Anti-Semitism Row: Another Labour Suspension

Labour has suspended another party member pending an investigation into alleged anti-Semitism, as Ken Livingstone waded back into the row and repeated his Hitler comments live on Sky News.

David Watson, a fundraising co-ordinator for the Walthamstow Labour Party, referred to Zionism as a "racist ideology" on Facebook, according to the Jewish Chronicle.

He also shared articles on the social media site which alleged Islamic State had used weapons made in Israel.

The paper says it brought the posts to the attention of party officials which triggered the activist's suspension.

It takes the number of party members suspended over anti-Semitism and racism to 19.

Earlier, Mr Livingstone denied his comments about Adolf Hitler were to blame for the party's poor electoral performance .

Instead, he accused "far right" Labour MPs of stoking up division in the party.

The former London Mayor was suspended by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn last week for saying Hitler supported Zionism in the 1930s "before he went mad" and killed six million Jews.

He told Sky News: "The simple fact is, so many people have gone on to the internet now, they have seen Joseph Finkelstein's brilliant interview.

"A lot of people, it's a shock to discover there had been that relationship between a small section of the Jewish community in Germany and Adolf Hitler but it's historically true.

"And the simple reality of all of that is we shouldn't be ashamed about some of the mistakes our government has made in the past and I don't think the people of Israel need to be ashamed of what happened 80 years ago."

Mr Corbyn, who has been roundly criticised for failing to take a tough enough line on anti-Semitism, has insisted the problem has "been dealt with".

He has described the number of members who had been suspended for anti-Semitism and racism as "very small".

Last month he announced there would be an independent inquiry into the problem which would be led by Liberty director Shami Chakrabarti.