Wigan MP's Labour leadership rival Long-Bailey sacked for anti-Semitic slur

Party leader Sir Keir Starmer took action after Ms Long-Bailey tweeted a link to an interview with the actress Maxine Peake in which she claimed the police linked to the death in the US of George Floyd had learned their tactics from the Israeli secret services.

A spokesman for the Labour leader said: "This afternoon Keir Starmer asked Rebecca Long-Bailey to step down from the shadow Cabinet.

"The article Rebecca shared earlier today contained an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. As leader of the Labour Party, Keir has been clear that restoring trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority.

"Anti-Semitism takes many different forms and it is important that we all are vigilant against it."

In her original tweet, Ms Long-Bailey - a staunch ally of former leader Jeremy Corbyn - praised Ms Peake as "an absolute diamond".

She later issued a further tweet saying she had shared the article because of Ms Peake's "significant achievements and because the thrust of her argument is to stay in the Labour Party".

She added: "It wasn't intended to be an endorsement of all aspects of the article."

Sir Keir's action will be seen as a further sign of willingness to take on the Corbynista left in the Labour Party.

Ms Long-Bailey stood against him in the leadership contest earlier this year when she was seen as the clear candidate of the left.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews praised Sir Keir for his swift action.

Board president Marie van der Zyl said: "After Rebecca Long-Bailey shared a conspiracy theory, we and others gave her the opportunity to retract and apologise.

"To our surprise and dismay, her response was pathetic. Her position as shadow education secretary was therefore untenable.

"There can be no space for this sort of action in any party and it is right that after so many challenging years Labour is now making this clear under its new leader."

In a further series of tweets, Ms Long-Bailey said she had agreed the wording of the "clarification" of her initial tweet with Sir Keir's office.

However she said that she was subsequently instructed to take down both the original tweet and the clarification.

"I could not do this in good conscience without the issuing of a press statement of clarification," she said.

"I had asked to discuss these matters with Keir before agreeing what further action to take, but sadly he had already made his decision."

She said that she would continue to support Labour under Sir Keir's leadership in Parliament.

During his leadership campaign, Sir Keir pledged to root out the anti-Semitism which had dogged Labour under Mr Corbyn as a top priority.

He was criticised by Jewish groups earlier this year when he declined to suspend two MPs - including the left-wing icon Diane Abbott - who participated in an online meeting with Jackie Walker who was expelled from the party for anti-Semitism.

The latest developments unfolded as Tony Blair was praising the start made by Sir Keir, saying the party now had a leader who "looks as if he could be prime minister".

The former prime minister said the culture within Labour was "less toxic" and that they now had a "fighting chance" of regaining power.

"Keir will know this as well as anyone, there is a long way to go but he has made a very good start, he has made good decisions inside the Labour Party, he is performing well, he is obviously a highly intelligent and capable guy," he told a Reuters event.

"That's been a big change and if we carry on like that and then develop the right policy agenda - which he has got time to do - then we will have a fighting chance, for sure.

"At least we are back on the pitch, which is a welcome thing."

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