Former MP's suspension lifted by Labour

Labour has confirmed Graham Jones' suspension has been lifted

A former MP suspended by Labour after comments he made about Israel has had his party membership restored.

Graham Jones was suspended in February after a recording emerged in which he suggested British citizens fighting for Israel in Gaza "should be locked up".

Mr Jones represented Hyndburn in Lancashire between 2010 and 2019, when he was defeated by Conservative Sara Britcliffe in the general election.

He had been selected as Labour's candidate for the Hyndburn seat in 2023.

'Unacceptable'

Posting on his Facebook page on Tuesday, Mr Jones said: "My suspension from the Labour Party has been lifted."

It remains unclear whether Mr Jones will be re-selected as Labour's candidate for Hyndburn when the country goes to the polls on 4 July.

The Labour Party confirmed Mr Jones's suspension had been lifted but said it could not comment on individual applications for candidacy.

Hyndburn's candidate is set to be decided in the coming days.

Mr Jones' suspension came after the Guido Fawkes website published audio in which he allegedly used an expletive to refer to Israel and wrongly argued that British people who fight in the Israel Defense Forces were "breaking the law".

At the time the Jewish Labour Movement said Mr Jones' alleged comments were "appalling and unacceptable", and added later that it was pleased he had been "swiftly suspended".

Former Labour minister Ed Balls defended Mr Jones on ITV's Good Morning Britain at the time, saying his former colleague was "absolutely not anti-Israel".