Maureen Lipman claims Jeremy Corbyn 'sups with the devil' and warns people to be 'very, very afraid' of Labour leader

She also remarks that the new Labour leader is as refreshing as polenta

Labour membership has now hit a highest-ever total of 500,000, with many new sign-ups apparently supporting Jeremy Corbyn (Getty)

Actress Maureen Lipman has warned people to be “very, very afraid” of Jeremy Corbyn, saying he “sups with the devil” and consorts with anti-semites.

In an op-ed for Standpoint, the monthly culture and political magazine, Lipman, a long-term Labour supporter, said the party’s new leader, whose popularity has soared in recent months, is about as refreshing as polenta, comparing him to Russell Brand and Nigel Farage for trying to change politics without experience on the inside.

In the article, titled "Afraid of Corbyn? Afraid So", she describes him as "A man who sups with the devil but claims no one told him that the horned, red-skinned man at the table was, in fact, the actual devil," and says she has voted Labour for the last time.

Lipman, who has had a long career in TV and film, including roles in Skins, Coronation Street and Doctor Who, challenged Corbyn to publicly back the state of Israel.

She also criticised his defending of notable conspiracy theorists such as Rev Stephen Sizer, who has promoted beliefs that Israel was behind the September 11 terrorist attacks.

She noted that while Corbyn spoke with Hamas and Hezbollah, he left Israel’s views entirely unrepresented, and express doubt at his often-quoted line that "yesterday’s terrorist is tomorrow’s leader".

"If he is not anti-Semitic himself then he is more than happy to consort with those who are," she adds.

Lipman has been vocal about the state of anti-semitism in the UK, saying earlier this year she was considering moving to another country altogether.

Corbyn, meanwhile, has argued against claims he is anti-semitic in the past, pointing out that he has spent his life opposing racism.

"The idea is beyond appaling, disgusting and deeply offensive," he said in February.