Conservative MEP Marina Yannakoudakis said: “These disgusting comments reflect the worst sort of base politics. Ed Miliband and Labour MEPs should condemn these vile remarks immediately.”
But a Jewish Pasok spokesman, Elias Vergitsis, said Mr Venizelos had been smeared by “misleading blogs in Greece”. In fact, he said, the politician had expressed dismay about being given a page from the list which contained Jewish names. He said: “Mr Venizelos needs no credentials to prove his pro-Jewish politics in Greece.”
The controversy comes as Conservatives attempt to deflect attention from their own European partners following David Cameron’s decision in 2009 to move the party into the European Conservatives and Reformists bloc, which contains controversial East European parties with links to the far-right.