Graham Jones has been suspended as a candidate (Image: Parliament Live / Getty)
The former Labour MP for Hyndburn, who is attempting to return as the constituency’s MP at the election, has been suspended by Labour after a recording emerged of him referring to “f***ing Israel”.
Graham Jones, who represented the seat from 2010 to 2019, was heard in a leaked recording repeatedly swearing about the Middle Eastern country, and even ranting that Britons who volunteer to fight for the Israeli Defence Forces “should be locked up”
The former MP also falsely claimed it is illegal for Britons to fight for Israel.
The recording, published this afternoon by the Guido Fawkes blog, prompted a swift response from the Labour Party, which is keen to prevent further allegations the party hasn’t changed since its Jeremy Corbyn days.
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A spokesman for the party has now said Mr Jones has been administratively suspended, pending an investigation.
READ MORE: Labour ordered to kick out all involved in Azhar Ali antisemitism cover up
Graham Jones was attempting to re-start his MP career at the General Election (Image: Sky News)
He has also been hauled in for an emergency interview this evening.
The comments came at the same meeting where Rochdale candidate Azhar Ali made his allegation that Israel deliberately allowed the October 7 attack to happen.
Asked by one voice why there are British people in the IDF, Mr Jones replied: “This has been raised and I’m going to take this up, because unless there is a military alliance between us and that particular country (NATO or whatever) then you should not be fighting… no British person should be fighting for any other country.
At all. Full stop. It’s against the law and should get you locked up.”
Foreign affairs minister Andrew Mitchell has previously clarified that any Briton is legally able to volunteer to serve with the IDF as well as do national service for Britain.
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The FCDO has clarified it is not illegal for Brits to fight for the IDF (Image: Getty)
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The constituency’s Conservative MP Sara Britcliffe, who won the seat from Mr Jones in 2019, is demanding “immediate answers”.
She said: “At a time of increasing community tensions, it is the responsibility of all of us in politics to be careful with the language we use. We need immediate answers from those seeking to represent Hyndburn about whether they challenged Mr Ali.
“Creating community cohesion is essential and this quite frankly does the complete opposite. This is a clear example that the Labour Party under Sir Keir Starmer has not changed at all.”
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Conservative Party Chairman Richard Holden demanded to know whether Graham Jones challenged Cllr Azhar Ali’s comments, or report his “racist antisemitism”.
Mr Holden added: “Wonder if his comments about people fighting abroad extend to those who fought with the International Brigades against Franco. The idiot would have had Jack Jones locked up”.
Tory peer Lord Houchen said: “For a Labour Party that’s changed, this seems to happen a lot”.
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