Jeremy Corbyn’s left-wing Labour Party has been punished at the ballot box for its inability to deal with allegations of anti-Semitism.

That was the claim made by defeated councillors in Barnet, north London who vowed they can can “never” repeat mistakes of this local election and said the anti-Semitism row had “shamed” the party.

Conservatives regained control of the key Labour target as the party’s candidates admitted the anti-semitism scandal had cost them the votes needed for a victory with the electorate appearing to punish Jeremy Corbyn’s party.

Labour group leader Barry Rawlings conceded that Jewish voters had sent the Labour Party a message, saying: “I must say that in some wards where there is a large Jewish community, it has made a difference.”

He added: “Of course the Tories did go hard in those areas on that issue, saying that if you vote Labour you’re voting for Jeremy Corbyn.