Boris Johnson slams ‘boneheaded’ Jeremy Corbyn for not tackling anti-Semitism as senior Labour MP says he’s ‘absolutely mortified’ by party’s crisis
The former Foreign Secretary suggests Mr Corbyn won’t ‘control bigotry because he sees Israel as the Middle East’s worst offender’
BORIS Johnson has slammed Jeremy Corbyn for being “boneheaded” in not tackling his party’s anti-Semitism crisis.
It comes as senior Labour MP Chris Leslie said he is “absolutely mortified” the issue has not been resolved despite months of anger.
Mr Johnson, the former Foreign Secretary, said the row over the party's new code of conduct on anti-Jewish abuse had been in part caused by Mr Corbyn's "infantile desire to blame the West”.
He wrote in the that the veteran leftie “shares platforms with some of the bigoted, misogynist, homophobic Islamist extremists who have condoned terror and encouraged the disastrous radicalisation of so many young men”.
And he suggested Mr Corbyn won’t “control bigotry because he sees Israel as the Middle East’s worst offender”.
In a blistering attack he continued: “By his failure to adopt what should be some pretty simple and uncontentious language on anti-Semitism he is merrily dog-whistling away to all those who want to believe that the ills of the world can be ascribed to a conspiracy of Israel/the West/the bankers.”
Mr Johnson added: “And the greatest tragedy of all is that he is doing nothing, to say the least, to stop the virus of anti-Semitism.
“He may be nearly 70, but he needs to grow up. Enough is enough.
His comments come as Mr Leslie, a former Labour frontbencher said “it’s to our collective shame that this is still dragging on month after month”.
Speaking to Radio 4's Westminster Hour, he also defended his Labour MP colleague Ian Austin – who is under investigation for confronting Mr Corbyn about anti-Semitism.
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He said he was "absolutely" right to voice his concerns, adding: "It's certainly not in my name and it's clearly not in Ian Austin's name either."
After he questioned Mr Corbyn's suitability to lead the party, Mr Austin became the second MP under investigation.
Last week veteran backbencher Dame Margaret Hodge admitted confronting the Labour leader over the controversy over its rules on racism targeted at Jews.
A party spokesman insisted Mr Corbyn, a veteran Palestinian rights activist, was a "militant opponent of anti-Semitism" and determined to tackle it.