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LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE: Diane Abbott fears Labour MPs critical of Jeremy Corbyn's response to antisemitism complaints will attempt to have him removed as the party's leader

DIANE ABBOTT has said that she believes Jeremy Corbyn will face another leadership challenge over the party’s antisemitism scandal.

The shadow home secretary said that the Labour leader’s critics within the party were using the situation to exploit his vulnerability.

If her predictions prove right, it will be the third leadership challenge Corbyn has faced during his tenure as the leader of the Labour Party.

Abbott made the comments at a meeting in her constituency yesterday.

“Jeremy has had to go through two leadership challenges. Both times he had the absolute might of the establishment of the British state against him,” HuffPost reported Abbott said.

She added: “And I am afraid it may be, that if what we are hearing and seeing in the past few weeks, we may have to go through a third leadership challenge.”

Abbott, a longtime supporter of Corbyn, denied claims the Labour leader was racist or antisemitic.

“Now you may have heard in recent weeks and months that Jeremy is a racist and an anti-Semite.

“Jeremy is the most strongly anti-racist person I know and he certainly is not an anti-Semite,” HuffPost reported she said.

A BBC Panorama programme that aired last week Wednesday (July 10) explored claims of anti-semitism in the Labour Party and has led to fresh calls for Corbyn to act over the issue.

Is Labour Anti-semitic featured eight whistleblowers sharing their experiences of dealing with antisemitism in the party. The former Labour Party employees broke non-disclosure agreements in order to share their stories.

Labour chiefs have asked for the programme, which they described as “heavily slanted and inaccurate”, should be removed from the iPlayer where it is available to view for 11 months.

According to reports, some Labour MPs are expected to try and push through a vote of no confidence in Corbyn.

Yesterday, more than 60 of the party’s MPs added their names to an advert criticising Corbyn for failing to tackle antisemitism, which was placed in The Guardian.

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