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A number of Jewish Labour MPs are said to be considering quitting the party in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of anti-Semitism.

They are understood to be at “breaking point” with the leadership and weighing up the option of becoming independent MPs. It comes after senior Jewish Labour MP Margaret Hodge was told she faces “action” for confronting the Labour leader in the Commons.

She told Mr Corbyn he was an “anti-Semite and racist” to his face after the party’s ruling body chose to adopt their own definition of what constitutes anti-Semitism in a new code of conduct. They overrode the concerns of more than 65 senior British rabbis and the parliamentary party.

Many want the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition, which is used by the Government and Crown Prosecution Service, to be adopted in full.

The action against Barking MP Dame Margaret has triggered another backlash against the Labour leader. A Labour source said: “I think for some of our Jewish colleagues they are absolutely at breaking point.

“Not only are they aghast at what’s happened over the last couple of years on anti-Semitism, and our failure to tackle it and appalled by the decision this week, but for many MPs the treatment of Margaret Hodge maybe the straw that breaks the camel’s back.

“I think we’re talking initially of three or four people. In a context where Jewish MPs are leaving the party because we can’t tackle anti-Semitism — that puts us in a very difficult moral position. If the Labour Party no longer has Jewish people in it how could the rest of us stay in good conscience.”

MPs Ruth Smeeth and Louise Ellman will submit an emergency motion to a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party next Monday asking the leadership for a second time to abide by the full IHRA definition.

Luciana Berger, who is parliamentary chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, is understood to want to work with the party to try to make changes to its code of conduct on anti-Semitism and is not among those considering quitting.

Dame Margaret lost her grandmother and uncle in the Holocaust and challenged Mr Corbyn behind the Speaker’s chair on Tuesday. In a Guardian article today she stood by her words and said the leadership’s “arrogance” in adopting its own definition “takes one’s breath away”. The Labour leader’s spokesman branded her remarks to Mr Corbyn as “clearly unacceptable”.

A Labour Party spokesperson said the party has agreed to re-open the development of their Code of Conduct on anti-Semitism, in consultation with Jewish community organisations and groups. They said they hope to “better to reflect their views”.

It is not thought that Dame Margaret will be suspended. Some in Labour believe this assumption triggered the resignation threats from Jewish MPs.