U.K. Chief Rabbi Says Labour Leader Not Fit to Be Prime Minister; British Liberal Democrats Defend Their Stance to Cancel Brexit
ANDERSON: With the U.K. due to go to the polls in a little more than two weeks, in one of the most divisive elections ever, the opposition Labour Party finds itself once again in the spotlight over anti-Semitism. An issue that has dogged the party for years and one they can't seem to shake off. Well, now the U.K.'s chief rabbi has warned the soul of our nation is at stake and heavily criticized Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's handling of anti-Semitism within his party in an opinion piece in "The Times." And the head of the Anglican church, the Archbishop of Canterbury has weighed in. Said chief rabbi's statement ought to alert us. Phil Black joining us from London. And it is true. This is an issue that has dogged the Labour Party and its leader now for years. What's been the fallout from this?</s>PHIL BLACK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So you're right, Becky. This is a longstanding issue for the Labour Party. Jeremy Corbyn shouldn't have been surprised it came up today on a day he wanted to promote Labour's policies on peace and tolerance between racists and religion. But what is surprising I think is the particular voice that is attacking him today. From someone of such esteem, the chief rabbi of the United Kingdom. To put it in some context, he's been plagued by anti-Semitism concerns because of his political past. Where he's been accused of sharing stages, being associated with people who are openly anti-Semitic. And as leader, he is accused of allowing a culture to develop where anti-Semitic language and abuse has become tolerated and is not dealt with quickly enough. For all of these reasons, Jews in this country have for a long time been talking with great concern about him and the Labour Party no longer being a political home from them. But now this very strong voice has added to that debate at a crucial time in the middle of an election. As you touched on the chief rabbi says, there's a right to feel anxious about the idea of the Corbyn government, that they believe -- that he believes the soul of the country is as stake and that he is not fit for the office of Prime Minister. He goes on to say, take a look at a more detailed quote from his writings in "The Times" today. Because it is strong stuff. He says -- the claims that the party is doing everything it reasonably can to tackle anti-Jewish racism and that it has investigated every single case are a mendacious fiction. It is a failure of culture. It's a failure of leadership. A new poison sanctioned from the top has taken root in the Labour Party. Now once again, Jeremy Corbyn has essentially denied this. Said that he has no tolerance for anti-Semitism, but he never has, that he has always campaigned against racism and that includes hatreds of Jewish people as well. And he has vowed that as party leader and potentially as Prime Minister, he will do everything possible to wipe anti-Semitism out from broader society and specifically the Labour Party itself -- Becky.</s>ANDERSON: Yes, well, Michael Gove of the Conservative Party and extremely close to the British Prime Minister, of course, weighing in on this. What did he say?</s>BLACK: Well, you can imagine that as this being an election that any chance to kick Labour that the Conservatives can, they'll take advantage of. And this has been a very useful stick for them for some time. Such has been the depth and the anger over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. And so, it is perhaps no surprise that Michael Gove -- a very senior member of Boris Johnson's team -- said this today. Really highlighting the problems that Labour faces on this issue.</s>MICHAEL GOVE, U.K. CABINET OFFICE MINISTER: It's an unprecedented intervention in an election to have the chief rabbi, the leading voice of Britain's Jewish community say this about the Labour Party. And it's tragic that a once great party now is riddled with racism from top to bottom. And it only underlines how important it is that we stop Jeremy Corbyn getting into Downing Street. We cannot have a situation where our Jewish friends and neighbors feel the Prime Minister of this country is someone who makes them feel less safe and less secure.</s>BLACK: Gove is right. This was an unprecedented intervention by a figure who admitted he's not supposed to get party political. But the chief rabbi says that this sort of hatred isn't about politics. It needs to be outed wherever you find it. The reality is that this whole issue and Labour's inability to deal with it adequately means that it will cost the party votes at the coming election -- Becky.</s>ANDERSON: Right. All right, Phil, thank you for that. Well next month's U.K. election results will decide theoretically what happens next in the Brexit process. The head of the Lib Dems -- the Liberal Democrats says if her party wins power, Brexit is effectively canceled. But what about the will of the people? CNN's Scott McClean has more.</s>SCOTT MCCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Josh Wynton may be a boxing novice but she's taking a big swing at Brexit. By the unmistakable message voters support to Westminster in 2016.</s>HALA GORANI, CNN ANCHOR: 52 percent to 48 percent, nationwide in favor of Brexit.</s>MCCLEAN: Swinson, the fresh-faced leader of the centrist Liberal Democrats is aiming to capitalize on the central issue of the election campaign, Brexit. She's courting the 48 percent who voted to remain by pledging to cancel Brexit altogether. Revoking the Article 50 process, no debate, no vote.</s>JO SWINSON, PARTY LEADER, BRITISH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS: This is a democratic election now. And people can make a choice. And if they want to stop Brexit as a Liberal Democrat, we're standing up for what we believe is the right decision.</s>MCCLEAN: Do you not respect the 52 percent of people who voted to leave the EU or do you just think that you know better than them?</s>SWINSON: I respect them. And I respectfully disagree with them.</s>MCCLEAN: Swinson's party is polling a distant third nationally but hopes to do better after making a pact with two smaller pro-remain parties who have agreed not to stand against each other in 60 constituencies, all to consolidate the remain vote. The Green Party is part of that pact. But candidate Caroline Lucas is no fan of Swinson's plan to cancel Brexit without a vote.</s>IAIN DALE, HOST, LBC RADIO: I just want to put your headphones on a second. I want to play you a clip.</s>CAROLINE LUCAS, GREEN PARTY LEADER: You want to send a message to 17.4 million people that you don't give a</s>DALE: Caroline Lucas, you potty mouth.</s>LUCAS: Well you see, in my defense, I didn't realize that bit was being recorded. So, although I stand by the sentiment.</s>MCCLEAN: On his call-in radio show, host Iain Dale regularly gets an earful from voters who feel it's the political establishment and the country's elites calling the shots, not them.</s>DALE: They have reason to send the last party that hasn't betrayed the vote that the referendum campaign called for. The people who lost the referendum can't really bear it. They think the people that voted for Brexit were stupid, sick, racist, whatever. And they just can't -- haven't come to terms with that result. And I'm afraid, I don't think they ever will.</s>MCCLEAN: And it's not just Swinson. Dale thinks politicians of all stripes have spent the last three years only pretending to move ahead on Brexit.</s>DALE: What they're actually doing is subverting democracy. And it's a very dangerous game that they're playing.</s>MCCLEAN (on camera): But they're not very subtle anymore.</s>DALE: Some are more subtle than others.</s>MCCLEAN (voice-over): Subtlety it seems is no longer required. Only one major party, Conservative, has promised to follow through with Brexit. The Scottish National Party has vowed to remain, and the opposition Labour Party wants a second referendum. So while Swinson's odds of becoming Prime Minister are long, she doesn't need to win outright to derail Brexit. (on camera): I wonder what kind of precedent you think that sets for democracy.</s>DALE: There will be a lot of people that withdraw from the democratic process altogether. They will think, what is the point of voting if the politicians and the elites in Westminster don't respect that vote?</s>MCCLEAN: Scott McClean, CNN, London.</s>ANDERSON: And that election two weeks away and counting. Well a touching moment in an often-brutal sport as a hockey team honors a young cancer survivor. Also ahead -- Alibaba's stunning debut on the Hong Kong market. It is set to be this year's biggest IPO to date.