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FORMER Scottish Labour leader Jim Murphy took out a full-page advert in the Jewish Telegraph today to criticise Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership team.
He claimed on Twitter that he used his own money to pay for the advert, which accuses Mr Corbyn’s team of being “intellectually arrogant, emotionally inept and politically maladroit.”
In the advert, titled In sorrow and anger – an apology, Mr Murphy accuses the leadership of “doing so much damage to Labour’s relationship with British Jewry.”
I’ve paid for a full-page ad in this week’s Jewish Telegraph. It’s an apology to the Jewish Community about the actions of the Labour Party’s leadership. JM pic.twitter.com/DALswTYuWI
— Jim Murphy (@glasgowmurphy) August 10, 2018
He criticises Mr Corbyn for recently making a public video apology in response to anti-semitic remarks made by some members and supporters of Labour. Mr Murphy then goes on to make vague calls for “urgent Labour action against the anti-Jewish racism.”
In 2016 Mr Murphy came under fire for blocking Rhea Wolfson, the only Jewish candidate standing for Labour’s national executive committee, from taking part in the internal party election because she was supported by Momentum.
Ms Wolfson said that Mr Murphy had warned local party members against endorsing her on the basis that the pro-Corbyn Momentum movement had a problem with anti-semitism.
Former MP George Galloway tweeted in response to Mr Murphy: "Jim: you were a World Cup winning failure as a leader so this represents chutzpah to say the least. As you say you have left frontline politics so many will wonder why you did this, at whose behest, on whose behalf? Yours, in sorrow, your former friend. GG."
He served a short stint as Scottish Labour leader from December 2014 until June the following year, leading the party to its worst ever defeat as it lost 40 of its 41 Scottish seats at Westminster.
Mr Murphy was chairman of Labour Friends of Israel from 2001 to 2002.