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General election: John Le Carré and Joanna Lumley among 24 public figures refusing to vote Labour over anti-Semitism in party

Activist and Actress: Joanna Lumley says she is "terrified that all men are seen as bad" following Hollywood's high-profile sex scandals: Getty Images
Activist and Actress: Joanna Lumley says she is "terrified that all men are seen as bad" following Hollywood's high-profile sex scandals: Getty Images

Author John Le Carré and actress Joanna Lumley are among 24 public figures who last night declared their refusal to vote for Labour because of its association with anti-Semitism.

The group said the path to a more tolerant society "must encompass Britain's Jews with unwavering solidarity" and said the party’s leader Jeremy Corbyn has "a long record of embracing anti-Semites as comrades".

Signatories of the letter, which comes a month before the nation goes to the polls for the general election on December 12, also include actor Simon Callow, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales and author Frederick Forsyth.

In the letter to the Guardian newspaper, they wrote: "The coming election is momentous for every voter, but for British Jews it contains a particular anguish: the prospect of a prime minister steeped in association with anti-Semitism.

John le Carré was among those who declared they would not be voting for Labour (Getty Images)
John le Carré was among those who declared they would not be voting for Labour (Getty Images)

"Under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, Labour has come under formal investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission for institutional racism against Jews.

"Two Jewish MPs have been bullied out of the party. Mr Corbyn has a long record of embracing anti-Semites as comrades.

"We listen to our Jewish friends and see how their pain has been relegated as an issue, pushed aside by arguments about Britain's European future.

"For those who insist that Labour is the only alternative to Boris Johnson's hard Brexit, now, it seems, is not the time for Jewish anxiety.

Mr Corbyn has repeatedly promised to “root out” the “real problem” of anti-Semitism within Labour (Getty Images)
Mr Corbyn has repeatedly promised to “root out” the “real problem” of anti-Semitism within Labour (Getty Images)

"But anti-Semitism is central to a wider debate about the kind of country we want to be.

"To ignore it because Brexit looms larger is to declare that anti-Jewish prejudice is a price worth paying for a Labour government.

"Which other community's concerns are disposable in this way? Who would be next?

"Opposition to racism cannot include surrender in the fight against anti-Semitism. Yet that is what it would mean to back Labour and endorse Mr Corbyn for Downing Street.

"The path to a more tolerant society must encompass Britain's Jews with unwavering solidarity. We endorse no party.

"However, we cannot in all conscience urge others to support a political party we ourselves will not. We refuse to vote Labour on December 12."

Mr Corbyn has repeatedly promised to “root out” the “real problem” of anti-Semitism within Labour.

A Labour spokesman previously said: “Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour Party are fully committed to the support, defence and celebration of the Jewish community and continue to take robust action to root out anti-Semitism in the party and wider society.

"Jeremy Corbyn has consistently supported struggles for human rights and justice around the world and made the right calls in the interests of security and peace."

The other signatories of the letter were Fay Weldon, William Boyd, Antony Beevor, Sathnam Sanghera, Janina Ramirez, Trevor Phillips, Suzannah Lipscomb, Tom Holland, Peter Frankopan, Ghanem Nuseibeh, Dan Snow, Fiyaz Mughal, Tony Parsons, Dan Jones, Maajid Nawaz, Oz Katerji, Nick Hewer, Ed Husain and Terry Jervis.