(Bury South) (Lab):
Last Sunday, I was proud to march against antisemitism, standing
shoulder to shoulder with British Jews alongside my friends and
constituents. I welcome the increase in funding to the Community
Security Trust, as laid out in the autumn statement, and thank it
for keeping my constituents safe. However, since the pogrom of
October 7, we have seen a staggering 1,300% increase in
antisemitism, with many Jews no longer feeling safe in Britain.
With that in mind, can we have a debate in Government time on
tackling antisemitism and hate speech, to ensure people of all
communities feel safe?
Leader of the House of Commons (): I thank the hon. Gentleman
and all hon. Members who joined that march or showed solidarity
to the Jewish community on that day. We must all continue to do
that when the headlines disappear when the situation is resolved,
as I hope it will be soon. I met with the Jewish
Leadership Council yesterday to look at what more we can do.
As well as showing support to the Jewish community, we need to
show support to other faith communities who want to do the right
thing, stand in solidarity together, and continue to work at
strengthening ties. We must support individuals who reach out to
other faith groups in their communities, and ensure that they do
not face intimidation.
