Rod Liddle has been suspended from the Labour Party allegedly for writing a blog post about antisemitism within the organisation.
The controversial journalist, an associate editor of The Spectator and former editor of BBC Radio Four's Today Programme, penned a column about antisemitism being rife among Labour Muslim activists and councillors.
Mr Liddle said the party had suspended him over the "language" in his May 3 blog post, but had not specified which of his comments had raised objection.
He wrote in the Spectator today: “Perhaps it is my suggestion that many Muslims are not favourably inclined towards Jews that provoked my suspension from the party.
“Or perhaps it was my assertion that if the Palestinians were given Israel they would turn it very quickly into Somalia that enraged these new commissars.”
Liddle’s initial blog post caused an outcry on social media, with left-wing commentator Owen Jones branding it “rampant unashamed racism”.
In the controversial post he argued antisemitism was a problem ingrained among Muslim Labour activists and voters and those on the far left of the party.
He wrote: “For many Muslims the antisemitism is visceral, an ingrained part of their unpleasant ideology," adding: "If you handed over Israel to the Palestinians they would turn it into Somalia before you could say Yom Kippur."
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Rod Liddle has been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation," without elaborating on the reasons for the suspension.
