An Orthodox Jewish man has announced that he will be running for Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s Parliament seat in the United Kingdom’s general elections on Dec. 12.
Yosef David, who grew up in Golders Green—a London suburb know for its Jewish population—is a social worker for a large Jewish charity. He recently registered as a candidate of the right-wing Brexit Party for the Islington North constituency in London.
In 2017, the district elected Corbyn with 73 percent of the vote. Labour has won in Islington North in every election since 1937, which poses a challenge for David.
“I am aware that overturning a 30,000-plus majority would be a miracle,” David told the Jewish News, explaining that his run “is about highlighting the impact of the anti-Semitism epidemic in the Labour Party on the community. I am focused on British Jewry and the impact in our country.”
A recent poll found that 87 percent of British Jews consider Corbyn to be an anti-Semite.
He has been condemned for allowing anti-Semitism to spread under his leadership, and the Labour Party has been called out for its poor handling of anti-Semitic accusations. Many leaders of the British Jewish community, as well as former Labour members, have urged the public not to vote for Corbyn in the upcoming election.
Commenting on the possibility of Corbyn becoming prime minister, David said that “a Corbyn government would be a disaster for our community and the entire country.”
