Keir Starmer fires Rebecca Long-Bailey from Labour shadow cabinet in 'antisemitic' row

Keir Starmer has fired Rebecca Long-Bailey as shadow education secretary over an alleged antisemitic article she reposted online.

In a shock move, the Labour leader’s office issued a statement saying Starmer had asked her to stand down with immediate effect.

A spokesman for Starmer said: "This afternoon Keir Starmer asked Rebecca Long-Bailey to step down from the Shadow Cabinet. The article Rebecca shared earlier today contained an antisemitic conspiracy theory.

"As leader of the Labour Party, Keir has been clear that restoring trust with the Jewish community is a number one priority. Antisemitism takes many different forms and it is important that we all are vigilant against it."

Long-Bailey shared the article, an interview with actress Maxine Peake, commenting: “Maxine Peake is an absolute diamond.”

In the article, Peake claimed the police who killed George Floyd in America 'learned their techniques from the Israeli secret service'.

Rebecca Long-Bailey stood against Keir Starmer in the last Labour leadership contest. (Newcastle Chronicle)

Israel’s police service denied this and said there was no protocol which involved placing pressure on the neck or airways.

Long-Bailey later said: "I retweeted Maxine Peake’s article because of her significant achievements and because the thrust of her argument is to stay in the Labour Party. It wasn’t intended to be an endorsement of all aspects of the article."

Labour leader Keir Starmer has fired left-wing rival Rebecca Long-Bailey from the shadow cabinet (UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor)

Starmer appointed Long-Bailey as shadow education secretary after she made a disappointing showing in the Labour leadership contest against him.

Billed as the "heir to Corbyn" she took 27 percent of the vote compared to Starmer’s 56 per cent majority.

Since taking office Starmer has made it clear that he intends to rid Labour of a reputation gained under the previous leader as being a home for antisemitism, the hatred of Jews.

In his acceptance speech in April, Starmer made a fulsome apology to Britain's Jewish community and said he intended to tear out antisemitism from the Labour party by its roots.

Labour still faces a probe from the Equality and Human Rights Commission over allegations antisemitic behaviour within the party.