Ken Livingstone has announced that he is resigning from the Labour Party, saying the issues around his suspension for alleged anti-Semitism had become a “distraction”.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the former Mayor of London’s resignation from the party was “sad” but “the right thing to do”.
In a statement, Mr Livingstone, who was suspended in 2016 for claiming Hitler supported Zionism in the 1930s, said he was leaving with "great sadness".
He said that he continued to reject the allegation that he had brought the party into disrepute and insisted he was in no way guilty of anti-Semitism.
"After much consideration, I have decided to resign from the Labour Party," he said.
"The ongoing issues...