A ‘DEEPLY flawed’ motion put to Labour members sparked an anti-Semitism row – as the party insists it is determined to tackle the issue.

Ahead of Warrington South Constituency Labour Party’s (CLP) all-member meeting on Friday evening, Vickie Dunne proposed a motion, which was seconded by Lisa Cooper.

But it sparked anger from the party’s two-time Warrington South parliamentary candidate Nick Bent.

Part of the proposal read: “This CLP believes that the attacks made on the Labour Party, by the departing MPs, are entirely false.

“In particular, the Labour Party is totally committed to eliminating prejudice and bigotry, including anti-Semitism, wherever it exists in society and Labour’s leader Jeremy Corbyn is absolutely resolute in this fight.”

But Mr Bent called for it to be pulled.

On Friday morning, he tweeted: “Appalled that #Warrington Momentum are bringing a motion to my CLP tonight stating that the problem of #antisemitism in the Labour Party is ‘entirely false’.

“This is sadly untrue and shameful.”

Labour says The Independent Group’s MPs made allegations about institutional anti-Semitism – which it ‘completely rejects’.

However, it insists ‘one anti-Semite in our party is one too many’, while reaffirming its determination to tackle the issue and ‘root it out’ of the party.

A North West Labour Party source added: “The motion makes clear that the party is rightly committed to tackling anti-Semitism.

“It doesn’t say that the problem of anti-Semitism is false.

“This is clearly a misrepresentation of the motion.”

It was debated at Friday’s CLP meeting at Bold Street Methodist Church.

However, the section of the motion stating ‘the attacks made on Labour, by the departing MPs, are entirely false’ was removed.

And after the several amendments it was passed.

Part of the approved motion read: “This CLP believes that the Labour Party is totally committed to eliminating prejudice and bigotry, including anti-Semitism, wherever it exists in society and Labour’s leader Jeremy Corbyn is absolutely resolute in this fight.

“The overwhelming majority of Labour MPs and members will continue to work hard for the election of a Labour Government.

“Any other elected officials leaving the party to join The Independent Group, or any other party, only help the cause of a Tory re-election and harm the interests of the electorate that we strive to represent.

“This CLP resolves to unite around the realisation that differences within our party are as nothing compared to our disgust at this Tory Government and their austerity-based policies.”

Stockton Heath parish councillor Mr Bent welcomed the amendments to the initial proposal.

He said: “This deeply flawed motion should never have been put forward by Momentum or approved by Party HQ, as proven by the fact that its backers offered to change it before the debate even began.

“Fortunately, the broad church of sensible Labour members were in the majority.

“We successfully challenged it and we all ended up unanimously backing a commitment to defeating the Tories and securing a Labour Government. That is our top priority.”