The Labour Party are facing a legal probe from the Equality and Human Rights commission over complaints about anti-semitism.
A spokesperson for the commission said Labour ‘may have unlawfully discriminated’ against Jews.
The group has the power to compel evidence from the party and will be able to investigate using similar powers to the police.
In a statement they said: “Having received a number of complaints regarding antisemitism in the Labour Party, we believe Labour may have unlawfully discriminated against people because of their ethnicity and religious beliefs.
“Our concerns are sufficient for us to consider using our statutory enforcement powers. As set out in our enforcement policy, we are now engaging with the Labour Party to give them an opportunity to respond.”
The only other to be investigated under these statutory powers are the Metropolitan Police after it faced accusations being systematically racist.
It comes just hour after the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM) members backed staying affiliated with the Labour Party – despite sharing grievous concerns.
A show of hands at two meetings held simultaneously in London and Manchester indicated a wish to stay linked to the party, which JLM has been for almost a century.
But a JLM source told the Mirror the mood in the room was “very much that the party was being put on its last warning.”
Group members are understood to have indicated that they believed that while the party’s anti-Semitism problem was not caused by Jeremy Corbyn ’s leadership, it could not be fixed while he remains leader.
JLM national secretary Peter Mason said: “The message from the Jewish Labour Movement this evening was absolutely clear.
“If the Labour Party fails to show solidarity to us, we will not show solidarity to it.”
