Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had achieved nothing less than a “miracle” in his efforts to root out antisemitism from his party, the outgoing Board of Deputies vice president Edwin Shuker told him when he visited a battleground London constituency on Monday.

Starmer was visiting Chipping Barnet, where party staff had arranged for him to speak to voters who had not voted Labour at the last election but who intended to do so when the polls open on 4 July. According to Labour candidate Dan Tomlinson, who was also present, about ten percent of the electorate there is Jewish.

Joining the voters in a local café, Starmer reminded them he had pledged to eradicate Labour antisemitism on his first day as leader in 2020, and recalled he had said “we will be judged by our actions”.

Shuker replied that “we wouldn’t be sitting here if you hadn’t delivered”.

After speaking with Starmer, he told the JC that he had also been impressed by Starmer saying he sought office in order to serve the public, and was convinced he was sincere.

“On antisemitism, he says there will be no second chances,” Shuker said, adding that the members of his synagogue and his colleagues on the Board believed that “we’ve got a friend. So long as he’s around, we feel safe”.