Labour party suspends local election candidate amid anti-Semitism probe after Countdown’s Rachel Riley highlighted ‘racist’ posts on Twitter

• Labour candidate Virginia Keyes has been suspended pending an investigation
• Rachel Riley accused her of being ‘raving conspiracy theorist racist anti-Semite’
• The Countdown star highlighted antisemitic posts allegedly shared by Ms Keyes
• Ms Keyes will still be able to stand in the May local elections due to a technicality

Labour has suspended a candidate for May’s local elections after TV star Rachel Riley shared a series of anti-Semitic tweets online.

Virginia Keyes, who was chosen by the party to contest a seat in the Torbay Council elections in south Devon, has been suspended pending an investigation.

It comes after she was accused by Countdown presenter Ms Riley of being a ‘raving conspiracy theorist racist anti-Semite’ in a series of tweets posted last month.

Ms Riley, who is Jewish and an outspoken critic of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, highlighted anti-Semitic posts allegedly shared by Ms Keyes on Facebook.

Labour has suspended Virginia Keyes (left), a candidate for May’s local elections in south Devon, after TV star Rachel Riley (right) shared a series of anti-Semitic tweets online.

It comes after she was accused by Countdown presenter Ms Riley of being a ‘raving conspiracy theorist racist anti-Semite’ in a series of tweets posted last month

Ms Riley, who is Jewish and an outspoken critic of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, highlighted anti-Semitic posts allegedly shared by Ms Keyes on Facebook

Posting on Twitter, Ms Riley wrote: ‘Virginia Keyes has a long history of supporting David Icke – the infamous antisemitic conspiracy theorist who tours the country preaching that the world is run by secret Jewish shape-shifting lizards – ‘Rothschild Zionists’ naturally.

She’s also a fan of one of the barmiest conspiracy theories out there – the New World Order (of secret groups aiming to take over the world).

‘Pesky “Zionist Jews” again wanting to “destroy every non-Jew”, plus linking “secret societies” with paedophilia & satanism. Hmm rational.’

As her suspension came after the April 4 deadline, Ms Keyes will still be able to stand in the elections but it is understood that Labour will not support her campaign.

A Labour Party spokesman said: ‘Individuals who are suspended from the party can’t stand as party candidates.

‘The Labour Party takes all complaints of anti-Semitism extremely seriously and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.’

Ms Keyes refused to comment.

As her suspension came after the April 4 deadline, Ms Keyes will still be able to stand in the elections but it is understood that Labour will not support her campaign

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