LABOUR was thrown into chaos today as a senior MP blasted Jeremy Corbyn for letting anti-Semites "hijack the soul" of the party and resigned.

Veteran MP John Mann said he would never forgive the Labour leader over his handling of the anti-Semitism row as he stood down after 18 years in parliament.

2 John Mann said he would never forgive Jeremy Corbyn for allowing anti-Semites to 'hijack' the party Credit: Rex Features

2 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was blasted for his handling of the anti-Semitism row in his party Credit: AFP or licensors

And he took aim at Mr Corbyn for his failure to tackle the ongoing row that has seen more than half a dozen MPs quit in protest.

Speaking to the Sunday Times, the 50-year-old said: "Corbyn has given the green light to the anti-Semites and having done so has sat there and done nothing to turn that round."

Mr Mann will now take on the role as the Government's anti-Semitism tsar - saying he wanted to tackle the issue head on.

He added: "Every time I go into a meeting with a group of Jewish people, I wince when they raise the issue of the Labour Party and Corbyn. It is impossible to overstate the anger that I have about that.

"He has not just hijacked my political party; he has hijacked its soul and its ethics. I will never forgive him for that."

Mr Mann, whose great-grandfather helped form the Leeds branch of the Labour Party in 1906, had been appointed into the role by former Prime Minister Theresa May, however Boris Johnson upgraded the role.

This means Mr Mann decided to quit the Commons be able to fully focus on the role.

He has not just hijacked my political party; he has hijacked its soul and its ethics. I will never forgive him for that John Mann

And while he admitted it was a "sacrifice", he said he wasn't prepared to support Corbyn as a Prime Minister.

Since Mr Corbyn became leader in 2015, he has been dogged by critics claiming the party harbours anti-Semitic activists and campaigners among its membership.

Labour has come under fire over its handling of disciplinary action against members accused of making anti-Semitic remarks - such as Ken Livingstone, who was suspended for two years for claiming Hitler was a Zionist.

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Jeremy Corbyn insists he is "not an anti-Semite in any form". His supporters say he has spent his career opposing racism.

But he had admitted Labour had a "real problem" with anti-Semitism within the party and vowed he would "root out" any abuse.

Corbyn was this week labelled a "chicken" by Mr Johnson for blocking his demands for a general election.

Labour MP John Mann calls on Jeremy Corbyn to kick out anti-Semites from the party