Bradford’s former Lord Mayor has quit the Labour party after an investigation was launched over a series of offensive posts on his Facebook page.

Khadim Hussain was suspended by Labour after complaints were lodged over the comments on social media – included a suggestion that Israel was secretly arming terrorist group Daesh.

Mr Hussain, the district councillor for Keighley Central, was also accused of promoting a Facebook message that said Hitler killed “six million Zionists”.

The Facebook post, which was shared by Mr Hussain, attacked Holocaust education in schools. It read: “Your school education system only tells you about Anne Frank and the six million Zionists that were killed by Hitler.”

Now Mr Hussain has announced his decision to quit the party over their handling of the allegations.
He claimed Labour officials did not respond to his letter, which denied allegations of antisemitism and pledged his allegations to leader Jeremy Corbyn.

On Friday, Mr Hussain told the JC he was “left with no choice” but to quit the party.

He said: “[The] party didn't give me a fair hearing to listen to my side before the suspension. That left me with no choice to sever my links with the party. I made this decision with heavy heart and extreme sadness because I still believe in social justice and equality. I worked hard for interfaith dialogue and community cohesion. I will continue to play my role in that regard.”

Mr Hussain will stand as an independent candidate in the May elections for the Keighley Central ward in Bradford’s Metropolitan District Council.

Labour has been contacted for comment.