General election: McDonnell admits antisemitism has hurt Labour campaign

Cleverly was also asked about the investigation the Tory party has promised into Islamophobia and whether it would be included only in a wider look at prejudice more generally.

He said: “It will specifically look into Islamophobia in my party. And it will, by definition, also have to look at other stuff as well, because you can’t always unpick this.”

Cleverly apologises for Tory Islamophobia

The Conservative party chairman, James Cleverly, has apologised for Islamophobia in the party.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, he said: “Well, course, I’m sorry and I’m sorry when people do or say things that are wrong. But I am confident that my party has a robust mechanism for dealing with it.”

Cleverly also falsely claimed that Boris Johnson had apologised for a notorious article he wrote in 2018 when he said women wearing niqabs resembled “letterboxes” and “bank robbers”.

Last week the Guardian revealed that at least four ministers have gone on election campaigning trips to endorse Tory candidates facing allegations of Islamophobia since the claims against them came to light.

A Media picks up on the very modest ambition Farage has for the election. Asked how many seats the Brexit party could win, Farage told Sky: Well, I think there’s a handful in which we’ve got a seriously good chance of winning and I think we will get some in, I genuinely do.”

He added: Of course I want Brexit done, but I want the right Brexit done … We will be back in crisis by June unless this withdrawal agreement is amended and that is the fight I’ve got and I want just to get a bridgehead of Brexit party MPs in parliament to hold Boris Johnson to account, because otherwise we’re going to see Brexit sold out.”

The SNP Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, says his party would be a “moderating force” on a Labour minority government, while insisting there is no reason why Jeremy Corbyn should deny a second independence referendum.

He said: “I know that Jeremy Corbyn has supported the right of self-determination all round the world and there’s no reason why he would not recognise that the mandate [for a second independence referendum] it already there and he has to compromise on that. For us it’s very simple.”

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Politics Scotland programme, Blackford was also challenged about how the SNP intended to moderate the Labour manifesto, particularly with the Scottish Tories making the argument that a vote for the SNP is vote for Labour.

Blackford refused to name specific policies, but said: “We will go through this on a case by case basis and we will be a moderating force on Labour”.

On Trident renewal, which Nicola Sturgeon has previously described as a red line in negotiations, he added: “Jeremy Corbyn doesn’t want to press the button. Are we really talking about the situation where a Labour government would want to commit up to £2bn of our money on weapons that will never be reused?”

The Jewish Labour Movement report on the problem is well out of date, McDonnell says. The individuals named in the report have been kicked out, he says. New procedures are dealing with the problem. Asked about the 136 cases cited in the report, McDonnell says it is “well below that” now.

He added: “I came on this programme and I said I was angry because we weren’t quick enough or ruthless enough. The new procedures are dealing with that.”

The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said Boris Johnson is “misleading” the British people by saying he will bring down immigration levels, PA Media reports.

Speaking on Ridge on Sunday on Sky News, Ashworth said:

“We should have a fair and balanced immigration system, of course we should, but he’s (Boris Johnson) imposing a tax on nurses coming from the EU and beyond, to come and work for our NHS to care for our sick and elderly. He’s going to exacerbate the staffing crisis in our NHS with his proposals.

“And he’s also misleading the British people, because he’s trying to give them the impression that he’s going to be bringing immigration down, but when you look at the details of what he’s announced today, he’s saying he’s going to hand over decisions on who will get a visa to an independent committee.”

“There will be no democratic control, there will be no accountability over any decision that any immigration minister makes, because it will be handed over to a statutory independent committee – so again, Boris Johnson’s lying to the British people.”

Questioned on whether a Labour government would raise migration levels under any circumstances, Ashworth added: “You want an immigration system which reflects your needs in the economy.”

Asked whether if the economy needs it, Labour would permit a rise, he added: “If the economy needs it, then of course people should come here to work in our economy.”

Discussing Labour’s social care policy, he said: “Essentially we’re announcing free personal social care”.

He added: “It means that no one will have to pay anything for the care that they get in their home, support getting out of bed … this is about ensuring fairness in the system.”

Pushed on the costings of the policy, Ashworth said: “Well, we’re putting £10bn extra in.”

On whether Labour would agree to cross-party talks on social care legislation, Ashworth said if Labour loses the election, “we’ll deal with it then”, but that he’s “always prepared to talk to whoever”.