Hodge’s fury over regret claims

Labour has dropped its inquiry into senior MP Dame Margaret Hodge despite her refusal to apologise for allegedly shouting at Jeremy Corbyn over antiSemitism in the party.

Dame Margaret said she was “pleased” after general secretary Jennie Formby wrote to inform her she would face no further action for her alleged “abusive behaviour”.

But after journalists were briefed the decision had been taken after she expressed “regret” to Labour chief whip Nick Brown for the way she raised her views, Dame Margaret hit back insisting she had said no such thing.

The investigation into her conduct followed a heated exchange last month in which she was said to have called Mr Corbyn an “anti-Semite” and a “racist” over his refusal to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism.

In a letter from her lawyers Mishcon de Reya, which she posted on social media, they accused Ms Formby of misrepresenting her position in a “cynical attempt to save face in your necessary climbdown”.

The letter said Dame Margaret “did not express regret – in those or any other words.

“As you are aware, our client will not apologise for her conduct and words, as she did nothing wrong.

“You have entirely misrepresented our client’s discussions with the opposition chief whip in a cynical attempt to save face in your necessary climbdown.”