A Labour parliamentary candidate who had his party membership suspended over comments about the Israel-Hamas war says he has been readmitted to the party.
Graham Jones had been selected as Labour’s candidate for the general election in Hyndburn, after being ousted as the MP for the constituency in 2019.
However, Jones was suspended from the party in February over comments related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, just days after Labour suspended its candidate for the Rochdale by-election. The Jewish Labour Movement described Jones’ comments as “appalling and unacceptable”.
After Rishi Sunak called the general election last week, Labour opened the selection process for Hyndburn, which appeared to indicate Jones would not be the party’s candidate for the seat on July 4.
However, in a post on social media earlier today, Jones said: “My suspension from the Labour Party has been lifted.”
The development raises questions about whether Jones has any chance of being reinstated as the Labour candidate. Labour has been approached for comment.
On Facebook, the Constituency Labour Party in Hyndburn said that members had recently “unanimously agreed” to send a letter of support for Jones.
In the post, the local party said: “Graham has been a dedicated and passionate advocate for our party and our community, and we believe it’s crucial to stand by hum during this challenging time as he has done by us.
“Our collective support is a testament to the strength and unity of our local party.”
Jones was not immediately available for comment.
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