Attention can be flattering, but it can be unsettling too. Last week, British Jews got a taste of the latter type when Liz Truss’s campaign wielded its clumsy machinery to announce its pledges to the Jewish community. By going after the votes of Conservative Jews, however, the current favourite to be the next party leader and prime minister managed to infuriate rather than reassure.
What made the most headlines was her pledge to change “woke civil service culture that strays into antisemitism”, a claim met with general astonishment. In a joint letter, the general secretaries of the Prospect and FDA unions said the allegations were “without foundation and offensive”, and accused Truss of using them to make headlines.
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