Munir Malik, a supporter of the boycott of Israel, has joined the board of the Co-operative Group.

A Labour councillor in the London Borough of Bexley and twice an MEP candidate, in his campaign statement Mr Malik disclosed that he had been at the heart of the group’s policies on “international issues like banning products from illegal settlements in Palestine”.

Last year, the Co-op board agreed to boycott goods from four companies producing fruit and vegetables in West Bank settlements.