The shadow chancellor has called for the relaunch of the Anti-Nazi League in response to a string of far-right and racist incidents, including pro-Tommy Robinson demonstrations and Boris Johnson’s burqa comments.

John McDonnell asked if “it’s time for an Anti-Nazi League-type cultural and political campaign to resist” because “we can no longer ignore the rise of far-right politics in our society” at a time when his party is embroiled in an antisemitism row.

McDonnell said the ANL was an iconic movement that successfully combated the far right, although the thinking is at such an early stage that neither he nor Labour has called a meeting to see if the group can be revived.

The ANL was active in the late 1970s and again in the early 1990s in anti-fascist campaigns against the British National party and others. It often existed in competition with the broad-based Anti-Fascist Action.

The Labour leadership is keen to emphasise the party’s credibility as a leading anti-racist force and move on from the debilitating and long-running antisemitism row. McDonnell was one of the party’s senior figures who successfully lobbied for the disciplinary action against Margaret Hodge to be dropped.

McDonnell also cited last week’s attack on the socialist bookshop Bookmarks in London, in which a dozen people entered the shop, knocked over displays and ripped up magazines while chanting far-right slogans. Three Ukip members have been suspended from the party over the incident.

He said the ANL had also helped pioneer “influential cultural movements like Rock Against Racism, which attracted tens of thousands of people of all ages to anti-racist festivals and protests”.

Rock Against Racism was set up in 1977 in response to Eric Clapton’s racist onstage outburst in support of Enoch Powell the year earlier. It organised a series of anti-racist carnivals with the ANL that featured artists such as the Clash.

“We should seriously look at emulating the work of the ANL and Rock Against Racism at a time when the far right once again poses a genuine threat to our society,” McDonnell added.

