Labour 'dancing on the strings of Ken Livingstone', says ex-shadow minister

Michael Dugher was the shadow culture secretary up until last week, but lost his job in a reshuffle by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

According to reports, Mr Dugher was removed from his post for “disloyalty” and “incompetence”.

But Mr Dugher said in an interview about his sacking that comments he had made about Mr Livingstone over the latter’s views on the 7/7 bombing were behind his downfall.

The former mayor said the bombers “gave their lives” in the attack.

At the time the Labour MP responded to the comments by saying: “The idea that you can justify what the bombers did or somehow say they were martyrs to a cause … is totally wrong.

“These were sick maniacs who murdered innocent people.”

This week Mr Dugher said: “If someone else had said what Livingstone had said about 7/7 … they’d be kicked out. But Jeremy and his allies gave Livingstone a free pass, just as they have on other issues when he’s said other outrageous things.

“If you look at the people around Jeremy, most of them have been in the employment of Livingstone. This leadership team is dancing on the strings of Ken Livingstone – and nobody elected Ken Livingstone to be leader of the party last September.”

Following Mr Dugher’s claims that Mr Livingstone is the one really pulling the strings within Labour, the former London mayor has hit back.

Mr Livingstone claims since Mr Corbyn won the party leadership he had only one official meeting and one phone call with the him.

He said: “Half an hour and one phone call, I think that would have to be mind control of alien nature.”

The former London mayor has never been one to shy away from controversy.

Last November Mr Livingstone sparked outrage after telling Labout MP Kevan Jones to “seek psychiatric help” after criticising Mr Livingstone’s appointment to a defence policy group in the party.

Mr Kevan has a well documented history of depression.

The Labour party has been in turmoil since Mr Corbyn was elected leader in September.

Mr Corbyn’s leftwing views have not gone down well with number of party members.

Since storming to victory in the Labour leadership, Mr Corbyn has refused to sing the national anthem and admitted he would never allow the use of nuclear weapons if he became Prime Minister.