A member of Labour's ruling body is behind a message sent to thousands of members of the pro-Corbyn Momentum group attacking the party’s decision to suspend MP Chris Williamson’s over his claim the party was "too apologetic" about antisemitism.

Darren Williams - who sits on the National Executive Committee (NEC) and who ran the campaign to make Mark Drakeford Welsh First Minister – issued a statement as secretary of Welsh Labour Grassroots (WLG) expressing “solidarity” with the Derby North MP and claiming he had been subjected to a trial by media over his comments.

Mr Williams' letter said the MP, who was suspended last Wednesday by Labour, “was seeking to argue that Labour politicians have often been too quick to accept questionable claims about the scale of the problem".

It added: ”Like Jeremy Corbyn, he has distinguished himself by speaking his mind fearlessly on a range of issues… from housing policy to the campaign to undermine the elected government of Venezuela.”

Mr Williams also called Mr Williamson's suspension was "unfair and unnecessary".

Vaughan Gething, the Labour & Co-op Welsh Assembly member for Cardiff South and Penarth, condemned Mr Williams, saying his letter was “staggering”.

Mr Gething said: “Being implacably opposed to antisemitism is incompatible with offering solidarity to Chris Williamson. He has repeated form on antisemitism and is part of the problem.”

Attacking media coverage of the MP’s remarks, Mr Williams' letter went on: “The conduct of some commentators also risks creating a 'hostile environment' in which anyone defending Palestinian rights and criticising the Israeli state fears being tarnished as antisemitic.”

It added: "We see no justification for suspending Chris Williamson and call for his suspension to be ended and the whip restored.”

The letter identifies some of the 38 Labour MPs - Chris Elmore, David Hanson, Stephen Kinnock, Anna McMorrin, Owen Smith and Jo Stevens - who called for Mr Williamson’s suspension this week as well as Labour deputy leader Tom Watson.

It is claimed that the leadership only agreed to Mr Williamson’s suspension “seemingly in response to demands from a number of prominent party figures.”

The JC contacted Mr Williams for comment on the WLG statement, which was sent from an email address matching his own.

A Welsh Labour spokesman said: "As the First Minister of Wales and the leader of Welsh Labour Mark Drakeford has said on many occasions, there is no place for antisemitism in Welsh Labour or in Wales."