Jewish peer Lord Mitchell set to quit Labour Party in protest over Jeremy Corbyn's re-election as leader

Lord Mitchell previously criticised report into anti-Semitism within party as a 'whitewash'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is congratulated following his victory, after the announcement of the winner in the Labour leadership contest between him and Owen Smith at the ACC Liverpool. (PA)

A Labour peer is set to resign in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s re-election as party leader over his handling of alleged anti-Semitism among some members.

Lord Mitchell, who is Jewish, previously branded an inquiry launched by Mr Corbyn earlier this year a “whitewash” and vowed to quit the party if he won he leadership contest.

The businessman, who was awarded a life peerage in 2000, said he would make a formal announcement on Sunday but signalled he would stick to his decision.

He accused Mr Corbyn of allowing anti-Semitism to “fester at the highest level of our party” in the wake of an inquiry by Baroness Chakrabarti, who was controversially made a Labour peer within weeks of her report.

While concluding that the party was “not overrun by anti-Semitism, Islamophobia or other forms of racism”, it said hate displaced by a “minority” of members had no place and recommended new sanctions for officials.

The inquiry followed controversy over a Facebook post by Naz Shah, the Labour MP for Bradford West, claims by Ken Livingstone that Adolf Hitler supporter Zionism and a wave of Labour suspensions.

But it was itself beset by controversy after Mr Corbyn compared Israel to “Islamic states” at a launch event, where a Jewish MP left in tears after being heckled.

In a letter to The Times in August, Lord Mitchell called Baroness Chakrabarti’s report an “insipid whitewash”.


 Jeremy Corbyn meets with Rabbi Pinter after delivering a speech on Labour's anti-Semitism inquiry findings 
 (PA)

"I have come to the painful conclusion that were Mr Corbyn re-elected...I will have to resign my membership of the Labour Party,” he added.

"As a Jew, I find the allegations of antisemitism in the Labour Party very distressing.

"Even more upsetting is the way Jeremy Corbyn dismisses what he has permitted to fester at the highest levels of our party.

"I cannot remain a member of a party that goes against such a crucual issue that I hold dear."

Following Mr Corbyn's re-election, Lord Mitchell said he was a “man of his word”.

He was not the only Jewish Labour member voicing outrage - one woman posted a photo of her cut up membership card online and announced she was joining the Jewish Labour Movement instead.

The Campaign Against Antisemitism group also criticised his win on Saturday, when Mr Corbyn beat rival Owen Smith with 62 per cent of members’ votes.

"Though notable Labour members have struggled bravely to stem the tide, the Labour Party is no longer a safe place for British Jews," said Gideon Falter, Chairman of Campaign Against Antisemitism.

"We require the Party to adopt and firmly and transparently apply the international definition of anti-Semitism to the many outstanding cases amongst its members, including the disciplinary complaint that we have now instigated against Jeremy Corbyn.”

The action is over a video posted on Mr Corbyn's official Facebook and Twitter accounts where supporters answer questions on topics they are ”tired of hearing“ about, including anti-Semitism.

Speaking in June, Mr Corbyn called for a “civil discourse” and reasoned debate.

“Modern anti-Semitism may not always be about overt violence and persecution, though there is too much of that even to this day,” he said.

“We must also be vigilant against subtler and invidious manifestations of this nasty ancient hatred and avoid slipping into its traps by accident or intent.”