Second Lancashire politician suspended by Labour over Israel remarks
Former Labour MP Graham Jones is understood to have been administratively suspended from the party pending an investigation
A second Labour politician has been administratively suspended by the Labour Party, over comments alleged to have been made about Israel during a party meeting in Lancashire.
Audio has emerged of former Hyndburn MP Graham Jones using the words "f** Israel".
He also allegedly suggested that British people who volunteer to fight with the Israeli Defence Forces should be "locked up".
Labour would have to follow a formal process if the party wanted to drop Mr Jones as candidate for Hyndburn at the next general election, but he is believed to have attended an interview on Tuesday evening.
It comes after Labour withdrew support for the party's candidate for the Rochdale by-election, Azhar Ali, for apparently making antisemitic remarks at the same meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party.
Ali, who is also the opposition leader on Lancashire County Council, has also been suspended.
Mr Ali apologised after he was recorded in the meeting claiming that Israel had taken the October 7Hamas assault as a pretext to invade Gaza.
But Labour said it moved to end its backing of the candidate "following new information about further comments".