Ken Livingstone admits allegation he called Hitler a Zionist probably cost Labour chance to snatch Barnet council

'If anybody believes I said Hitler was a Zionist, yes, that’s damaging'

Ken Livingstone has admitted the allegation that he called Hitler a Zionist is likely to have cost Labour the chance to snatch control of a key London council.

Jeremy Corbyn’s hopes of taking Barnet - an area with a large Jewish population - were dashed when it fell back into the hands of the Conservatives.

Labour councillors in the borough have blamed the allegations of antisemitism in the party – the most profile of which is the claim against Mr Livingstone, the former London mayor.

Asked if he had “cost the party” in Barnet, Mr Livingstone replied: “If anybody believes I said Hitler was a Zionist, yes, that’s damaging.”

The “distraction” of the antisemitism allegations had prevented Labour from “getting across to people about what we wanted to do in local government”.

However, the former mayor – who remains suspended by Labour after two years – again denied that his claim that Hitler, at one point, supported Zionism amounted to saying the dictator was a Zionist

And he told Sky News: “What’s been so bad is that, two years on, this smear about me is still there unchallenged.”

Asked if he should stop talking about Hitler, Mr Livingstone insisted: “I only do it when I ask a question like you’ve just done. I’ve never written a speech or article about Hitler. It always gets you into trouble if you tell the truth.”

When it was suggested he should just retire, he vowed: “I’m not going to my grave without this issue being resolved.”

Barnet was Labour’s prime target in the capital, the party’s hopes raised by the Conservative-led administration’s focus on outsourcing which earned it the nickname “Easycouncil”.

Today, Barry Rawlings, Barnet’s Labour leader, blamed the Tories taking back the council from no overall control directly on the party’s antisemitism crisis.

Last month, it led to Jewish leaders and members of the community protesting against Jeremy Corbyn in Westminster and condemnation by some Labour MPs

“I want to speak directly to our Jewish brothers and sisters,” Mr Rawlings said.

“I am extremely grateful to members of the Jewish community who cast votes for Labour. But too many didn’t.

“It wasn’t because they disagreed with our manifesto, but because they felt the Labour party has failed to deal with antisemitism on a national level. They are right.”