Jeremy Corbyn has given his endorsement to Jewish Voice For Labour, the fringe group which organised the counter-demonstration against mainstream Jewish leaders on Monday and whose committee members have accused Jewish MPs of fabricating anti-Semitism. JVL are a really nasty lot: they accused the Board of Deputies of “playing politics” and “attempting to influence the local elections” this week, they are in part run by the notorious Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi, who is on record accusing Israel of “exploiting” the Holocaust to “commit crimes against humanity”, denies Labour has an anti-Semitism problem and accused Labour MP Ruth Smeeth, who is Jewish, of fabricating anti-Semitic incidents. Owen Jones apologised this week for himself backing JVL, telling Guido it was “an error”. Yet Corbyn told Jewish News last night that JVL are “good people”:

“JVL are committed to fighting anti-Semitism and making sure there is a Jewish voice in the party. We already have the Jewish Labour Movement. JVL was established last year and I think it is good that we have organisations within the party that are giving that voice to people. I’m not a member of that or JLM, but they’re good people, they are in the party because they love and believe in it.”

Grim stuff from the leader of a mainstream political party.