LIBERAL Democrat leader Tim Farron has sacked former Bradford MP David Ward as a General Election candidate, saying he was unfit to represent the party over his "anti-Semitic" views. 

Mr Farron said: "I believe in a politics that is open, tolerant and united. David Ward is unfit to represent the party and I have sacked him."

At a rally earlier, he had called comments by Mr Ward “deeply offensive, wrong and anti-Semitic”.

Mr Ward said he was “stunned” by the decision, and said he had not even had “the decency of a phone call” from Mr Farron to explain.

He said: "I'm just stunned. I'm just hugely disappointed."

Mr Ward said he had no recourse for appeal and said party officials had cited “my views on foreign policy and anti-Semitic statements”.

Mr Ward, who currently sits as a Liberal Democrat councillor on Bradford Council, has also been suspended from the party.

It is understood Mr Farron decided to sack him in the wake of recent remarks he had made on Twitter criticising the states of both Israel and Saudi Arabia, as well as saying terrorist attacks on the UK “stem from our foreign policy”.

Mr Ward said: “How is it a sacking offence to condemn Saudi Arabia for beheading people and firebombing civilians in Yemen?”

He said he believed he had fallen victim to a pro-Israel lobby determined to stop him speaking out over Palestine.

“It will have been organised and it has been very, very effective,” he said.

Mr Farron’s decision has been welcomed by the chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, Simon Johnson, who said: "The selection of David Ward for Bradford East was an error and rightly criticised by politicians from all parties. Mr Ward's views are offensive, and he has been an unrepentant serial offender. It is important that all parties have a zero tolerance approach to anti-Semitism".

Mr Ward’s sacking came just hours after Theresa May used today's Prime Minister's Questions to attack the Liberal Democrats for their continued support for him.

During a heated exchange, she said: "People will be, I think, rightly disappointed to see the Liberal Democrats re-adopt a candidate with a questionable record on anti-Semitism.

"It is important that all parties maintain the strongest possible censure on all forms of intolerance and send that message to our communities."

Her comments came in response to a question from Sir Eric Pickles, a former Bradford Council leader and a senior figure within the Conservative Friends of Israel, who said party leaders must do more than "pay lip service" to tackling anti-Semitism.

He asked her: "Do you share my disgust that a former member of this House, criticised by the Home Affairs Select Committee for his anti-Semitic utterances, is now the official candidate in Bradford East for the Liberal Democrats?"

Earlier this afternoon, Mr Ward had given a bullish response to these accusations.

The Liberal Democrat, who has been put forward for reselection in Bradford East, claimed the "slur" was a tactic aimed at preventing him or others from criticising the state of Israel.

He said: "What is an anti-Semite? It's a person who dislikes Jews because they are Jews. That's really what it is. I would defy anybody - and I have said a lot on this subject in the last few years - I would defy anybody to find any single comment I have ever made that was not related to Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

While an MP, Mr Ward was suspended by the Liberal Democrats in 2013 after making a series of remarks questioning the continuing existence of the state of Israel.

He was also forced to apologise in 2014 after suggesting he might fire rockets into Israel if he lived in Gaza.

He was put forward as a candidate to defend his seat in 2015 but lost to Labour's Imran Hussain.

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron previously suggested it was "appropriate" for Mr Ward to serve as a Liberal Democrat councillor and put himself forward for reselection in Parliamentary elections, under internal rules, saying he had “served his time” with the previous suspension.

The Telegraph and Argus last week exclusively revealed Mr Ward was being lined up as the Liberal Democrats’ candidate in Bradford East, sparking a rematch with former opponent and current Labour MP Imran Hussain.

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