John McDonnell expressed sympathy with a Labour activist who faces expulsion from the party

John McDonnell has strongly defended a prominent Labour activist suspended from the party for anti-semitism after saying Jews were “chief financiers” of the slave trade.

In a leaked recording passed to The Sunday Times, the shadow chancellor used an appearance at a left-wing conference this weekend to express his sympathy with Jackie Walker, Momentum’s former vice-chairwoman, who was suspended in 2016. She faces an expulsion hearing next month.

He told the Labour representation committee conference in London that Walker had faced “vile” abuse and he could “understand why she’s so angry”.

“[I’ll] take that up with Jeremy [Corbyn] and the general secretary,” he told supporters.

In comments that will provoke outrage, McDonnell continued: “I’ve just seen some of the scale of the abuse that she’s