Misconduct panel could kick Ken Livingstone out of the Labour party over his rants about Adolf Hitler and Zionism
Former London Mayor claimed he faces an unfair hearing as he arrived at private hearing in Westminster
KEN Livingstone faces expulsion from Labour after decades in the party over his over controversial comments about Adolf Hitler and Zionism.
The former London Mayor claimed he faces an unfair hearing as he arrived at a private misconduct panel in Westminster, run by senior officials.
He was suspended in April last year after claiming that the Nazi leader was a supporter of Zionism in the 1930s, “before he went mad and killed six million Jews”.
The Labour veteran said there was no justification for holding the hearing in private, adding: "They have dropped all the charges that I'm anti-Semitic.
"They've dropped the charge that I said Hitler was a Zionist. It's really coming down to claiming I brought the party into disrepute by defending Naz Shah.”
He told reporters outside the hearing: "As she's been readmitted to the party that does seem a bit excessive to try and expel me for supporting her."
The process could last up to two days and is being run by Labour's national constitutional committee – but it is not the first time Mr Livingstone has become embroiled in an anti-Semitism row.
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In 2006 a High Court judge said he made ''unnecessarily offensive'' and ''indefensible'' remarks when he likened a Jewish reporter to a Nazi concentration camp guard.
He said he had ''no intention'' to cause offence in the furore, which began when he answered a question on Vanessa Feltz's BBC London radio show, but was ''sorry'' if his remarks did so.
The ally of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he had taken to the airwaves to defend the reputation of Ms Shah, who had come under fire for social media posts she subsequently apologised for.
He is now claiming ''supporters of Israel'' had called on Labour to expel him to ''silence'' his criticism of ''Israeli aggression''.
The 71-year-old, who is being represented by high profile lawyer Michael Mansfield QC, was previously expelled from the party when he stood as an independent in the 2000 London mayoral race.
Today he insisted he had nothing to apologise for, repeating his previous argument that he had only stated historical fact.
"I simply said, back in 1933 Hitler's government signed a deal with the Zionist movement, which would mean that Germany's Jewish community were moved to what is now Israel."
He added: "You had, right up until the start of the Second World War, real collaboration."