Yorkshire Labour MPs condemn party's decision not to expel Ken Livingstone

Former shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper and former shadow culture secretary Michael Dugher have both criticised the move, with the latter describing it as "an embarrassing fudge".

Their interventions follow the decision of the party's National Constitutional Committee (NCC) to hand Mr Livingstone a one-year suspension for his claims that Hitler supported Zionism.

The former mayor of London was expecting to be expelled for the comments, and warned that he would be prepared to launch a legal challenge in response.

Responding to the NCC ruling last night, Mr Dugher, the MP for Barnsley East told the New Stateman that it "looks like an embarrassing fudge".

"Ken Livingstone should be kicked out for good. Years of supposed long service and closeness to the leadership do not entitle you to a free pass when it comes to anti-Semitism," he said.

"The Jewish Board of Deputies said it was anti-Semitism, as did the Holocaust Education Trust, the Jewish Labour Movement and the Chief Rabbi.

"Is the party really saying it knows more about anti-Semitism than the Chief Rabbi?"

Ms Cooper took to Twitter to describe the decision as "shameful".

"Shadow Cabinet and NEC need to review this decision, the rules and enforcement urgently," she wrote.

"It's not enough to say the words 'zero tolerance on antisemitism' - Labour has to put them into practice."

Deputy leader Tom Watson has also condemned the ruling, as has the Jewish Labour peer Lord Levy and the former Labour MP David Miliband.

Meanwhile, the former Labour councillor and vice-chairman of Leeds Sinai Synagogue Jonathan Lewis has announced he is leaving the party because the decision left him feeling "physically sick and betrayed".

The NCC hearing concerned comments made by Mr Livingstone during a radio interview last April, in which he said Hitler had supported Zionism in the 1930s before he ”went mad and ended up killing six million Jews”.

The former mayor has already served a one-year suspension, and following the NCC decision he will be barred from "holding office and representation" for a further year, but will still be allowed to remain a Labour member, .

Speaking to reporters last night, Mr Livingston maintained that he had not brought the party into disrepute, saying: “There’s an issue here that matters - should someone be disciplined for stating a historical truth, and I think that’s really important.

“Labour MPs who tweeted that I was anti-Semitic, that I had said that Hitler was a Zionist, I was a Nazi apologist, no disciplinary action against them.

“I think that’s a double standard that’s unacceptable. MPs can’t be treated differently to ordinary party members. You can’t apologise for telling the truth.”

He suggested he will campaign to challenge the decision.