Ian Austin: Ken Livingstone must be ‘booted out’

Labour Dudley MP Ian Austin, called for Ken Livingstone to be “booted out” of the party.

He made his call in the middle of a pledge by the Shadow Communities Secretary, Andrew Gwynne, that Labour would “put our house in order”, while going on to deplore the “coded language and dog-whistle euphemisms” infecting anti-Semitic discourse.

Labour former minister Ian Austin was clapped and cheered by Tory MPs after he called for the former London mayor to be kicked out.

Mr Austin said: “Let’s be really clear about it: Ken Livingstone comparing, claiming, that Hitler was a Zionist – this is anti-Semitism pure and simple, happened more than two years ago, there has been ample time to deal with it.

“It’s a disgrace that it hasn’t been dealt with: kick him out immediately.”