The Labor Party in Great Britain has suspended one of its candidates for the parliamentary elections from its ranks after reports that he shared online material that appeared to downplay Russia's role in the poisonings in the English city of Salisbury on March 4, 2018, DPA reported, citing from BTA.
Andy Brown, who is running in the Scottish constituency of Aberdeen North and Moray East, shared in April 2018 an article from Russian state media RT (RT) claiming that the "toxin" used in the poisonings, "was never produced in Russia, but was in service in the US, Great Britain and other NATO member countries,", the BBC reported.
According to the Scottish "Press and Journal" in the same month, Brown also shared a quote from a Jewish historian that read: "The real problem... is that right-wing Jews in the Labor Party and outside oppose the fact that (the former party leader - ed.) Jeremy Corbyn is a consistent supporter of Palestinian rights.
"Andy Brown has been administratively suspended from the Labor Party pending an investigation. "We have taken the decision to withdraw our support from a candidate for an MP in the general election," a Scottish Labor spokesman told the BBC.
"(Party leaders) Anas Sarwar (Scottish Labor leader - ed.) and Keir Starmer have brought change to the Labor Party and said that every candidate and MP must perform to the highest standards. This step shows that they were serious," he said.
Andy Brown's name as a Labor candidate will continue to appear on the ballot paper as the deadline for nominations has passed, meaning he will stand as an independent in the general election on July 4.