Labour Rochdale by election crisis dwell: Keir Starmer under pressure as second MP candidate suspended in antisemitism row

Safeguarding minister Laura Farris was pressed on whether the Tories also needed to ensure everything is “in order” with its own parliamentary candidates, amid the Rochdale row facing Labour.

The junior minister said: “Any discrimination by somebody who’s both a public official or in search of elected workplace is totally, fully untenable.

“And it’s fully inconsistent with holding any type of public workplace. So if it happens in our ranks, then sure, completely,” she informed Sky News.

“But it is reasonable to look at what’s happened with the candidate in Rochdale and with the parliamentary candidate in Hyndburn. There were very strong views on Israel and Gaza, I can see that. But they were saying far more than that.”

Pushed on whether or not there are flaws in candidate vetting, Mr Healey stated: “Azhar Ali was widely respected, widely supported across communities, including the Jewish community in the North West, and there certainly are strong checks, the due diligence process as part of selecting Labour candidates.

“But you can’t see everything everywhere.

“What’s important is that if new information comes to light, as in this case, we will act to investigate, we will act to block those who are not fit to serve as MPs.”

Labour’s John Healey was pressed on requires any social gathering member on the Rochdale assembly, who did not act on the inflammatory feedback, must be suspended.

The shadow defence secretary informed BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We will follow the hard evidence that’s presented to us or that comes to light.”

He stated: “Anyone at that meeting, if there is evidence that they have, that people acted or spoke in a way that doesn’t meet the standards, or is incompatible with the values of our Labour Party, they need to report it, provide it and the Labour Party will take it seriously and investigate it.

“It’s what we do with every case.”

The social gathering acted after Graham Jones, the possible Labour MP for Hyndburn, appeared to say that Britons who volunteer to battle for the Israel Defense Forces “should be locked up”.

He’s been the ‘former’ well being secretary since 2021, however nonetheless he was ferried to the Covid Inquiry in a taxpayer-funded limo. It’s a reminder how eager all of them are to hold on to their perks till they get their P45s, says James Moore

Editorial: Vague guarantees of ‘levelling up’ gone nowhere, grooming gangs, and now antisemitism – Rochdale deserves higher than this

Britain is going through a “tornado” of anti-Jewish racism working its approach via the nation, the federal government’s antisemitism tsar has warned.

John Mann, the federal government’s impartial adviser on antisemitism, has known as on political leaders from all events to “get their collective acts together to sort this out”.

The ex-Labour MP’s dramatic intervention comes amid the most recent antisemitism scandal engulfing Labour, after Sir Keir Starmer dropped the social gathering’s Rochdale by-election candidate over feedback he made about Israel.