The controversial Labour politician Derek Hatton has been suspended from the party just two days after returning from a 34-year ban.

The 71-year-old and former deputy leader of Liverpool council had been welcomed back on Monday after having the ban imposed by former leader, Neil Kinnock, revoked.

Kinnock had objected to Hatton, a militant firebrand, belonging to the hard-left faction within the Labour party.

Hatton had been asked to return after eight rebel MPs broke away from the party to form the newly established Independent Group.

Hatton's new suspension comes after a 2012 tweet from his account was unearthed where he blamed the Jewish people for murders being carried out by Israel.

The tweet has since been deleted and shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner has added that he had lodged a formal complaint to Labour bosses.

This morning I saw the reports about not just the readmission of Derek Hatton but the tweets he has mentioned.

I wrote to the general secretary of our party, I lodged a formal complaint.

I understand that action has since been taken in respect of the complaint and I'm sure that I will be looking out to see precisely what appropriate action is taken in due course.

The seriousness of this story cannot be understated but given all the turmoil and upheaval that we are witnessing in Westminster on an almost daily basis, Twitter managed to find a way to see some humour in the situation.​

HT The Poke

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