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Anti-Semitism row overshadows Labour's battle for key local elections target Barnet

Rabbi Danny Rich is philosophical. “Anti-Semitism in the Labour Party is not new for Jews,” he said.

“The reality is that the Jews in the borough of Barnet have known about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party and our attempts to deal with it for some length of time, particularly since the Ken Livingstone affair [the former mayor’s 2016 claim that Hitler supported Zionism].”

A cool head is perhaps essential for a Jewish campaigner standing for Labour in the key battleground of Barnet, where a bitter row over anti-Semitism on the Left might be the only thing standing in the way of a Labour victory on May 3.

Barnet, part of the Finchley constituency where the late Margaret Thatcher was MP when she was prime minister, is a former Tory stronghold where the majority has been whittled down to just a single council seat.

Candidates Ange Balendra and Paul Lemon (left) with local Labour leader Barry Rawlings (Alex Lentati)
Candidates Ange Balendra and Paul Lemon (left) with local Labour leader Barry Rawlings (Alex Lentati)

Mayor Sadiq Khan named it as Labour’s top target in London, alongside Wandsworth.

On paper it should be the easiest: at the turn of the year, of 63 councillors, 32 were Conservatives and 30 Labour, with one Liberal Democrat.

So Labour needs to capture just two seats to take power for the first time in two decades.

If they fail, however, it will be seen as an open goal squandered — with blame falling on party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s perceived failure to confront extremists in his ranks.

A woman heads towards a polling station in north London during a previous election (Getty)
A woman heads towards a polling station in north London during a previous election (Getty)

Rabbi Danny, the chief executive of Liberal Judaism, pointed out that although the Jewish population is significant, most members live in just three (Tory-held) wards.

But he admitted: “I think the swing to Labour will be marginally less than in other boroughs.” On the doorsteps of Barnet, however, the issues being raised by voters are varied.

Resident Clare Russell said: “I think the anti-Semitic situation was quite harmful to the Labour Party.

“However, my main interest is the fact I have two children in infant school and one in pre-school, and it’s their future I’m most aware of. I still don’t know how I will vote, but I will vote.”

Neighbour Joanne Topping said she had divided her three postal votes between Labour, Lib Dems and Greens. Despite her ancestors being Russian Jews, she was unaware of the dispute within Labour.

“I didn’t vote for the Conservatives,” she said. “I’m not sure what is going to happen when we do go into Brexit. It’s going to change a lot of things.

"I would rather stay with the British pound than the euro but I think we have to be in Europe.”

Voices were raised when a refuse worker collecting bins asked a Labour candidate about last weekend’s US-led military action in Syria.

“I asked the lady and she said she agreed with the bombing of Syria,” he complained angrily. “I’m going to vote Green.” The Conservatives have troubles of their own, notably over Brexit.

Tory councillor and former Times journalist Gabriel Rozenberg, on Twitter, wails: “It will be like leaving the house naked, and then posting the keys through the letterbox.”

He vowed to “continue to speak out against Brexit — even though it is the official policy of my party”.

Conservative council leader Richard Cornelius, who keeps secret how he voted in the referendum, said when confronted by voters: “My answer is, ‘It’s Barnet, not Brexit.’

“It does come up, but we manage to separate the two issues. We are a council. We don’t need a European policy.”

After 16 years in power, the party also has the challenge of showing it has not run out of ideas. At one stage Barnet was branded “EasyCouncil” for its enthusiasm for contracting out services to Capita.

Shortly before the election was called, the party lost its overall majority when a deselected councillor resigned the party whip.

The Standard was not invited to observe the Conservatives’ canvassing teams, despite several requests.

Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, barely maintained her majority (PA Images)
Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, barely maintained her majority (PA Images)

On the broader picture in the borough, younger voters priced out of Camden and Islington are moving in and bringing different ideas.

Labour councillor Adam Langleben boasted: “They used to say, ‘Move to Barnet and become a Tory’. Now people are bringing their politics with them.”

Theresa Villiers, the pro-Brexit Tory MP for Chipping Barnet, escaped defeat by just 353 votes in last year’s general election. Seven years earlier she had a majority of almost 12,000.

Both sides are keen to focus the 260,000 voters (the biggest borough electorate in London) on bins, potholes and schools. But the other issues keep intruding.

“Up until all the anti-Semitism stuff was kicking off, it was pretty plain-sailing,” said Andrew Dismore, the Labour London Assembly member for the area.

Labour group leader Barry Rawlings has publicly accused Mr Corbyn of a “blind spot” on anti-Semitism.

He told the Standard: “Sometimes you have got to cut through the crap and say, ‘This is where we stand.’ ”

The Mayor, who visited Barnet on Saturday, said “it breaks my heart” that some Jewish Londoners felt they could no longer back his party.

Stephen Pollard, editor of the Jewish Chronicle, revealed on Twitter: “All the Labour voters I know in Barnet have said they will not be voting in May as they can’t bring themselves to support a Corbyn-led party.”