Interviewing Keir Starmer for the very first time in March 2020 for a Jewish newspaper, it seems truly remarkable that we are now just days away from a likely seismic victory for Labour in a general election.
At the time, relations between the party and a substantial section of the British Jewish community were bubbling just above a historic low point, the one slight upshot being Jeremy Corbyn was being replaced as leader.
Back then, opinion polls carried out by reputable firms put Jewish support for the party I joined some years before Corbyn became leader at less than 10%. One poll even suggested just 6% of the community had backed Labour in 2019.
But sitting down with Starmer inside his old Westminster shadow ministerial office that day – I had previously only heard him speak before at a couple of Constituency Labour Party meetings before – one thing struck home. It still does.
Starmer’s commitment on antisemitism is sincere
That well-worn pledge by Starmer to “rip out antisemitism by its roots” has always been a genuine and sincere one.
Not just out of a deep desire to restore a broken relationship between Labour and a Jewish community with such deep historical roots to the party.
But also because the proliferation of antisemitic viewpoints, of conspiracy theories, of far-left and far-right ideas of a “globalist elite”, all showed Starmer just how far removed the party had become from reflecting the core values of the overwhelming majority of working-class people in this country.
As several Labour MPs in seats with few or no Jewish residents regularly told me, “even if my constituents don’t actually witness antisemitism, they recognise that something is very wrong”.
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In the four years that have passed since my first interview, for The Jewish Chronicle with Starmer, I have met him possibly 12 times since, either for set piece interviews or at media events, mainly for my current title Jewish News.
I do not profess to know him well. But my respect for Starmer, and belief that he can make a great prime minister has grown.
He is clearly both a thoughtful and kind man. Someone who, no matter how busy or rushed he is, will stop and say “hello” and ask how things are going with genuine concern.
On more than one occasion Starmer has thanked me for “giving me the space” to prove himself in the fight against antisemitism.
Starmer has developed a more ruthless streak
In the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks, I approached him at a Westminster event to thank him back for speaking up so resolutely against rising antisemitism in the UK.
In the face of sustained intimidation towards himself and his family, Starmer’s concern was not for himself, but for colleagues who he said were facing worse than him.
But he has, I believe, developed a more ruthless streak, especially in the year leading up the general election – something possibly missing during the days he spent in Corbyn’s shadow cabinet.
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Last September, invited to observe him film a delightful video interacting with pupils at a primary school ahead of the Jewish New Year, Starmer seemed to enjoy my observation that he had found ways to irk Rishi Sunak during PMQs.
With Labour riding high in the opinion polls at the time, as they still are today, I also raised the unlikely possibility that Sunak might yet benefit from announcing a general election at a time when the economy was showing a genuine upsurge.
From Starmer’s direct response, I got the impression that nine months ago he believed there was no way back for the Tories on arguments around the economy, no matter when Sunak finally decided to call an election.
Young Jewish members are proud to be Labour again
The positive transformation of Starmer’s leadership can also be seen internally within the party.
The regular, sometimes difficult, but always rewarding, telephone conversations with Muslim comrades in Labour in the aftermath of October 7, with Israel’s subsequent response in Gaza, have reinforced the great power this party has to be a great unifying force in the most testing of times.
I’m not sure the same conversations would have been had, where the party under different leadership.
And to see young people within the Jewish community now actively proud to call Labour their party again, becoming active in their CLPs and with the Jewish Labour Movement, has been a joyous watch.
One poll put Jewish support for Labour at 46%
During recent weeks, two pre-election polls of UK Jewish voting intentions have given a clear signal of the remarkable progress Starmer has made in winning back the community.
A Survation poll confirmed support for Labour in a community older than the national average at 33%, a dramatic rise on their 6% tally in 2019.
Meanwhile, the Institute of Jewish Policy Research carried out a survey of nearly 2,700 Jewish voters, putting support for Labour amongst Jews at 46%, compared to the 30% who said they would vote Tory.
There is little doubt that Starmer’s perceived success in rooting out antisemitism has been at the heart of this remarkable rise in support.
‘Crying out for a Labour government’
But it must also not be forgotten that the Jewish community, like all in this country, has felt the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, and Tory mismanagement of the economy.
This explains why, when I visited a large Jewish school with a politician a few weeks ago, the first response of a senior staff member was to admit: “We are crying out for a Labour government.”
And why so many of the recent hustings in constituencies with significant Jewish populations, have, along with questions about antisemitism and security, been dominated by concerns about inadequate housing, hospital waiting lists, and sewage leaks.
Definitive proof that Starmer’s drive to “root out antisemitism” from our party has truly succeeded will be seen on July 4, of course, when thousands of British Jews are once again able to draw on the core values at the centre of their faith to cast their votes for Labour.
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