Blackburn council deputy suspended over 'anti-Semitic post'

Cllr Kay, who has been a councillor for 38 of the past 41 years, also faces a council inquiry into whether he breached its standards code

The deputy leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council has been suspended by the Labour Party over an allegedly anti-Semitic social media post.

Cllr Andy Kay, said "Jewish leaders are worse than the Nazis", in a post linking to a Guardian article on the destruction of a power plant in Gaza.

The 73-year-old executive member for Finance and Governance will now sit as an independent and give up his official positions while being investigated.

Mr Kay been contacted for comment.

The complaint stems from a 2014 Facebook post which linked to a Guardian article headlined "Gaza's only power plant destroyed in Israel's most intense airstrike yet", the Lancashire Telegraph reported.

Mr Kay commented on the post at the time: "The Jewish state has learnt nothing from the Nazis and the Jewish leaders are worse than the Nazis".

Blackburn Labour Party Secretary, Phil Riley, confirmed Mr Kay has been suspended from the Labour Party by its National Executive Committee. He said:

"This issue is under investigation and the local party has no further comment."

Mr Kay, who has been a councillor for 38 of the past 41 years and represents Blackburn South East, will also face a council inquiry into whether he breached its standards code, the council said.

In a statement Denise Park, Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:

"The council has its own, separate processes to follow in relation to elected member conduct.

"Our vision for the borough is for a strong, cohesive and prosperous community, where everyone is treated fairly, where people's faith and cultures are understood and respected."