Labour under Jeremy Corbyn
THERESA May has accused Labour of "betraying" the Jewish community by failing to expel Ken Livingstone over accusations of anti-Semitism.
The Prime Minister launched the Tory campaign for May’s local elections with a stinging attack on Labour under Jeremy Corbyn.
She said the party is pursuing "ideological obsessions" while ignoring the priorities of local people in a speech in Nottinghamshire this morning.
Mrs May sought to frame the contest as a choice between the competence of Conservative councils and the "chaos and disarray" of the rest.
But the PM also said Labour had let the former Mayor of London “off the hook" after his continued arguments about Adolf Hitler and Zionism.
Her attack comes after Mr Corbyn ordered a fresh investigation into Mr Livingstone, after a disciplinary panel ruled he should be suspended but not expelled from the party.
Mrs May said the decision showed the extent to which it had moved away from the centre ground of British politics.
She said they were "exceptionally good at wasting your money, they excel at imposing new red tape, and they are world-class at hiking your taxes".
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The PM added: "In fact, when you look at it closely, these local elections present a clear and informative choice.
"The competence of a strong Conservative council, focused on the priorities of local people, keeping local taxes down and delivering high quality local services.
"Or the chaos and disarray of the rest - political parties motivated not by what is best for local areas, but what best for their own partisan political interest, and without a plan for our country or our local communities - just a recipe for chaos and failure.
"A Labour Party totally out of touch with the concerns of the British people, which ignores the priorities of local communities and instead indulges its own ideological obsessions.
"A Labour Party which just this week revealed the depths to which it has now sunk, betraying the Jewish community in our country by letting Ken Livingstone off the hook.
"It could not be clearer that the Labour Party is now a long way away from the common, centre ground of British politics today.
"Then we have the Liberal Democrats – whose only interest seems to be in trying to re-run the referendum.
"And UKIP, who are too divided to stand up for ordinary people.
";And in Scotland and Wales, the divisive, tunnel-vision nationalisms of the SNP and Plaid Cymru."
Local government elections will be held across England, Scotland and Wales, alongside a number of mayoral elections in city regions such as Greater Manchester and the West Midlands.
Election expert Professor John Curtice has predicted a 12-point swing from Labour to the Conservatives, with Mr Corbyn's party at risk of losing control of councils in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Mrs May is now set to hot-foot it back to London for crunch talks on Brexit with European Council President Donald Tusk.