Apology after expelled activist Marc Wadsworth at fringe conference event

The Co-operative Party has apologised after an activist who was expelled from Labour for verbally clashing with an MP was allowed into one of its events during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

Marc Wadsworth was thrown out of the Labour Party after he had accused Jewish MP Ruth Smeeth of “working hand in hand” with The Daily Telegraph during a tirade at the launch of the Chakrabarti report on anti-Semitism in 2016.

His expulsion in April this year followed a hearing by Labour’s disciplinary body which found his behaviour had been “grossly detrimental to the party”.

Mr Wadsworth attended a reception by the Co-operative Party and trade union ASLEF (Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen) on Monday night, with reports on social media suggesting Jewish Co-op MPs had left the event when they discovered he was there.

In a statement on its Twitter account, the Co-operative Party said: “An individual was admitted to an event tonight who should not have been. We are very sorry for the upset this has caused.”

A spokesman confirmed to the Press Association that the tweet related to Mr Wadsworth.

Earlier in the day, Mr Wadsworth had attended a fringe meeting of the Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL) group, and received a round of applause when he arrived.

JVL chairwoman Jenny Manson said the group would work to “resolve” some of the disciplinary cases which had seen outspoken activists including Mr Wadsworth being suspended or expelled.