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Ivan Lewis resigns Labour membership with blast at Jeremy Corbyn

The former minister has been suspended from the party for more than a year.

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Ivan Lewis (Dave Thompson/PA)

A former minister has resigned his membership of the Labour Party and hit out at Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of anti-Semitism within the movement.

Ivan Lewis, who has been suspended from Labour for more than a year following allegations of sexual harassment, also hit out at the way the disciplinary process had been handled.

But Labour defended the process and a source said Mr Lewis’ resignation meant the complainants in the case had been denied a hearing.

The Bury South MP used his resignation letter to Mr Corbyn to criticise the Labour leader and his spin doctor Seumas Milne.

“It is for others to decide whether you are anti-Semitic, but what is absolutely clear is that you and Seumas Milne do not believe in the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their own state,” he said.

“This is different to your view on the right to self-determination for every other minority community.”

He said that “all too often you have been unwilling to condemn those whose hatred of Israel becomes Jew hatred, this is incompatible with being a lifelong campaigner against racism.”

A Former Foreign Office minister, Mr Lewis said Mr Corbyn had an “anti-western world view”and “it is no wonder that so many British people are uncomfortable  at the prospect of you becoming prime minister”.

Mr Lewis said he would continue to sit as an independent in the House of Commons.

A Labour source said: “Ivan was under investigation for alleged sexual harassment.

“His resignation means the complainants have been denied a hearing.”

His suspension followed a BuzzFeed News report that a woman alleged Mr Lewis had touched her leg and invited her to his house when she was 19 at a Labour Party event in 2010.

He has strongly denied the allegations made against him and complained he had been suspended “despite never having been interviewed about complaints which have been made against me”.

Mr Lewis claimed there had been an “unnecessary and politically motivated delay” in dealing with his case.

A Labour Party spokesman said: “Jeremy Corbyn thanks Ivan for his service to the Labour Party.

“The Labour Party takes all complaints of sexual harassment extremely seriously, which are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and appropriate disciplinary action taken.

“This case was referred to a full hearing of Labour’s National Constitutional Committee. The process is the same for everyone.”

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