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Wavertree MP Luciana Berger said a Sunday Times article suggesting some BBC presenters earned more because they were Jewish was “appalling”.

Readers called for columnist Kevin Myers to be sacked after his comments about Claudia Winkleman and Vanessa Feltz.

The piece, titled “Sorry, ladies - equal pay has to be earned”, appeared in the Irish edition of the newspaper.

Wavertree MP Ms Berger, who has spoken of receiving anti-Semitic messages and threats, said on Twitter: ““This is appalling - @thesundaytimes should never have published this, & should withdraw immediately.”

The article has now been removed and the newspaper’s editors apologised.

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Frank Fitzgibbon, editor of the Sunday Times Ireland, said he took full responsibility for the “error of judgement”, adding: “This newspaper abhors anti-Semitism.”

He said in a statement: “I apologise unreservedly for the offence caused by comments in a column written by Kevin Myers and published today in the Ireland edition of The Sunday Times.

“It contained views that have caused considerable distress and upset to a number of people.”

Martin Ivens, editor of the Sunday Times, said the comments were “unacceptable and should not have been published”.

He added: “It has been taken down and we sincerely apologise both for the remarks and the error of judgement that led to publication.

The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism is demanding confirmation that Mr Myers’ work will never be published by the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper again.

It said in a statement: “It is clear that Kevin Myers should not have been invited to write for the Sunday Times, and his editors should never have allowed the article to be published. That they removed the article within hours of publishing it is proof that the decision was irrefutably wrong.

“Rather than moving swiftly on, we now expect the Sunday Times to investigate how this happened, to hold the editor responsible and the columnist to account, and to publish a high-profile and clear apology.

“We have contacted the newspaper’s senior management and given them our views on what should happen next.”