Ken Livingstone has been suspended from Labour for an
“unknown” period of the time after antisemitism claims.
The former London mayor is facing disciplinary action
following several controversial outbursts about Hitler.
He was previously serving a two-year suspension that was
due to be lifted in April, but had that lengthened for “no exact time
limit” on Thursday.
The decision was taken by officers on Labour’s ruling
National Executive Committee, but signed off by the party’s outgoing general
secretary Iain McNicol in his last official act.
It comes at an important time for Labour, with the grassroots-led
Momentum founder John Lansman announcing he will challenge the Unite union
official Jenny Fornby for the top role.
A Labour spokesperson told Sky News: “Ken Livingstone
has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party, pending the outcome of
an internal Party investigation.
“That
suspension starts on the date that his membership suspension applied by the
National Constitutional Committee ends on 27 April 2018.”
A Labour source denied reports the suspension was
“indefinite” but said its length was “unknown”.
Mr Livingstone will now face a “full
investigation” into complaints made against him – including several filed
since the start of 2018.
In February, he was criticised for appearing on Iranian
state broadcaster Press TV on Holocaust Memorial Day during a segment asking:
“Has the Holocaust been exploited to oppress others?”
