Labour councillor has suspended one of its councillors pending an investigation after the JC revealed she had joked about "Jew process". 

Jo Bird drew applause from Labour activists with a speech that included a joke that the term "due process" should be dubbed "Jew process".

The Wirral councillor, who is a member of the fringe, pro-Corbyn Jewish Voice For Labour group, also discussed allegations of racism, saying: "Seriously, one of the things that does worry me is the privileging of racism against Jews, over and above - as more worthy of resources than other forms of racism."

After the JC ran audio of her remarks on Monday - which were made last year at a meeting in support of an activist expelled from the party after a confrontation with a Jewish MP - Ms Bird's comments sparked fury.

Rachel Riley, the Countdown host and antisemitism campaigner, said she was "aghast" listening to the JC's recording of Ms Bird's attempt to rewrite the words of the famous post-Holocaust poem "First The Came For.." by the German Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemöller.

She tweeted: "Absolutely aghast listening to JVL’s Jo Bird, take a poem about the Holocaust, remove the Jews, to replace them with persecution of anti-racists and anti-Zionists."

Former Labour MP and UK Music chief executive Michael Dugher said: "Listen to this recording. Antisemitism bang to rights. In Britain and in the Labour Party - in 2019. Disgusting."

On Monday afternoon, a Labour source confirmed that, having been made aware of Cllr Bird's comments, the party had suspended her.

The JC also revealed how Cllr Bird said "privileging" antisemitism is in her words was "Bad for the many - as well as bad for the Jews," a play on the party's "For the many, not the few" slogan.

The recording reveals a brief silence among the audience followed before people started laughing again.

She also said: "Seriously, one of the things that does worry me is the privileging of racism against Jews, over and above - as more worthy of resources than other forms of racism."

A Labour spokesperson said on Monday: "The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms.

"All complaints about antisemitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken."