The government’s antisemitism adviser has hit out at the “ignorance” of Labour councillors who approved of a joke that compared the Tories to Adolf Hitler’s SS.

Three Bassetlaw Labour councillors faced calls to be expelled from the party after liking a post by Momentum activist Ian Ampleford,  who made the offensive comparison on a Facebook community group site.

Two of the councillors have offered unreserved apologies but the JC understands Cllr Jim Anderson has been referred to the Labour party after failing to say sorry.

The row erupted in the former constituency of John Mann who now serves as the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism.  

Lord John Mann urged the Labour leadership to “act immediately” against those “revelling in their notoriety”.

He told the JC: “It is clear to me that there are some people wanting to be expelled and are revelling in their notoriety.  Sir Keir Starmer should act immediately and decisively to remove them.  They will claim to be socialist martyrs but they are neither socialists nor martyrs – merely minor, irrelevant irritants who wallow in their ignorance.”

A former Labour member, Mr Ampleford sparked outrage when he shared an online post on a community group Facebook page that said his SS grandfather “would be proud of what the Tories have done to Britain”.

He then joked he had been put on the “naughty step” and banned from posting on the group chat after he made an “innocent post comparing the Tories to the SS.”

He added: “I would like to take this opportunity to apologise unreservedly to anyone who voted for a German military organisation at the last general election.”

His comments were then ‘liked’ by Bassetlaw District Councillor Claire Plevin and the current Mayor of Retford, Garry Clarkson.

Labour Councillor Jim Anderson added underneath the activist’s post: “Surely most self-respecting SS thinkers would be appalled at being linked in such a way.”

The exchange prompted condemnation from Jewish community groups and from other members of the Labour group, including council leader Simon Greaves.  He said he was “appalled and disgusted” by both the comments and reactions and promised to investigate the matter.

Deputy leader Jo White described the exchange as “idiotic and immature” while Labour Councillor Alan Rhodes said he would be “demanding that action is taken” against those involved.

The chairman of Bassetlaw Conservatives, Fraser McFarland, said it was “shocking behaviour” and called for the whip to be removed and for those involved to be expelled from the Labour party.

Cllr Clarkson, who leads educational visits to Holocaust related sites, unliked the post and offered an unreserved apology. He said he liked the Facebook post based on the picture of his friend on holiday and had not read the text. 

He added there was “no excuse for comparing modern day politicians to the Nazis”.

Cllr Plevin unliked the post, described her actions as “wrong and inappropriate” and also offered an unreserved apology.     

The JC understands Labour is investigating the incident but a spokesman said he could not comment on the case. The JC contacted Cllr Anderson.