John McDonnell has said he thinks the anti-Semitism furore around Labour could cost the party votes this election.
The shadow chancellor insisted his party has “done everything we can possibly do” on its anti-Semitism crisis but said he “wants to learn more lessons”.
He said there were only “a small number” of anti-Semites in the Labour Party and that officials have “started kicking them out in numbers”.
It follows leaked documents showing Labour has been overwhelmed with complaints about anti-Jewish racism.
Asked on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday morning if anti-Semitism could harm Labour's chances on December 12 , Mr McDonnell said: “I worry that this has had its effect, and we’ve done everything I think we can possibly do.”
Probed on whether he believes Labour have done all they can do, he added: “We’ve always got to learn lessons, of course we have, all political parties – but it isn’t just the Labour Party – I want us to be a shining model.
“I apologise to the Jewish community for the suffering we’ve inflicted on them, I say to them we’re doing everything possible, we want to learn more lessons and we want to be the shining example of anti-racism that the Labour Party should be.”
The Sunday Times reports that more than 130 cases of anti-Semitism remain outstanding in the party,
Mr McDonnell said there were only ever “a small number” of anti-Semites in his party and called the figure inaccurate.
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He repeated that he was “angry” that the Labour Party “weren’t quick enough or ruthless enough” in dealing with the issue, but that “the new procedures are dealing with that”.
Mr McDonnell also said that we was working within the Labour Representation Committee to “challenge” anti-Semitism.
Earlier this week Jeremy Corbyn said on ITV’s This Morning that he was “very sorry for everything that has happened” regarding anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.
But in a blow for Mr Corbyn on Thursday, the Jewish Labour Movement refused to endorse the Labour leader for PM and called on the EHRC to urge the Labour Party to acknowledge it has become “institutionally anti-Semitic”.
Last month the Chief Rabbi strongly criticised Labour for not doing enough to root out anti-Jewish racism, and asked people to “vote with their conscience” in the upcoming general election.
