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Ken Livingstone suspended by Labour Party after 'Hitler supported Zionism' comments | Ken Livingstone suspended by Labour Party after 'Hitler supported Zionism' comments |
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Ken Livingstone has been suspended by the Labour Party over comments in which he suggested Hitler supported Zionism. | Ken Livingstone has been suspended by the Labour Party over comments in which he suggested Hitler supported Zionism. |
The move follows an extraordinary morning for Labour, with a series of party figures calling for the former Mayor of London's suspension - before John Mann MP launched a remarkable verbal attack on him as he entered a TV studio. | |
A spokesperson for the party: "Ken Livingstone has been suspended by the Labour Party, pending an investigation, for bringing the party into disrepute. | |
"The Chief Whip has summoned John Mann MP to discuss his conduct." | |
Mr Livingstone made the offending remarks whiel attempting to defend embattled MP Naz Shah, who had herself been suspended after sharing a post on Facebook which endorsed a plan to relocate Israel to North America. | |
“There’s been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as anti-Semitic. I had to put up with 35 years of this,” Mr Livingstone told BBC London. | |
“Her remarks were over the top but she’s not anti-Semitic. I’ve been in the Labour party for 47 years; I’ve never heard anyone say anything anti-Semitic. | |
“I’ve heard a lot of criticism of the state of Israel and its abuse of Palestinians but I’ve never heard anyone say anything anti-Semitic.” | |
He later said: “Let’s remember when Hitler won his election in 1932, his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism – this before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews." | |
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