Dear Sir,

I congratulate Cllr. John D. Clare on his letter denouncing anti-Semitism. However, unlike him, I do not believe that the Chakrabati report uncovered the true extent of this problem within the Labour/ Momentum Party.

Also, like many Jewish groups, I do not believe the Labour Party/ Momentum have acted fast enough in identifying and rooting out this evil. Further, the Labour leader in Barnet Labour Party agrees with me!

Mr Paul Mooney in his letter, “Respect for John Clare”, thinks that I should apologise to Cllr. Clare. What for? I never insinuated that Cllr. Clare was anti-Semitic.

If Cllr. Clare considered I did, I’m sure he would have responded in other than the brave and measured way he has. I say brave, because there is an influential element on the left of the Labour Party (Len McClusky) who think that those who speak out against anti-Semitism are doing so to harm their Party. I hope that Mr Mooney is not one of these! What personal or political gain am I achieving by stating facts? The Labour Party has acknowledged that it has a problem with an anti-Semitic faction. Labour MPs blew the matter wide open in a parliamentary debate which was shocking to watch.

However, in an earlier letter, Cllr. Clare stated that following the Leave Vote, “a few racists” are determining our Immigration Policy. I asked him to identify them; he has declined to do so! Perhaps I am being ‘thin-skinned’, however, having been called a racist while campaigning locally for the Leave Campaign, I reasonably assumed that Cllr. Clare was insinuating that Leave voters are racist. If this was indeed the case, I’m sure that Cllr Clare will have the good grace to apologise to all non-racist Leave voters, including me.

Alastair P.G. Welsh.