The Labour leadership is facing questions after withdrawing the party's support for its Rochdale by-election candidate, amid a storm of criticism over remarks he made about Israel.Azhar Ali had apologised after he was recorded in a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party suggesting that Israel had taken the October 7 Hamas assault as a pretext to invade Gaza.

The Labour leadership is facing questions after withdrawing the party's support for its Rochdale by-election candidate, amid a storm of criticism over remarks he made about Israel.Azhar Ali had apologised after he was recorded in a meeting of the Lancashire Labour Party suggesting that Israel had taken the October 7 Hamas assault as a pretext to invade Gaza.