KEN Livingstone has resigned from the Labour Party, saying the anti-Semitism allegations against him had become a "distraction" to Jeremy Corbyn’s policies.
In a statement, the former London Mayor continued to reject the charge that he had been in any way guilty of anti-Semitism or had brought the party into disrepute.
He stressed how he abhorred anti-Semitism and had fought it all his life.
Yet the 72-year-old veteran politician, dubbed "Red Ken," acknowledged some of his comments had caused offence within the Jewish community for which he said he was "truly sorry".
READ MORE: Livingstone resignation not enough to end Labour anti-Semitism row, MPs warn
He explained: "I am loyal to the Labour Party and to Jeremy Corbyn. However, any further disciplinary action against me may drag on for months or even years, distracting attention from Jeremy's policies.
"I am, therefore, with great sadness, leaving the Labour Party."
The party leader, one of his oldest political allies on the Left, said he was "sad" to see him resign but acknowledged it was the "right thing to do".
Earlier in the day, Jim Murphy, the former Labour Scottish Secretary, spoke of his "disgust" at the party's failure to tackle anti-Semitism within its ranks.
The ex-MP, whose onetime seat of East Renfrewshire, which he lost in the 2015 General Election and which has one of the highest Jewish populations in the country, said at a Policy Exchange conference on the Union in London: "The way in which anti-Semitism has been normalised in the darker recesses of the Labour Party absolutely disgusts me. It's the one thing above all else that makes me angry about Jeremy Corbyn's leadership.
"Jewish minorities in Britain should know that the established parties will stand by them at times of difficulty and not be part of the problem. There isn't a proper adjective to capture how angry I am about it," declared Mr Murphy in his first public utterance since losing his Westminster seat three years ago.
READ MORE: Livingstone resignation not enough to end Labour anti-Semitism row, MPs warn
Mr Livingstone was originally suspended in 2016 and after claiming in a radio interview that Hitler had supported Zionism in the 1930s.
Anti-Semitism campaigners demanded his permanent expulsion as a signal that the party was serious about dealing with the issue following a protest in March outside Parliament.
Despite the former mayor’s departure, critics warned it did not mean an end to the continuing political row over anti-Semitism within the party.
Backbencher Ruth Smeeth, one of the MPs leading the campaign for the Labour leadership to deal with the issue, tweeted bluntly: "Good riddance Ken."
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