UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn
UK Labour Party leader Jeremy CorbynReuters

Despite the recent revelation that the UK Labour Party recently suspended 50 members for anti-Semitic comments -- including an MP, a former mayor of London, and a number of city councillors -- a senior Labour MP has denied that anti-Semitism exists within the party.

Over the past few months dozens of Labour members have been outed for expressing virulently anti-Israel or anti-Semitic views.

Last week the simmering crisis boiled over when Naz Shah, a sitting MP for Bradford West, was found to have posted comments on social media endorsing the ethnic cleansing of Israel’s Jews.

Rather than take punitive actions against Shah, Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn defended the MP, bluntly refusing calls to discipline her. When the party’s General Secretary suspended Shah, Corbyn issued a joint statement with Shah, acknowledging the suspension but without any recognition of possible wrongdoing. A spokesperson for Corbyn later denied that Shah was even suspected of anti-Semitism.

This week three Labour councilors were suspended after anti-Semitic comments the three made were publicized.

On Monday it was also revealed that Corbyn had in the past praised Marwan Barghouti, a terrorist leader responsible for a wave of deadly suicide bombings in Israel.

Corbyn also referred to the Hamas and Hezbollah terror groups as “friends” and invited representatives to visit the British Parliament.

Nevertheless, Paul Flynn, a senior Labour MP representing Newport West, has denied that the party faces an anti-Semitism problem, blaming the media for the many scandals now facing Labour.

In a letter written to a Jewish constituent and publicized on the Guido Fawkes website, Flynn refers to the allegations of anti-Semitism as “nasty smear stories” and “wild insults” that are “wholly untrue”.

“I hear from one of our canvassers that you were concerned about anti-Semitism in the Labour Party,” Flynn writes.

“We hear these accusations made in parliament along with many other nasty smear stories… The accusations of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party are among the wildest and least accurate of insults.”

“Having been in the Labour Party since childhood I have never met an anti-Semite in the party… A number of journalists have seized on some comments made probably by pro-Palestine students and distorted and exaggerated them… There are many accusations that may be made against political parties. This one is wholly untrue.”

Ironically, Flynn himself stirred up controversy with questionable statements regarding British Jews.

Speaking in 2011 following the appointment of Matthew Gould, who is Jewish, as the UK’s Ambassador to Israel, Flynn blasted the choice, saying that Jews should be barred from the position.

"In the past there hasn't been a Jewish ambassador to Israel and I think that is a good decision - to avoid the accusation that they have gone native,” said Flynn.

Instead, Flynn suggested, the government should appoint “someone with roots in the UK”.

Flynn also accused Gould of having divided loyalties, suggesting that “he was serving the interest of the Israeli government”.