One problem over for Labour, and another one potentially brewing.
Labour were perhaps hoping to draw a line under the political turmoil in Rochdale last night after they suspended their candidate pending an investigation.
The former Labour Rochdale candidate, Azhar Ali, was caught at a meeting allegedly saying Israel allowed the Hamas attacks to justify invading Gaza. He swiftly apologised, saying his claims had been “deeply offensive, ignorant, and false”.
But it was only later, when further antisemitic comments emerged in a leaked recording to the Daily Mail, when Labour withdrew support for Mr Ali.
Today a former Labour leader, Neil Kinnock, said the party’s leadership had sometimes lacked political “savvy” with its handling of recent crises, including the Rochdale by-election.
And then today more bad news for Labour – another candidate, for the seat of Hyndburn, was caught at the same meeting referring repeatedly to “f***ing Israel”.
He also reportedy said that UK citizens who volunteer to fight for the Israeli Defence Forces “should be locked up” and that it was “illegal” for them to fight for Israel.
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Sky News understands he has also been suspended pending an investigation, but these two suspensions in short succession brings the issue of antisemitism back into the fore for Labour.
Last year, almost to the day, Sir Keir Starmer announced the party had been lifted out of “special measures” by the equalities watchdog, showing the progress the party had made in tackling antisemitism within the party.
They will be displeased if there’s any perception the party has started to backslide. The Labour leader said today that any other allegations of antisemitism within the party would be investigated.
Meanwhile, on the left of the party, all eyes are on how these investigations are going. They point to inconsistencies they see between left-wing MPs and candidates…
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