Ex-MP suspended by Labour over ‘f***ing Israel’ comment is candidate for party in local elections

“No British person should be fighting for any other country at all. It is against the law and you should be locked up.”

At the time, the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) said Jones' comments were "appalling and unacceptable".

But former Labour minister Ed Balls defended Jones, saying he was "absolutely not anti-Israel".

Jones represented Hyndburn in Lancashire between 2010 and 2019, when he was defeated by the Conservative candidate. He was Labour's choice for Hyndburn in 2023.

His suspension was lifted in May last year but he did not go forward as the candidate in the general election, which Sarah Smith contested and won for Labour.

He is now standing as the party’s candidate for councillor in Accrington South, on Lancashire County Council, in a bid to win the seat from the Conservatives.

In a post on Facebook, Jones said he had been “kindly asked by the national party to stand as the Labour candidate in the upcoming local elections”. He made no mention of his prior suspension from the party.

He wrote, “I’ve lived here all my life - in Peel and Baxenden - and I really enjoyed being the county councillor last time, helping lots of people personally and making a significant difference for our area.

“As your Member of Parliament and local councillor, I've two decades of experience fighting for local people bringing in £millions in investment into Accrington South alone, fighting for safer streets, improving our parks delivering two large nature reserves, fighting for the ordinary person.”

On the phone to the JC on Monday morning, Jones said he was out canvassing in the pouring rain. He has been approached to comment on his previous remarks about Israel.