The former Hyndburn MP Graham Jones has been administratively suspended from the Labour party, pending an investigation, it has been reported.

It comes after the website Guido claimed that he used the words “f****** Israel” at the same meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party that led to the withdrawal of support for Rochdale candidate Azhar Ali.

The Hyndburn candidate is understood to have been called for an interview on Tuesday evening.

Labour would have to follow a formal process if the party wanted to strip him of his candidacy, but he is believed to have been called for an interview on Tuesday evening.

In the recording aired on the website the candidate is responding to questions over British citizens who travel to Israel to fight for the IDF and says ‘no British person should be fighting for Israel again’.

Lancashire Conservative MPs said they had sent a letter to the Labour Party demanding to know if any other Lancashire Labour Party county or borough councillors, parliamentary candidates, or local candidates were in attendance at that meeting.

And if yes, 'Did those councillors or candidates speak up to oppose Mr Ali’s conspiratorial comments, or report them to relevant authorities in the Labour Party?'

They also demanded to know where in Lancashire the meeting took place.

The latest row to emerge from the meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party came only hours after the Labour leader insisted the party had “changed” under his leadership, following the move to strip Mr Ali, who is believed to be suspended pending an investigation, of his party’s backing.

Mr Ali had apologised after he was recorded in a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party suggesting that Israel had taken the October 7 Hamas assault as a pretext to invade Gaza.

But Labour said it moved to end its backing of the candidate “following new information about further comments”.

Speaking as he campaigned in Wellingborough, Sir Keir Starmer said: “Certain information came to light over the weekend in relation to the candidate. There was a fulsome apology. Further information came to light yesterday calling for decisive action, so I took decisive action.

“It is a huge thing to withdraw support for a Labour candidate during the course of a by-election.

“It’s a tough decision, a necessary decision, but when I say the Labour Party has changed under my leadership I mean it.”