Tom Watson pulls out of community discussion on antisemitism at last minute citing 'childcare commitments'

"As deputy leader I was asked to attend an event in place of Jeremy Corbyn which led to my weekend childcare commitments having to be rearranged for today."

The deputy leader, who said last month he was "ashamed" of recent cases of antisemitism which has seen around 20 Labour members suspended, told the crowd he would "fight to ensure that Zionism is not used as a term of abuse.

"Or as a code word for Jews. I will fight to ensure that the right to Jewish national self-determination is preserved and respected. Jews are the target of antisemitism – but I will fight to ensure that [they] are not left to oppose it alone. I am committed to that fight."

However, despite warning the audience that "what we cannot do as a community is alienate Tom Watson," North West Friends of Israel vice-chair Stuart Ailion said: "You can make your own minds up if you think what you hear in that statement is true.

"By not being here Tom has become part of the problem, rather than informing us of possible solutions."

Speaking before the event, Mr Ailion told the JC that though the deputy leader was "a good friend" of Jews and Israel, "there was pressure within certain elements of the Labour Party not to attend this event.

"We feel the reasons he couldn't be here tonight could maybe have been overcome if those pressures didn't exist."

Jeremy Newmark, Jewish Labour Movement chair, revealed that problems with antisemitism in Labour meant that in September, the party would give delegates at its annual conference "a training programme" to teach them about antisemitism and how to engage with Jews.

"The party lacks comprehensive training in a set of issues around discrimination," Mr Newmark told the JC.

Responding to whether avoiding antisemitic language should come easily to Labour politicians, he said: "All of this kind of stuff should come naturally, but political parties are at the end of the day voluntary bodies, and there are always going to be competing priorities, and sometimes one has to shout from the rooftops to get what one needs."

On stage, party figures who also included Paul Murphy - the former Lord Mayor of Manchester - and councillor Jon Pritchard often tried to strike a balance between showing they understood the problem and minimising its scale.

Ivan Lewis, the MP for Bury South who replaced Mr Watson on the panel, said: "This community feels more insecure and more anxious than it has for a long time."

However, he warned that "we should not be hysterical" or "hype up antisemitism."

The event saw many in the audience criticise Jeremy Corbyn for his behaviour towards Israel and the Jewish community.

A straw poll of attendees showed that no one thought the Labour leader understood contemporary antisemitism, while those on the panel mostly sought to distance themselves from Mr Corbyn.

Mr Pritchard told one audience member who asked about whether Jews might leave Britain if his leader win a general election: "Beth: he's not going to be prime minister.

"I said he wasn't going to be Labour leader, but he won't be prime minister."