'Virus of anti-Semitism' has infected Labour, Boris Johnson claims as row intensifies

Sebastian Mann29 April 2016
WEST END FINAL

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A “virus of anti-Semitism” has infected the Labour Party, Boris Johnson said tonight as a bitter row continued in the wake of Ken Livingstone's suspension.

The Mayor of London waded into the increasingly fractious dispute hours after Labour took action against his predecessor for “bringing the party into disrepute”.

Mr Johnson told LBC radio: "There is plainly some sort of virus of anti-Semitism within the Labour Party that needs to be addressed."

He also sought to implicate the party's mayoral hopeful Sadiq Khan in the dispute. Earlier today Mr Khan was among the first major Labour figures to call for Mr Livingstone's suspension.

Feud: Boris Johnson laid into his former political opponent
Getty

The mayor, who leaves office next month, said: "There is an ideological continuum between Ken Livingstone about Israel and the position of Jeremy Corbyn and indeed the views of their candidate for London mayor, Sadiq Khan.

"They are now basically captured by the old Livingstonian mafia, the machine, the London Labour Party - that's who's running the Labour Party now. That's what the Corbynistas are.

"The reality is that they have some pretty tough views about Israel and if you listen to some of the things that are being said about Israel and what should happen to Israel, in my view, it shades into anti-Semitism."

A storm erupted around Mr Livingstone today after he defended remarks about Israel posted by Bradford MP Naz Shah on social media.

He sparked fury with a claim that Adolf Hitler was "supporting Zionism" in the early 1930s before he "went mad and ended up killing six million Jews".

Mr Khan was among those to immediately call for his suspension, tweeting that the “comments are appalling and inexcusable. There must be no place for this in our party.”

Tonight a spokeswoman added: “Sadiq has led the criticism of the Labour Party leadership for failing to take proper action to root out anti-Semitism.

“Sadiq has consistently spoken out against anti-Semitism and finds Ken Livingstone’s comments appalling and indefensible.

"He thinks it's right that Ken Livingstone has been suspended - a course of action he called for.”

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