Labour suspends second parliamentary candidate after recording emerges

Labour has suspended a second parliamentary candidate after allegations that he made comments about Israel.

Former Hyndburn MP Graham Jones is also facing an investigation, the BBC understands.

It comes after Labour withdrew support for the party's candidate for the Rochdale by-election, Azhar Ali, for apparently making antisemitic remarks.

Mr Jones has been contacted for comment.

Labour had selected Mr Jones to contest his former Lancashire seat in the upcoming general election.

But, on Tuesday audio emerged allegedly of the former MP arguing that British people who fight in the Israel Defence Forces "should be locked up" and using an expletive to refer to the country.

At the same meeting, Mr Ali is alleged to have blamed "people in the media from certain Jewish quarters" for the suspension of MP Andy McDonald from Labour.

The Jewish Labour Movement said Mr Jones' alleged comments were "appalling and unacceptable". The group later said it was "pleased" that Mr Jones had been "swiftly suspended".

Mr Jones has already been called in for an interview with a formal process to go through to remove his candidacy.

Earlier, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer insisted he took "decisive action" over comments made by Mr Ali, whose apparent remarks were published by the Daily Mail.

The party initially stood by Mr Ali when the MP hopeful apologised for telling a meeting of Labour members and councillors that Israel had "allowed" the Hamas attacks on 7 October as a pretext to invade Gaza.

However, when the Daily Mail published a fuller recording from the meeting, Labour made the decision to withdraw support.

Defending his actions, Sir Keir said: "Further information came to light yesterday calling for decisive action, so I took decisive action.

"It is a huge thing to withdraw support for a Labour candidate during the course of a by-election."

"But when I say the Labour Party has changed under my leadership I mean it."