Newly-elected MP Mike Freer is the new vice president of the Parliamentary Committee against Antisemitism.

Mr Freer, Conservative MP for Finchley and Golders Green, will be the number two to MP John Mann, who has been re-elected to head the committee.

Mr Freer’s constituency has the highest number of Jewish voters in the country. He is a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel and was chair of the Barnet multi-faith forum

He said: “Representing a constituency with a substantial Jewish population I’ve seen for myself the terrible effects of antisemitism, which shamefully is a fact of life for many of my constituents. 

“We experienced a surge in graffiti and threats last year when the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was dominating the news, showing that antisemitism is always bubbling under the surface and certainly hasn’t gone away.

“This committee demonstrates that antisemitism is being fought against at the highest level and I am very pleased to be able to play a part in that.”

The committee, which encompasses MPs and peers from all parties, exists to provide information on antisemitism in the UK and abroad. It also provides a forum for issues around antisemitism to be debated.