The Labour MPs and candidates who have previously been suspended by Keir Starmer
A second Labour parliamentary candidate has been suspended after he appeared to repeatedly refer to Israel as “f***ing Israel” at a meeting.
Audio emerged on Tuesday that appeared to show former MP for Hyndburn, Graham Jones make the remarks – at the same meeting that led to Labour’s withdrawal of support for its Rochdale by-election candidate, Azhar Ali.
Mr Jones is understood to have been administratively suspended from the party, pending an investigation, following the report from the website Guido.
It is alleged at the meeting Mr Ali suggested that British people who volunteer to fight with the Israeli Defence Forces should be “locked up”.
The pair are among several other candidates who have been suspended from the party by its leader Sir Keir Starmer over their controversial actions.
Jeremy Corbyn
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was suspended by the party in October 2020 after he claimed an equalities watchdog report which alleged antisemitism was rife in the party was “overstated”. He now sits as an independent MP.
His suspension was provoked by a statement from Corbyn in which he said he rejected the conclusions of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) report, saying the problem was “dramatically overstated for political reasons” by opponents and the media.
Starmer said he “fully supported” the decision adding: “I made it clear we won’t tolerate antisemitism or the denial of antisemitism through the suggestion it’s exaggerated or factional, and that’s why I was disappointed in Jeremy Corbyn’s response and why appropriate action has been taken, which I fully support.”
Diane Abbott
Veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott lost the Labour whip in April 2023 after she wrote a letter to a newspaper suggesting Jewish people cannot experience racism. She now sits as an independent MP.
Ms Abbott later issued a statement in which she retracted the remarks and apologised, insisting that the “errors arose in an initial draft being sent”.
Starmer said that the swiftness with which the MP had had the whip removed demonstrated “how far the Labour Party has changed” and that Labour has “zero tolerance” of antisemitism.
When pressed repeatedly on whether Abbott’s comments showed prejudice towards Jewish people, Starmer told reporters: “In my view, what she said was to be condemned, it was antisemitic.”
Rebecca Long-Bailey
Former shadow education secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey was sacked from her role in June 2020 just a few hours after she shared an article containing an antisemitic conspiracy theory. She is still a Labour MP but is no longer in the shadow cabinet.
Ms Long-Bailey had shared an interview with actress Maxine Peake featuring commentary on the Labour Party after Jeremy Corbyn, commenting that she “is an absolute diamond”.
The article in The Independent originally contained the claim from Ms Peake that the “tactics used by the police in America, kneeling on George Floyd’s neck, that was learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services”.
A Labour spokesperson said at the time: “The article Rebecca shared earlier today contained an antisemitic conspiracy theory. As Leader of the Labour Party, Keir has been clear that restoring trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority.
“Antisemitism takes many different forms and it is important that we all are vigilant against it.”
Kate Osamor
Kate Osamor, the MP for Edmonton, had the Labour whip suspended last month after she appeared to suggest the war in Gaza is genocide in a post about Holocaust Memorial Day.
Ms Osamor issued an apology for “any offence caused” by the message, and a Labour source confirmed shortly after the message was posted that she had been suspended from the parliamentary party while an investigation takes place.
Andy McDonald
Andy McDonald, a former shadow cabinet minister, was suspended from the Labour Party in October 2023 after he used the controversial slogan “from the river to the sea” to express backing for Palestine at a rally.
A Labour spokesperson said at the time: “The comments made by Andy McDonald at the weekend were deeply offensive, particularly at a time of rising antisemitism which has left Jewish people fearful for their safety.
Mr McDonald has been suspended pending an investigation, and currently sits as an independent MP.
Azhar Ali
Labour announced this week that it had withdrawn its support for its candidate in the Rochdale by-election after he made controversial comments about Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
It came after the Mail on Sunday published comments from a secret recording of Mr Ali at a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party shortly after the Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October.
In the recording, he can reportedly be heard suggesting that Israel was pre-warned about Hamas’s plans, but “allowed” them to go ahead.
A Labour Party spokeswoman said: “Following new information about further comments made by Azhar Ali coming to light today, the Labour party has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali as our candidate in the Rochdale by-election.”
She added: “Keir Starmer has changed Labour so that it is unrecognisable from the party of 2019. We understand that these are highly unusual circumstances but it is vital that any candidate put forward by Labour fully represents its aims and values.”
The official deadline for a candidate to withdraw from the Rochdale by-election has passed, meaning Mr Ali will be listed as the Labour candidate on the ballot paper but will not sit as a Labour MP in the Commons.
Graham Jones
Graham Jones, the former MP for Hyndburn who is seeking re-election in the seat, was suspended this week after he was recorded saying “f**king Israel” repeatedly, according to the political news website Guido Fawkes.
Mr Jones reportedly also called for Britons fighting for the Israel Defence Forces to be “locked up”. He is understood to have made the comments to Azhar Ali during the same meeting of Lancashire Labour members which prompted his suspension on Monday.
Mr Jones has reportedly been suspended from the Labour Party pending further investigation.
Sam Tarry
Shadow transport minister Sam Tarry was sacked from the frontbench in August 2022 after defying orders not to join striking rail workers.
A Labour spokesperson later confirmed the MP for Ilford South had been removed from his position as a shadow minister.
In October the same year, he became the first sitting Labour MP to be deselected since 2010, after local Ilford North party members instead backed local council leader, Jas Athwal.
Rupa Huq
Rupa Huq was suspended as a Labour MP in September 2022 after describing former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng as “superficially black” during a fringe meeting at the Labour Party Conference.
Ms Huq later released a statement apologising for her “ill-judged” comments and also wrote a separate letter to Mr Kwarteng apologising for her actions.
She had the party whip restored in March, after she apologised and completed anti-racism training.
Neil Coyle
Labour MP Neil Coyle had the whip suspended in February 2022 following allegations he made racist comments to a journalist in a House of Commons bar.
In May 2023, the Labour party confirmed it would be restoring the whip.
Mr Coyle delivered an apology for his behaviour in the Commons and undertook programmes regarding managing alcohol.
Nick Brown
Veteran Labour MP Nick Brown had the whip suspended in September 2022 after a complaint was launched against him through the party’s independent complaints process, the details of which have not been made public.
The former minister said he had not been told what the complaint was about but that he was “cooperating fully” with the investigation.
In December 2023, he announced he was resigning from the Labour Party and would not stand at the next election while criticising the ongoing investigation against him.
Conor McGinn
Labour MP Conor McGinn had the whip suspended in December 2022 after a complaint was lodged against him under the party’s independent complaints process.
The details of the case have not been confirmed, and Mr McGinn currently sits as an independent MP.
He announced in December 2023 that he would not stand in the next general election due to ongoing health issues, and said in a statement that he had “mistakes and sometimes got it wrong” during his time in parliament but did not elaborate.
