In the wake of another anti-Semitism row surrounding the Labour Party, one of Labour's main financial backers, Sir David Garrard, told The Observer on Sunday that he will no longer support the party.
Garrard said he could not have "any affinity or connection" with such a party in light of the "most blatant acts of anti-Semitism."
Garrard, who gave the party some £1.5 million ($2.1 million) since 2003, told the paper that the Labour Party he knew "no longer exists."
Garrard's decision comes as Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn once again came under scrutiny on Sunday over his handling of anti-Semitism manifestations in his party, following a report that his associates are part of online anti-Semitic groups on Facebook.
The revelation was part of a Sunday Times expose showing that 12 staffers working for Corbyn and his shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, "are members of groups containing anti-Semitic and violent comments, including praise for Adolf Hitler and threats to kill Theresa May, the prime minister."
According to the report, the findings were compiled over a period of two months by whistleblowers "who gained access to restricted membership groups. They uncovered more than 2,000 racist, anti-Semitic, misogynistic, violent and abusive messages." The exposé covered "20 of the biggest pro-Corbyn Facebook groups" and found "routine attacks on Jewish people, including Holocaust denial."
The Sunday Times said that Lord Carlile, who served as the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, believes the online posts were a breach of Britain's hate-crime laws. Among the posts are some that express support for Adolf Hitler, including a statement that he "should have finished off the job," and another that the deaths of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust "was a big lie!" In another instance, Labour supporter Patrick Haseldine "posted an image of the Israeli flag on one Labour group on Facebook, with the swastika replacing the Star of David."
The report also found that the groups targeted various members in the party for their support of Israel or because of their Jewish faith. Labour MP Luciana Berger, who is part of a pro-Israel group in the party, told the Sunday Times that she and her staff "had gone to the police about the abuse they had received from left-wingers, including one email urging her to kill herself."
A statement issued by the party stated, "These [Facebook] groups are not officially connected to the party in any way. Labour is committed to challenging and campaigning against anti-Semitism."
The latest Sunday Times revelation comes amid renewed controversy over Labour's efforts to show more resolve in fighting anti-Semitism among its ranks.
Party official Christine Shawcroft resigned over the weekend from the party's National Executive Committee, just days after stepping down from another body. This comes as part of the ongoing fallout from the revelation that she was against suspending a council candidate who was accused of Holocaust denial. She will be replaced by comedian Eddie Izzard.
Meanwhile, Corbyn's personal Facebook page was deleted over the weekend in what appears to be yet another attempt to engage in damage control over the alleged anti-Semitism in his party.
It is unclear why he deleted the page, which he used extensively before being elected party leader, but according to The Sun, there was speculation among his aides that it was a "security move" that came after it emerged that "he was being added to groups without his knowledge." According to additional reports, the page had him listed as a member of five Facebook groups that had anti-Semitic posts.
The deletion comes just days after it was revealed that he had used the page, back in 2012, to oppose the removal of a mural depicting Jews in an anti-Semitic manner.
