Anti-semitism storm grows as Corbyn axes ally from Executive

● Shawcroft asked to stand down over email defending council candidate

Labour has been drawn into a fresh row over anti-semitism among Jeremy Corbyn’s supporters after the party’s disciplinary chief resigned over an e-mail defending an alleged Holocaust denier.

Christine Shawcroft said it was “wrong and misguided” to have sent the e-mail calling for a council candidate in Peterborough to have his suspension lifted, as she had not been aware of all the information in the case.

It follows a damaging week for the Labour leader that saw Jewish groups protest over his perceived lack of action against anti-semitism.

Ms Shawcroft was asked to stand down as chair of disputes by Mr Corbyn after the message, sent on Sunday, appeared in the media yesterday morning.

Alan Bull, who was suspended from the party last week, has been accused of making anti-semitic posts on social media, but said images of the comments have been “doctored”.

There were calls for Ms Shawcroft, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, to be removed from the National Executive (NEC) entirely. Former Scottish Labour candidate Johanna Baxter, who served on the NEC until 2016, posted on Twitter: “I sat across the NEC table from Christine for 6 years – sadly this is not unusual behaviour from her. I hope our @jeremycorbyn and @ Jennieunite [NEC vice-chair Jennie Formby] deal with it quickly. Stepping down as chair of disputes is not sufficient. Ignorance is no excuse.”

Ms Shawcroft said: “I had not been shown the image of his abhorrent Facebook post. Had I seen this image, I would not have requested that the decision to suspend him be reconsidered. I am deeply sorry for having done so.”

Labour MPS Ian Austin and Gavin Shuker joined calls for Ms Shawcroft to be expelled from the NEC. However, shadow chancellor John Mcdonnell defended her position, saying: “Jeremy has asked her to stand down as the chair of the disputes committee... it is an elected position and it is up to the electorate to decide whether or not she should be elected again.”

Ms Shawcroft has already decided not to defend her place on the NEC. Resignation would see the nearest runner – comedian and centrist Labour figure Eddie Izzard – take up her place.

Mr Corbyn gave an interview to the Jewish News newspaper to argue Labour was taking action on anti-semitism, and

0 Christine Shawcroft has faced calls to resign from the NEC entirely insisted “any abuse that’s done is not done in my name”. His comments were dismissed as “massively underwhelming” by editor Richard Ferrer.

Meanwhile, a Labour branch secretary in Sheffield was suspended after she tweeted a picture of a Job Centre Plus sign doctored to read “Arbeit Macht Frei”, the slogan above the gates of the Auschwitz concentration camp.