Four in ten people think the Labour Party has a problem with antisemitism, according to a poll shared exclusively with Sky News.

A survey carried out by Savanta suggests 41% of the UK public thinks the party still struggles with anti-Jewish prejudice – the highest figure for any of the major parties – while one third of Labour voters said they thought the same.

The polling firm interviewed 2,217 adults online aged 18 and over between 16 and 18 February, shortly after Labour withdrew support for Azhar Ali, its candidate in the Rochdale by-election.

Mr Ali, who led the Labour group on Lancashire County Council before being selected as the Rochdale candidate, told a meeting of activists that Israel deliberately allowed the 7 October attacks by Hamas to take place in order to give it the “green light” to invade Gaza.

Despite initially standing by Mr Ali following his “unreserved” apology, Labour then chose to drop its support for his candidacy when further comments came to light.

In the aftermath of his suspension, Sir Keir Starmer said he took “decisive action” in deciding to withdraw support for Mr Ali – something he described as “unprecedented”.

But Prime Minister Rishi Sunak argued he only acted under the influence of “enormous media pressure”.

Politics latest: Anderson releases first statement about Islamophobia row since criticism from PM

On the question of whether the Labour leader had done a good job in dealing with allegations of antisemitism, the Savanta polling suggested opinion was split among the public – with 31% thinking he had and 30% thinking he had not.

The survey also found that 24% of people believed the Conservative Party had a problem with antisemitism.

On the question of Islamophobia, which has gripped the Conservatives in recent days following Lee Anderson’s attack on Sadiq Khan, 29% of those surveyed said they thought the party had a problem with anti-Muslim prejudice, compared with 19% for Labour.

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However, the poll was carried out prior to Mr Anderson’s suspension, and before former home secretary Suella Braverman‘s comments that the UK was “sleepwalking into a ghettoised society where Sharia law, the Islamist mob and antisemites take over communities”.

The prime minister has repeatedly refused to describe Mr Anderson’s comments as Islamophobic, but said they were “wrong” and “unacceptable”.

On becoming leader, Sir Keir said he would make it his mission to “tear out” antisemitism by its roots in an attempt to mark himself out from his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn, who battled accusations that he failed to take the problem seriously enough while he was leader.

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According to Savanta, 44% of those surveyed believed Sir Keir had done a good job in making the Labour Party more electable, compared with 23% who thought the opposite, while 42% said he had improved the party’s image.

Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta, told Sky News: “Up until recently, Keir Starmer could credibly claim great success in purging the Labour Party of antisemitism, after years of challenges under his predecessor.

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“The turmoil surrounding Labour’s Rochdale by-election candidate threatens to undo all that good work.

“While this particular incident likely won’t change too many votes on its own, it could feed into a wider challenge for Keir Starmer.”

He added: “Lots of the public still don’t know what to make of the Labour leader, or where he stands. His slow response could feed into a narrative used by his opponents that he acts based on self-interest, not his principles.”

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On the issue of Islamophobia, Mr Hopkins said: “Our polling on the public’s perception of Islamophobia in the Conservative Party took place before the multiple allegations of anti-Muslim discrimination engulfed prominent members of their party, including Lee Anderson.

“With one in three of the public thinking the Conservative Party has a problem with Islamophobia, this is a serious challenge for the government.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Keir Starmer has changed Labour so that it is unrecognisable from the party of 2019, and has pulled out antisemitism by its roots. We will continue to fight antisemitism, it has no place in the Labour Party or wider society.

“Keir Starmer’s decision to withdraw support from a parliamentary candidate during a by-election is unprecedented and shows that the Labour Party has changed.”

Sky News has contacted the Conservatives for comment.

The full list of candidates in the Rochdale by-election and the political parties they represent:

Azhar Ali, (listed as Labour Party, but now no longer endorsed as its candidate)
Mark Coleman, Independent
Simon Danczuk, Reform UK
Iain Donaldson, Liberal Democrats
Paul Ellison, The Conservative Party Candidate
George Galloway, Workers’ Party of Britain
Michael Howarth, Independent
William Howarth, Independent
Guy Otten, Green Party
Ravin Subortna, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
David Tully, Independent

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