Laura Murray with Jeremy Corbyn. She directed Labour’s “head of disputes” not to suspend the party member for supporting the antisemitic mural in east London

An ally of Jeremy Corbyn told Labour Party officials not to suspend a woman who had defended an antisemitic mural, leaked emails have shown.

Labour MPs say the email exchange from March last year, obtained by The Times, contradicts what Mr Corbyn told them and Jewish community leaders last year and marks a further worsening in relations between some MPs and the party leadership.

It comes after Dame Margaret Hodge accused members of Mr Corbyn’s inner circle this morning of interfering in the outcome of antisemitism cases to reduce the sanction imposed.

The Times has been passed emails over complaints about a Labour member from Devon defending an antisemitic mural in east London which appears to portray Jews enslaving humanity.

In 2012 Mr Corbyn