Jeremy Corbyn tonight denied Labour was facing an anti-Semitism crisis despite being forced to suspend his old friend Ken Livingstone for claiming Hitler was a 'Zionist'.

Mr Livingstone made the incendiary comments as he waded into the row over anti-Semitic Facebook posts by Labour MP Naz Shah, who was suspended by Mr Corbyn yesterday after hours of pressure.

As the row escalated, the former mayor of London was branded a 'Nazi apologist' by Labour MP John Mann in an ugly public spat outside the Millbank TV studios in Westminster.

Senior Labour MPs tonight expressed horror at the attempt to play down the explosive row, which has rocked the party just a week before crucial elections.

Former minister Ian Austin told MailOnline: 'Just seven days from polling day and instead of knocking on doors like the rest of us, Ken Livingstone is treating us to his weird views on Adolf Hitler and his offensive views on Jewish people.

'The media are talking about nothing else, the party is having to suspend people on almost a daily basis and Jeremy thinks there's no problem?'

Jeremy Corbyn, pictured campaigning in Grimsby today as the anti-Semitism storm raged back in London, tonight insisted there was no 'crisis' facing Labour

Mr Austin continued: 'It looks like a pretty big problem to everyone else. Labour's reputation is being destroyed and instead of pretending there's no problem Jeremy needs to act and he needs to act now.'

John Woodcock, a senior backbencher, told MailOnline: 'Many thousands of Labour members will be bewildered by the hideous remarks of Ken Livingstone and are looking to Jeremy Corbyn to swipe the moment and tackle Labour's anti-Semitism problem.

'He must not bury his head in the sand in the face of this madness.'

Asked if Mr Livingstone's suspension demonstrated a crisis in Labour, Mr Corbyn tonight told the BBC: 'It's not a crisis. There's no crisis. Where there is any racism in the party it will be dealt with and rooted out. I have been an anti-racist campaigner all my life.'

Asked, during an election visit to Hull, whether the party had a 'problem with anti-Semitism', Mr Corbyn replied: 'No, there is not a problem. We are totally opposed to anti-Semitism in any form within the party.

'The very small number of cases that have been brought to our attention have been dealt with swiftly and immediately, and they will be.'

Mr Corbyn's statement came at the culmination of a day of drama for the Labour Party:

'YOU'RE A NAZI APOLOGIST': THE EXPLOSIVE ROW BETWEEN MANN AND LIVINGSTONE The explosive row between Ken Livingstone and John Mann shocked Westminster today when it was captured in full - because it was carried out in front of ITV journalists. Mr Mann confronted the former London mayor and said: 'You're a disgusting racist, Livingstone. A disgusting racist rewriting history. You're a disgusting racist.' Livingstone: 'Are you saying it's not true?' Mann: 'Yes, you're a lying racist.' Livingstone: 'Really? Why don't you go and check the history.' Mann: 'A Nazi apologist.' Livingstone: 'Check the history.' Mann: 'A Nazi apologist.' Livingstone: 'Check your history.' Mann: 'A Nazi apologist. You're a disgusting Nazi apologist, Livingstone.' Advertisement

The day began with Jeremy Corbyn facing a backlash from inside and out of Labour over his 'dithering' about Naz Shah's Facebook posts yesterday.

Senior Labour donor David Abraham demanded Labour 'stop the rot' of anti-Semitism in the party.

Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell warned Labour had to 'do more' while comedian David Baddiel said there was a real problem on the left.

Ken Livingstone gave an interview to BBC Radio London in defence of Ms Shah. He made the explosive claim that Hitler was a 'Zionist' when he ran for election in 1932.

Labour MPs immediately began to call for Mr Livingstone's suspension from the Labour Party.

John Mann got into an angry clash with Mr Livingstone outside the Millbank TV studios while the former London mayor is live on LBC defending his earlier statement. Mr Mann branded him a 'Nazi apologist.

The pair clashed again on live television in a series of interviews for different channels.

Mr Livingstone was then suspended for bringing the Labour Party into 'disrepute' while Mr Mann was summoned to the chief whip to explain his own actions on the day of drama.

Mr Livingstone this afternoon said he would not be doing any more media interviews until his regular LBC show on Saturday morning. Meanwhile, Mr Mann was given a slap on the wrist by Labour chief whip Rosie Winterton over the row.

Mr Livingstone relaxed in the aftermath of the row by taking his dog for a walk. Jeremy Corbyn, seen today campaigning in Hull, said suspensions would send a message to anti-Semites

The anti-Semitism scandal first broke on Tuesday after the Guido Fawkes website revealed that in 2014, before she was an MP, Bradford West MP Ms Shah shared a graphic on Facebook which was headlined 'Solution for Israel-Palestine Conflict - Relocate Israel into United States' and she added: 'problem solved.'

In a series of apologies, Ms Shah has admitted the posts were not 'excusable' and vowed to help build relations between faith communities in penance for her statements.

Mr Corbyn suspended her from the party and removed the whip yesterday afternoon after hours of escalating tensions within Labour and after he was hammered at PMQs.

The new row risks shattering a tentative display of Labour Party unity despite Mr Corbyn's unpopularity with MPs as the party fights on several fronts in next week's elections.

Ken Livingstone, pictured leaving the Millbank TV studios today following an extraordinary series of interviews, was suspended today for bringing the Labour Party into disrepute

Labour MP John Mann, pictured today in Westminster, was summoned by the chief whip Rosie Winterton to discuss his conduct after he got into an explosive public row with Mr Livingstone, also seen today, over this remarks

Mr Livingstone, who chairs a foreign policy commission for the Labour Party, triggered the latest round of Labour infighting when asked about Ms Shah's suspension early today.

He told the BBC: 'It's completely over the top but 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 – this before he went mad and ended up killing six million Jews.

'The simple fact in all of this is that Naz made these comments at a time when there was another brutal Israeli attack on the Palestinians.'

Mr Livingstone and Mr Mann, ringed above, left the TV studios in a mass scrum today after their earlier altercation

Mr Livingstone's comments this morning provoked immediate calls for his suspension from the Labour Party.

That decision eventually came at 1.24pm but not before the row exploded into public view.

An angry clash at Millbank - yards from Parliament - saw Mr Mann brand Mr Livingstone a 'f****** disgrace'.

The ferocious row between Mr Livingstone and Mr Mann was carried out in front of journalists, including Michael Crick of Channel 4 News

Mr Mann bumped into Mr Livingstone as they both arrived at the Millbank studios - and immediately launched into furious tirade at the former mayor.

The row began as Mr Livingstone walked into the studios while on the phone doing a live radio interview with LBC.

Mr Livingstone was heard on the radio saying 'I've got a Labour MP threatening me, sorry about this'.

Mr Mann said: 'You're a disgusting racist, Livingstone. A disgusting racist rewriting history. You're a disgusting racist.'

Mr Livingstone replied: 'Are you saying it's not true?'

Mr Mann said: 'Yes, you're a lying racist.'

The row continued as the pair walked into the building and up the stairs to the TV studios - where both did back to back interviews.

Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg condemned Mr Livingstone live on air as they debated the issue on the BBC Daily Politics.

He said: 'What possesses you to talk about Hitler and your views about Zionism… given the genocide, given the sensitivities of the issue?'

Mr Livingstone insisted he had only quoted history and was answering questions put to him by reporters.

Following the public row, Mr Livingstone also said Mr Mann had gone 'completely over the top' and started 'bellowing' at him while he was conducting a radio interview over the phone.

As the row continued on the BBC, Mr Mann said: 'I think you've lost it, Mr Livingstone ... What are you on at the moment?

'You certainly shouldn't be on Labour's national executive.'

John Mann confronted Ken Livingstone at the Millbank TV studios in Westminster today, shouting at him while he completed one of many broadcast interviews today

Mr Livingstone also said he believed the row over his future would 'calm down' over the next couple of days.

CORBYN DITHERING FUELS FEARS OVER RISE IN LABOUR ANTI-SEMITISM By James Tapsfield, Political Editor for MailOnline Jeremy Corybn has been in charge of the Labour Party for less than eight months. But in that short time it has gone from a fairly united, centrist party to a seething mass of factional fighting. The influx of tens of thousands of new activists, attracted to Mr Corbyn's brand of anti-austerity politics, has changed everything. Moderates believe the return of the hard-left - which tried to seize control of Labour in the 1980s - has brought with it a wave of anti-Semitism. Jewish shadow cabinet minister Luciana Berger highlighted the vile abuse she had suffered on Twitter last month, including an image of her with a Holocaust-era yellow star superimposed on her forehead. While no-one accuses Mr Corbyn of personally harbouring such views, many are furious that he seems unwilling to tackle the problem head-on. The Labour leader has long been a critic of the Israeli state, and a champion of the Palestinian cause. He has called for talks with Hamas and Hezbollah. There are complaints that despite repeatedly condemning anti-Semitism, Mr Corbyn does not come down hard enough on views that step over the line. His dithering over the case of Naz Shah, who posted on Facebook about 'relocating' Israel to the US, has fuelled those concerns. Mr Corbyn initially tried to let the Bradford West MP off with a grovelling apology, but finally withdrew the party whip in the face of a tidal wave of protests from his own ranks. The fact that the leader's close ally Ken Livingstone then went out and robustly defended Ms Shah, denying that her remarks had been anti-Semitic, will not have improved the situation. After the former London Mayor was engulfed in the extraordinary row over his own comments this morning, it again took hours for Mr Corbyn to act against him. Advertisement

Asked if he was under pressure, he told BBC Two's Daily Politics: 'Not really.

'I simply said what I believed to be true, which is that Naz is not anti-Semitic.'

Pressed about his future on Labour's ruling NEC, he said: 'Things erupt.

'They dominate the news for 24/48 hours.

'People calm down again when they go back and check what you have really said.'

Mr Corbyn finally made a statement on the row shortly before 3pm when, speaking on a visit to Hull, he said: 'He has been suspended from the party. We are not tolerating anti-Semitism in any form whatsoever in our party.'

The Labour leader said the suspension would send a 'message' to anti-Semites.

Mr Corbyn added: 'We are totally opposed to anti-Semitism in any form within the party.

'The very small number of cases that have been brought to our attention have been dealt with swiftly and immediately, and they will be.'

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

'The Chief Whip has summoned John Mann MP to discuss his conduct.'

In a statement later, the party said chief whip Rosie Winterton had made clear to Mr Mann it was 'completely inappropriate' to get involved in public rows on television.

David Cameron then intervened on the anti-Semitism row for the second time this week, telling an audience in Cambridgeshire: 'It is quite clear the Labour party has got a problem with anti-Semitism. I think they have got to recognise that anti-Semitism is like racism.

'It is unacceptable in a modern political party and every political party facing this problem has got to deal with it.

'And as I said to Jeremy Corbyn some weeks ago, when I was shouted down in the House of Commons with cries of disgraceful from the Labour benches, they've got a problem.

'It is now totally apparent that they have got a problem. And they have got to deal with it.'

As the row grew, shadow Cabinet Minister Chris Bryant condemned anti-Semitism in Parliament and his colleague Luciana Berger tweeted: 'There is no hierarchy of racism.

'Ken's comments are a disgrace and have no place in our party.'

The start of the row was captured by ITV deputy political editor Chris Ship on Twitter. Mr Livingstone was on the phone to LBC radio at the time doing a live interview

As the row escalated as the pair entered the Millbank Studios, Mr Livingstone said 'you saying it's not true?'

Mr Bryant said: 'I'm sick and tired of people trying to explain it away and, yes, I'm talking to you, Ken Livingstone.'

LABOUR LEADER FACES RISING DEMANDS TO ACT OVER ANTI-SEMITISM Jeremy Corbyn has faced rising demands to do more on anti-Semitism after Labour expelled and suspended a series of members over the issue. Former shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the party had been too slow to respond to complaints of anti-Semitism within its ranks. "The Labour Party needs to do more than simply to have suspensions of people who have been saying anti-Semitic things," she told Channel 4 News. "We've actually got to have an action plan to deal with this in order to have strong processes so that there is swift action because you can never tolerate that kind of discrimination in the party." Labour peer Baroness Royall is already leading an inquiry after Oxford University Labour Club's co-chairman resigned, claiming a 'large proportion' of its members had 'some kind of problem with Jews'. It was reported today the group includes Mohammad Shabbir, a staff member of Ms Shah who repeatedly used the racial epithet 'zio' in social media posts about Israelis. Earlier this month, a Labour councillor in Luton Aysegul Gurbuz was suspended after she was alleged to have called Adolf Hitler the 'greatest man in history'. In the past weeks, Labour has also twice suspended the deputy chairman of its Woking branch, Vicki Byrne, for anti-Semitic tweets. And the party suspended councillor Khadim Hussain, former Lord Mayor of Bradford, for sharing a Facebook post that said: 'Your school education system only tells you about Anne Frank and the six million Zionists that were killed by Hitler.' Last month, Labour kicked out Gerry Downing for a second time over allegations he had written blogs including about the 'Jewish question' and made statements seen by some as apologising for the 9/11 terrorists. Advertisement

Jon Lansman, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, signalled the end of support for Mr Livingstone from the left of the party.

He said: 'Period of silence from Ken overdue, especially on anti-Semitism racism and Zionism.

'Time he left politics altogether.'

Mark Regev, Israel's ambassador to Britain, said: 'Not sure which is worse, deliberately distorting Hitler's goals or accusing his Jewish victims of being his partners.'

Rabbi Danny Rich, senior rabbi of Liberal Judaism, said: 'If anyone has gone mad, it is Ken Livingstone.

'His comments get more offensive and unworthy every time he is interviewed.

Claiming Hitler was a Zionist is not only a huge historical perversion, but it directly equates Nazism and Zionism.

'It suggests they share objectives and values; it is guilt by association.

'It is hard to think of a more offensive linkage.

'Suspending him from the Labour Party is not the end of the matter. Livingstone is a symptom, not the cause.'

He added: 'I am nervous that by focussing on one large personality, we are not dealing with the issues which lead him to make such a statement.

'The first step is to admit you have an institutional problem and then to set out strategies to deal with that.

'Anti-Semitism in British politics is quite simply unacceptable, from whatever quarter it may come.'

James Sorene, of the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre, said: 'Recent comments about Israel and Zionists by members of the Labour party, and the way some have defended them, show a fundamental misunderstanding of what Zionism is.

Mr Sorene continued: 'Zionism is the national liberation movement of the Jewish people.

'It is a movement driven by a desire for the Jewish people to live in an independent state, to shape their own destiny free from centuries of horrific persecution.

Ms Shah shared the graphic, pictured left, which triggered the row in August 2014 on Facebook. She added comments underneath, pictured right, suggesting she would lobby David Cameron over the idea

RED KEN V HISTORY: ANALYSIS OF WHAT LIVINGSTONE CLAIMED AND WHAT THE FACTS TELL US By Matt Dathan, MailOnline Political Correspondent Ken Livingstone was accused of 'rewriting history' with a series of claims about anti-Semitism today. Here we compare Red Ken's claims with the facts. Red Ken's claim: '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.' Actual history: It is very clear from Mein Kampf – written in 1925 – that Hitler did not support moving Jews to Israel. Hitler wrote: 'While the Zionists try to make the rest of the World believe that the national consciousness of the Jew finds its satisfaction in the creation of a Palestinian state, the Jews again slyly dupe the dumb Goyim. 'It doesn't even enter their heads to build up a Jewish state in Palestine for the purpose of living there; all they want is a central organisation for their international world swindler, endowed with its own sovereign rights and removed from the intervention of other states: a haven for convicted scoundrels and a university for budding crooks. 'It is a sign of their rising confidence and sense of security that at a time when one section is still playing the German, French-man, or Englishman, the other with open effrontery comes out as the Jewish race.' Red Ken's claim: 'Let's look at what someone who is Jewish actually said, something almost very similar to something Naz has just said: Albert Einstein. When the first leader of Likud, the governing party now in Israel, came to America he [Einstein] warned American politicians: 'Don't talk to this man, because he's too similar to the fascists who fought in the Second World War'. 'Now if Naz or myself had said that today we would be denounced as anti-Semitic, but that was Albert Einstein.' Actual history: Albert Einstein did indeed warn about the 'fascist' intentions of Menachem Begin in a letter to the New York Times. But this was 25 years before Likud was even launched as a political party and Begin became first leader in 1973 – 18 years after Einstein died. Red Ken's claim: He said Naz Shah's remarks were 'over the top' but not anti-Semitic. Explaining his own definition of anti-Semitism, Mr Livingstone told the Daily Politics show today: 'Blurring these two things [criticising Israel and being anti-Semitic] undermines the real importance of anti-Semitism, because a real anti-Semite doesn't just hate the Jews in Israel, they hate their Jewish neighbour in Golders Green or in Stoke Newington. It's a physical loathing.' Actual definition: The definition of anti-Semitism is 'a hatred of Jewish people' – so this would logically include 'Jews in Israel'. Mr Livingstone's comments suggest hating Israeli Jews is understandable and even excusable. The Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre said: 'Criticism of the Israeli government is of course entirely legitimate, as it is against any government. 'But when that criticism is expressed in violent language, directed at its people in racist terms or uses references to Hitler and Nazism, it is antisemitic and deeply offensive. 'If the only country in the world that you want to disappear is the Jewish one then you are in very bad company, on the wrong side of history.' Red Ken's claim: He said it was wrong to say anti-Semitism is racism. Actual definition: But as Jeremy Corbyn and even Ms Shah said yesterday: 'Anti-Semitism is racism, full stop.' Advertisement

'Anti-Zionists deny the Jewish people their right to national self-determination, seek to portray the very existence of Israel as a crime and indulge dangerous fantasies about the country no longer existing.

'Criticism of the Israeli government is of course entirely legitimate, as it is against any government.

'But when that criticism is expressed in violent language, directed at its people in racist terms or uses references to Hitler and Nazism, it is anti-Semitic and deeply offensive.

'If the only country in the world that you want to disappear is the Jewish one then you are in very bad company, on the wrong side of history.'

Bernard Hughes, director of external affairs for the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), said: 'We do not believe the Labour Party is institutionally racist or anti-Semitic but sadly there are individuals within the party whose views and statements are anti-Semitic and have really shocked us.'

He said the Labour leadership 'must now act decisively' to 'combat this terrible issue'.

He added: 'We have supported the request by the Jewish Labour Movement to have Ken Livingstone suspended from Labour for the offensive remarks he made this morning.'

A string of Labour MPs joined the criticism today amid calls for Mr Corbyn to 'do more' to 'stop the rot' of anti-Semitism.

The demand for immediate suspension was led by Sadiq Khan, who is bidding to win Mr Livingstone's former office at next week's elections.

He said: 'Ken Livingstone's comments are appalling and inexcusable.

'There must be no place for this in our party.'

Labour MP David Lammy said: 'This is a very sad day for the Labour Party.

'I simply cannot reconcile being in the same Party as someone with these views

'I am appalled by Ken Livingstone's despicable comments.

'There is no place in our party for racism, bigotry or intolerance of any sort.'

Michael Dugher, the former shadow culture secretary, said: 'I don't say this often but I agree with John McDonnell.

''If people express these (anti-Semitic) views, full stop they're out''. Livingstone?'

Labour MP Jess Phillips led calls for Mr Livingstone to be suspended over his remarks.

Wes Streeting, another MP, said: 'Please tell me this is satire and didn't actually happen?'

Mr Streeting added: 'Ken Livingstone has form on anti-Semitism and has been tolerated for far too long.

'He should be suspended immediately.'

Tristram Hunt, the former shadow education secretary, said: 'Ken Livingstone's comments this morning were despicable - he should be suspended from the Party immediately.'

In his initial interview today, Mr Livingstone said: 'There's one stark fact that virtually no one in the British media ever reports, in almost all these conflicts the death toll is usually between 60 and 100 Palestinians killed for every Israeli.

'Now, any other country doing that would be accused of war crimes but it's like we have a double standard about the policies of the Israeli government.'

Mr Livingstone also claimed Albert Einstein had made similar criticisms of Israeli policy.

He said: 'As I've said, I've never heard anybody say anything anti-Semitic, but there's 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...

'Let's look at someone who's Jewish who actually said something very similar to what Naz has just said.

'Albert Einstein, when the first leader of Likud, the governing party now in Israel, came to America, he warned American politicians: don't talk to this man because he's too similar to the fascists we fought in the Second World War.

'Now, if Naz or myself said that today we would be denounced as anti-Semitic, but that was Albert Einstein.'

Sadiq Khan, Labour's candidate for City Hall, led calls for Mr Livingstone to be removed from the Labour Party over his 'appalling' comments

Labour MP Jess Phillips said Ken Livingstone should be suspended from Labour over his latest remarks

Michael Dugher, the former shadow culture secretary, said the Labour leadership should follow the advice of the shadow chancellor and kick out Mr Livingstone

Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy said Mr Livingstone should be suspended immediately because there was no place for his views in the 'Labour family'

TIMELINE: HOW THE NAZ SHAH ANTI-SEMITISM ROW EXPLODED INTO A LABOUR PARTY BRAWL ON THE STREETS OF WESTMINSTER TUESDAY APRIL 26 7:53am: The Guido Fawkes website publishes a story revealing that in August 2014, Naz Shah shared a graphic on Facebook which offered a 'solution for Israel-Palestine conflict' that would be 'relocate Israel into United States'. The website said Ms Shah confirmed she was responsible for the post. 11.00am: Ms Shah issues an apology via the website, in which she said 'This post from two years ago was made before I was an MP, does not reflect my views and I apologise for any offence it has caused'. 1.20pm: Ms Shah quits as PPS to shadow chancellor John McDonnell and apologises again, confessing she 'made these posts at the heigh of the Gaza conflict when emotions were running high' but admitting 'that is no excuse'. WEDNESDAY APRIL 27 11.35am: Shadow energy secretary Lisa Nandy said Ms Shah should be suspended and investigated in line with normal Labour Party rules on anti-Semitism allegations. 11.37am: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn makes his first intervention, describing the remarks as 'offensive and unacceptable' but accepting a 'fulsome apology'. 12.00pm: Ms Shah's third apology emerges on the Jewish News website, admitting the language used was 'wrong' and 'hurtful' and offering an 'unequivocal apology'. 12.27pm: David Cameron uses Prime Minister's Questions to slam Mr Corbyn for failing to suspend Ms Shah. 12.45pm: Labour spokesman says Mr Corbyn believes the remarks were themselves anti-Semitic but that Ms Shah is not anti-Semitic. 2.35pm: Ms Shah appears in the House of Commons to raise a point of order and make a fourth apology for her remarks. She tells MPs 'anti-Semitism is racism' and promises to help build relations between different faiths. 4.07pm: Labour release a statement claiming Mr Corbyn and Ms Shah have agreed 'mutually' the MP will be 'administratively suspended'. THURSDAY APRIL 28 09.35am: Ken Livingstone appears on BBC Radio London and claims Hitler backed the removal of Jews before going 'mad' and launching the Holocaust. 10.22am: Jess Phillips becomes the first Labour MP to call for Mr Livingstone to be suspended. 11.42am: Ken Livingstone gives an interview to LBC Radio but is interrupted by John Mann who accuses him of being a 'Nazi apologist'. 12.25pm: Ken Livingstone and John Mann clash again, this time live on the BBC Two Daily Politics show. 1.24pm: The Labour Party issues a statement confirming Mr Livingstone's suspension. Advertisement

How left-winger Ken Livingstone once called a Jewish journalist a 'Nazi war criminal', told property developers 'to try your luck in Iran' and hugged a sheikh who backed suicide bombings on Israeli children

In trouble: Ken Livingstone has been accused of anti-Semitism on a number of occasions, including when he compared a Jewish journalist to a concentration camp guard

By Martin Robinson, Chief Reporter for MailOnline

Ken Livingstone's suspension from Labour today for saying Hitler was a Zionist follows years of being dogged by claims he is anti-Semitic.

Red Ken once compared a Jewish journalist to a Nazi concentration camp guard and asked him if he was a Nazi war criminal.

And also while Mayor of London he told Jewish property developers to 'go back to Iran and try their luck' - a nation notorious for its hatred of Israel.

Today he faces investigation for 'bringing Labour into disrepute' for comments which led to him being accused of being a 'Nazi sympathiser'.

He had defended suspended MP Naz Shah over offensive social media posts demanding Israelis move to America, with Mr Livingstone insisting that while her remarks were not anti-Semitic, just 'over the top'.

Mr Livingstone is no stranger to finding himself in hot water - in 2006 a High Court judge said he made 'unnecessarily offensive' and 'indefensible' remarks likening a Jewish reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard.

He made his remarks after a party at City Hall marking 20 years since former Culture Secretary Chris Smith's became Britain's first openly gay MP.

When Mr Livingstone was asked by Mr Finegold, whether he had enjoyed the party, the mayor likened him to a 'German war criminal'.

When Mr Finegold told him he was Jewish and found his remarks offensive, Mr Livingstone said: 'Well you might be, but actually you are just like a concentration camp guard - you are just doing it because you are paid to, aren't you?'

He also told the reporter to 'work for a paper that doesn't have a record of supporting fascism'.

The resulting row ended up in the High Court in 2006 where Mr Justice Collins said: 'When he knew that Mr Finegold was particularly offended because he was Jewish, to go on to compare him to a concentration camp guard was indefensible.

'He should have realised it would not only give great offence to him but was likely to be regarded as an entirely inappropriate observation by Jews in general, and those who had survived the Holocaust in particular.'

Row: Ken Livingstone was recorded comparing Jewish journalist Oliver Finegold (right) to a 'German war criminal' , which ended up in the High Court

John Mann confronted Ken Livingstone at the Millbank TV studios in Westminster today, shouting at him while he completed one of many broadcast interviews today calling him a Nazi apologist

Mr Livingstone rose to power and prominence in the 1970s and 1980s when he ran the Greater London Council.

He became the face of the hard left, supporting everyone from striking miners to Sinn Fein's leaders at the height of the IRA's bombing campaign.

He famously goaded Mrs Thatcher across the Thames in Parliament during the turbulent 1980s by displaying the unemployment figures on City Hall.

His finance chief at the time was the now Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, who he later sacked for being too left wing.

Mr Livingstone also co-edited the Labour Herald in the 80s that offered a unique and at times comically misguided take on the affairs of the day.

In 1983, for example, when co-edited by Ken Livingstone — then leader of the GLC — it ran a 'special photo report' praising the achievements of the murderous North Korean dictator, Kim Il-sung.

It also had an ugly habit of publishing articles that were regarded as virulently anti-Semitic.

A cartoon it printed in July 1982, under Livingstone's co-editorship, was headlined: The Final Solution.