Black Country MP Ian Austin was applauded in the House of Commons after he demanded Jeremy Corbyn "boot out" former London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

Mr Austin, Labour MP for Dudley North, was speaking during a general Commons debate on anti-Semitism.

He said "Let's be really clear about it: Ken Livingstone comparing, claiming, that Hitler was a Zionist - this is anti-Semitism pure and simple, happened more than two years ago, there has been ample time to deal with it.

"It's a disgrace that it hasn't been dealt with: kick him out immediately."

MPs cheered as Mr Austin added: "He (shadow communities secretary Andrew Gwynne) should stand at that despatch box and he should tell the leader of the Labour Party that Livingstone must be booted out. Boot him out."

Speaking for the Labour front bench, Mr Gwynne said Mr Austin made his views "very clearly" and said he did not share Mr Livingstone's views.

"I think that they are abhorrent and the Labour Party will go through the processes that are well applied to each and every member of the Labour Party."

The debate followed concern about anti-Jewish racism in the Labour Party.

Ian Austin MP in the House of Commons
Ian Austin MP in the House of Commons

One Jewish MP, Ruth Smeeth, Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, listed a series of incidents of anti-Semitic abuse she had received, much of it from people claiming to be supporters of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr Corbyn attended the start of the debate, and heard Mr Austin's comments. However, he had left by the time Ms Smeeth spoke.

Reading a small sample of the abuse she had received, said: "My fan base has shown scant regard for appropriate parliamentary language so I apologise in advance, 'hang yourself you vile treacherous Zionist Tory filth, you're a cancer of humanity', 'Ruth Smeeth is a Zionist she has no shame and trades on the murder Jews by Hitler who the Zionists betrayed', 'Ruth Smeeth must surely be travelling first class to Tel Aviv with all that slush, after all she's complicit in trying to bring Corbyn down'.

The Stoke-on-Trent North MP went on to tell colleagues it was "truly heartbreaking" that she had to stand in Parliament Square to protest against the anti-Semitism that was "engulfing" parts of her party.

Luciana Berger, another Jewish MP in the Labour Party (Liverpool Wavertree), was applauded by MPs from all sides after she spoke of the anti-Semitic abuse she had faced, including from those appearing to support Mr Corbyn.

She said she received her first piece of hate mail aged 19, saying it described her as a "dirty Zionist pig", and told the debate: "Here starts my 18-year experience of contending with anti-Semitism."

Ken Livingstone, former Mayor of London

Ms Berger said she has been attacked by the far-right and far-left, later saying anti-racism is a central Labour value and there was a "time not long ago when the left actively confronted anti-Semitism".

She added: "One anti-Semitic member of the Labour Party is one member too many.

"And yes, as I've said outside this place in Parliament Square, and it pains me to say this proudly as the chair of the Jewish Labour Movement, in 2018 within the Labour Party anti-Semitism is more commonplace, is more conspicuous and is more corrosive.

"That's why I have no words for the people who purport to be both members and supporters of our party, who use that hashtag JC4PM, who attacked me in recent weeks for my comments, they attacked me for speaking at the rally against anti-Semitism, they've questioned my comments where I questioned comments endorsing that anti-Semitic mural, who say I should be deselected or called it a smear."