Gordon Brown has said the Labour party must adopt the internationally accepted definition of antisemitism in full, saying it would be a "stain removed".

The former prime minister called for a comprehensive strategy against antisemitism in a London speech, saying it was "not just a procedural issue but about the soul of the party".

'Antisemitism harm must be undone'

"It is time to say that this wrong must and can be righted," he said.

"This injustice has got to be remedied, this stain must be removed. The sore that exists and the harm that has been done, and the hurt it has caused, has got to be undone."

Labour's shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry later added further pressure on party leader Jeremy Corbyn to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Association's (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and its examples in full.


Although Labour's new code of conduct, which has been approved by the party's ruling body, endorses the IHRA's working definition, it also omits four examples from the IHRA list relating to Israel.

The party argues although the examples are not reproduced word for word, they are covered.

However, Ms Thornberry told the Financial Times: "My view is that we should adopt the full definition with the examples.

"I understand why people looked at some of the examples and thought, 'Hang on a minute, how can we implement this? Might it mean that people can't criticise the state of Israel?'

"My interpretation is that clearly, we can. I've read a number of legal advices that say that we can."

A crunch meeting of Labour's ruling National Executive Committee this week will decide whether the party should now adopt the IHRA definition and examples in full.

Former chief rabbi claims Jeremy Corbyn is an antisemite

Mr Brown delivered his speech hours after rabbi Lord Sacks launched a renewed attack on Jeremy Corbyn over antisemitism.

The former chief rabbi told BBC1's Andrew Marr programme that unless the Labour leader "expresses clear remorse" for comments made about British Zionists in 2013, he posed "as great a danger as Enoch Powell".

"Jews have been in Britain since 1656, I know of no other occasion in these 362 years when Jews - the majority of our community - are asking 'is this country safe to bring up our children'," said Lord Sacks.

"Now, this is very, very worrying.

"Anyone who uses the term Zionist loosely, without great care, is in danger of engulfing Britain in the kind of flames of hatred that have reappeared throughout Europe, and is massively irresponsible.

"There is danger that Jeremy Corbyn may one day be prime minister, he is the leader of Her Majesty's opposition.

"I'm afraid that until he expresses clear remorse for what he has said and what his party has done to its Jewish sympathisers as well as its Jewish MPs, then he is as great a danger as Enoch Powell was."

Corbyn backed by ally over antisemitism

In another interview with Andrew Marr, shadow chancellor John McDonnell invited Lord Sacks to speak further with Mr Corbyn.

He said he believed "all sides would be satisfied" with Labour's planned proposals for a new definition and that the party would "resolve this matter" and "move on".

"I think when you sit down with Jeremy you will find you are virtually on the same page on many of these issues," he said.

"You'll be able to work together to tackle this issue of antisemitism in our society, which we acknowledge exists and we've got to tackle together."

Mr McDonnell has expressed his concerns about the prospect of the Labour party splitting.

In an interview with the New Statesman, Mr McDonnell said he wanted to avoid a split "at all costs" and address the ongoing antisemitism scandal "as quickly as possible".