Labour to probe conference speaker in latest anti-Semitism row

The comments by the Israeli-American author Miko Peled have sparked fresh concerns about anti-Semitism in the Labour party, and came as Jeremy Corbyn was accused of having an 'ostrich strategy' over the issue.

Mr Peled is reported to have said: "This is about free speech, the freedom to criticise and to discuss every issue, whether it's the Holocaust: yes or no, Palestine, the liberation, the whole spectrum.

"There should be no limits on the discussion."

He added: "It's about the limits of tolerance: We don't invite the Nazis and give them an hour to explain why they are right; we do not invite apartheid South Africa racists to explain why apartheid was good for the blacks, and in the same way we do not invite Zionists - it's a very similar kind of thing."

Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson said he was disgusted by the remarks, and called for Mr Peled to be expelled from the party if he was a member.

“It is nothing to do with the official Labour party conference," he said. "And if there was Holocaust denial there, these people have no right to be in the Labour party, and if they are they should be expelled."

The West Bromwich East MP said that Labour’s conference organising committee would investigate how Mr Peled had been given a seat on a panel at the event.

“I’m sure these allegations from the fringe, which is nothing to do with the Labour party, will be investigated.” he added.

“It is disgusting to deny the Holocaust. These people are cranks, they have no role in the mainstream of politics and we certainly don’t want them in the Labour party.”

This year's conference fringe has seen Labour activists discuss expelling Jewish groups from the party and compare Israel to Nazi Germany.

Labour MP Wes Streeting, said: “There are too many people in the party – including at the top – who have adopted an ostrich strategy, saying ‘this is not a problem, this is not an anti-Semitism issue’.”