Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander spoke candidly about his views on Israel and the Middle East during a special talk in Golders Green last night.

The Labour MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South, in Scotland, spoke to an audience of more than 150 people at the London Jewish Cultural Centre (LJCC), in North End Road.

The sell-out Q&A hosted by journalist and author Jonathan Freedland was organised by Jewish News, in partnership with the LJCC and the Jewish Leadership Council.

LJCC chief executive Louise Jacobs said: “He was very open and honest and spoke very well. There were lots of questions on [recent events in] Israel and the Middle East and what his response would have been to these events if he had been foreign secretary.

“I think it’s great that these politicians come along and speak to audiences about a difficult topic like Israel.”