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Ken Livingstone was today suspended from Labour in disgrace after plunging the party into a new anti-Semitism storm.

The former London Mayor sparked fury by claiming that Adolf Hitler was “supporting Zionism” before he “went mad and ended up killing six million Jews”.

During a surreal few hours in Westminster, Jeremy Corbyn's close ally also spoke of a “well-orchestrated campaign” by “the Israel lobby” in comments that immediately provoked a wave of criticism.

A Labour spokesman said: “Ken Livingstone has been suspended by the Labour Party, pending an investigation, for bringing the Party into disrepute.”

He was later confronted by furious Labour MP John Mann, who branded him a Nazi apologist and accused him of "rewriting history".

A Labour spokesman said Mr Mann, MP for Bassetlaw, has now been summoned to Chief Whip Rosie Winterton to explain his actions.

Mr Livingstone's suspension came after Labour's current mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan, led calls for him to be kicked out of the party.

Mr Khan tweeted: “Ken Livingstone’s comments are appalling and inexcusable. There must be no place for this in our party.”

Labour MP Jess Phillips was among the first to call for Mr Livingstone's suspension frpom the party on Twitter.

Ex-frontbencher John Woodcock said: “Ken Livingstone must be suspended for this. He must actively be seeking suspension and notoriety with these remarks.

"Well said Sadiq. Livingstone chairs Labour’s international policy commission. This cannot go on.”

The row comes amid mounting pressure on Labour leader Mr Corbyn to stamp out perceived anti-Semitism in his party's ranks.

Mr Livingstone's comments came less than 24 hours after Labour MP Naz Shah was suspended over offensive social media posts.

Mr Livingstone told BBC Radio London he had never heard anyone in the party say anything anti-Semitic. Then he went on: “Let’s remember, when Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel.

"He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews.

“There has been a very well-orchestrated campaign by the Israel lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as anti-Semitic.

“I had to put up with 35 years of this, being denounced because back in 1981 we were campaigning to say the Labour Party should recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation.”

The full exchange Vanessa Feltz: “You will have seen yourself written about in the Telegraph today. It says others are furious about the conduct of Mr Corbyn’s friend and allie Ken Livingstone who said Naz Shah’s comments were not anti-semitic. Now she’s profusely apologised for them, said she made a mistake. If she has apologised for them, presumably she acknowledges that they were anti-semitic. Do you still maintain they were not?” Ken Livingstone: “She’s a deep critic of Israel and its policies and her remarks were over the top but she’s not anti-semitic. I’ve been in the Labour Party for 47 years and I have never heard anyone say anything anti-semitic. I have heard a lot of criticism of the state of Israel but I have never heard someone be anti-semitic.” VF: “She talked about relocating Israel to America, she talked about what Hitler did being legal and she talked about the Jews rallying, and she used the word Jews not Israelis or Israel. You didn’t find that to be anti-semitic?” KL: “It’s completely over the top. It’s not anti-semitic. Let’s remember when Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel. He was supporting Zionism before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews. But the simple fact in all of this is that Naz made those comments at a time when there is brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians and there is one stark fact that no one in the British media ever reports. In almost all these conflicts, the death toll is usually between 60 to 100 Palestians killed for every Israeli. Any other country doing that would be accused of war crimes but it is like we have a double standard about the policy of the Israeli Government.” VF: “Some people will say that there is a double standard operating in the Labour Party and what’s really a flagrant kind of anti-semitism, a deeply embedded systemic anti-semitism, is hidden behind a mask of anti-zionism or criticism of Israeli foreign policy, but that’s not what it really is. Its really as John Rentoul said, using a phrase that I would hesitate to use but he used this morning. He said: “There are Jew haters, long-term Jew haters and they can use criticism of Israel as a cloak behind which to mask that sentiment.” KL: “There has been a very well orchestrated campaign by the Israel Lobby to smear anybody who criticises Israeli policy as anti-Semitic. “I had to put up with 35 years of this, being denounced because back in 1981 we were campaigning to say the Labour Party should recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation.” VF: “What do you think over the top really means? When I say was it anti-semitic and you say no it wasn’t categorically no, anyone who says it was is a liar but it was over the top, over the top of what?” KL: “If you think of anti-semitism and racism as exactly the same thing and criticising e.g the government of South Africa, which is pretty unpleasant and corrupt, it doesn’t make me a racist and it doesn’t make me anti-semitic.”

Mr Livingstone was thrown out of the party in 2000 for standing as an independent against official mayoral candidate Frank Dobson. He won his first term by a landslide and was allowed to rejoin in time to stand for re-election.

But Team Khan pointedly excluded the former Mayor from being involved in their campaign because they viewed him as “a liability”. Labour peer Lord Levy, a former fund-raiser for the party, has said it has a “serious problem” with anti-Semitism.

Mr Corbyn’s spokesman has emphasised that the leader has consistently condemned anti-Semitism and all forms of racism.

Mr Livingstone's suspension means he will not be eligible to seek any office in the party and cannot be nominated for any panel of prospective candidates.

Labour's rules add that: "The member concerned will not be eligible to attend any CLP (Constituency Labour Party) meeting other than to fulfil the requirement to participate in ballots".