Ex-London mayor Ken Livingstone quits Labour Party in anti-Semitism row

London (AFP) – Former London mayor Ken Livingstone on Monday quit the Labour Party, saying his 2016 suspension for alleged anti-Semitic comments had become a “distraction” to a party recently dogged by the issue.

“After much consideration, I have decided to resign from the Labour Party,” Livingstone said in a statement on his website. “The ongoing issues around my suspension from the Labour Party have become a distraction.”