LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s opposition Labour Party has suspended a candidate for the upcoming general election, Graham Jones, after a recording was published of him making disparaging remarks about Israel.
The suspension comes a day after Labour withdrew support for another candidate, Azhar Ali, after he was recorded espousing conspiracy theories about Israel.
On Tuesday, Jones, who had been selected to contest a seat in northern England, was suspended pending investigation.
Earlier, the Guido Fawkes website published an audio recording of Jones, which it said was recorded at the same local party meeting in October where Ali spoke.
In the recording, Jones referred to “fucking Israel” and said Britons who fight in the Israel Defense Forces should be put in jail. Reuters has not verified the full recording or when it was made.
Jones did not immediately respond to a Reuters request by phone and email for comment.
Polls indicate Labour is likely to form Britain’s next government after a general election expected in the second half of this year.
Under its former leader Jeremy Corbyn, Labour faced accusations that some within its ranks discriminated against and harassed Jews.
Current leader Keir Starmer has sought to root out antisemitism within the party. Speaking earlier, before Jones’s suspension, Starmer said: “When I say the Labour Party has changed under my leadership, I meant it.”
(Reporting by William James; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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