The Liberal Democrats are facing a racism storm ahead of their manifesto launch on Wednesday, after the party was forced to suspend an election candidate who made a string of antisemitic comments.



Waheed Rafiq, the Lib Dem candidate in Birmingham Hodge Hill, posted on Facebook in 2010: “shocking to see how the Jewish government call them self Jews when they are wiping out all the people of Gaza”.

In posts uncovered by BuzzFeed News, Rafiq repeatedly made antisemitic remarks, said he wanted to “kiss” “cute black women”, appeared to endorse the Syrian dictator Bashar Assad and backed Donald Trump for president.

The Lib Dems initially signalled they would continue to support Rafiq's candidacy while they investigated the posts, but then suspended him following publication of this story.

A spokesperson said he would be removed from all roles with the party and would no longer receive their backing during his election campaign.