FORMER MP David Ward is appealing against the Liberal Democrats’ decision to throw him out of the party amid a row over anti-Semitism.

Mr Ward was sacked as a General Election candidate earlier this year, after outgoing party leader Tim Farron said he was “unfit to represent the party”.

The former Bradford East MP then ran as an independent candidate – a move which he said resulted in him having his party membership revoked too.

Now Mr Ward – a staunch critic of Israel who has more than once been accused of anti-Semitism but has always denied the accusation – has lodged an official appeal against these decisions.

In the papers, he asks the appeals panel to rule that he is not prejudiced against Jewish people, despite Mr Farron’s “vile slur”.

It says: “The former Leader of the Liberal Democrats has branded me as being anti-Semitic. This vile slur has had distressing and damaging consequences for me and for my former local party. I for instance was ‘sacked’ from the Governing Board of a local school I have had an association with for 25 years on the grounds that if Tim Farron believed, in his words, I was ‘unfit to hold office on behalf of the party’ then I was deemed to be also unfit to be a Governor of the school.

“I would welcome a statement by the panel that I am not, in its view, anti-Semitic and that the justifications given for my removal as a candidate for Bradford East along with the suspension and subsequent revoking of my membership were insufficient to support the actions taken against me.”

Mr Ward’s appeal document reveals that shortly after he was sacked as an election candidate, he was then suspended from the party because of comments he made to the BBC saying “supporters of Israel” were responsible for his sacking. His party membership was then revoked when he stood as an independent against the Liberal Democrats.

Mr Ward told the Telegraph & Argus that clearing his name was his main concern, and if this happened he would then be free to re-apply to be a member of the party, which is expected to install Sir Vince Cable as its new leader today.

He added: “What I did say, very clearly, was that I would never be in a party led by Tim Farron, but he, of course, has disappeared now.”

The Liberal Democrats’ head office declined to comment on Mr Ward’s appeal.

During the General Election campaign, the executive board of Bradford’s Liberal Democrat team were suspended from their positions, accused of supporting Mr Ward in his independent election campaign.

They have since been reinstated, Councillor Jeanette Sunderland (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley), a member of the board, said yesterday.

Mr Ward currently sits as an independent councillor on Bradford Council. He remains in its Liberal Democrat group, which has now changed its name to the Liberal Democrat and Independent group to reflect this.