THE Labour councillor suspended for a joke about “Jew process” has revealed the shocking abuse she has suffered over the past 24 hours – including being called “racist” and “Nazi”.

Cllr Jo Bird, who is Jewish, spoke at the Wirral Council’s budget meeting last night, and said she has received messages saying “it’s time for Jews to leave the country”, and others accusing her of being a “rotten bigot, racist, mendacious and manipulative”.

Her speech at Wallasey Town Hall came after she was suspended by her party for another speech made last year and revealed on Monday, in which she was also heard adapting a famous poem about the Holocaust.

Her speech last night came despite opposition from the local Conservative group, who moved a motion calling for her not to be allowed to speak because of the suspension.

After it was voted down, 22 councillors – including all of the Tory group except Lord Mayor Geoffrey Watt – got up and walked out of the chamber in a shock move causing the meeting to be temporarily adjourned.

Addressing the remaining councillors, she said she was “sorry” the Conservatives felt the need to leave the chamber, telling them: “You will not be able to hear the voice of Bromborough and New Ferry, nor my apology.”

She then said: “I nip out during Christian prayers partly because I’m Jewish.

“My great grandparents were refugees from ethnic cleansing and fascism in Europe. My grandfather never knew his cousins because they perished in the holocaust.

“I know from lived experience what racism against Jewish people looks like. It’s vile.

“Just today I received antisemitic hate emails.

“I was told that ‘it’s time for Jews to leave the country’, that I’m lowlife, ‘go and crawl under your rock’, and that I’m a Nazi.”

She said political “moves to the far right” give her “nightmares”, and mean “hostile environments”.

She added: “And we have seen just right now the hostile environment created by the Conservatives in the Wirral.

“It is Labour who have led every piece of anti racist legislation in this country.

“As you know from our last council meeting, this Birdie has a self-deprecating sense of humour.

“I am sorry for any offence caused by my plays on words – that was not my intention.”

Speaking about the Labour budget, approved last night and containing measures such as a cash windfall for New Ferry, a council tax rise of 2.99% and regeneration for Birkenhead, she said: “As councillor for Bromborough and New Ferry, I welcome the proposed budget and the much-needed fund for New Ferry.

“The fund will help rebuild lives and livelihoods of people and traders devastated by gas explosion almost two years ago. Thank you for all your support.”

Cllr Bird was suspended by her party after a recording was leaked to the Jewish Chronicle of her saying it was unfair to suspend Marc Wadsworth last year after a confrontation with Labour MP Ruth Smeeth in 2016. She added that “due process” should be known as “Jew process”.

In the recording, those present at the meeting in Manchester last year are heard laughing and clapping at both her statement, and another from suspended MP Chris Williamson. An article she wrote for the Jewish Voice for Labour site struck a similar tone on the issue.Cllr Bird also came under fire for another part of the recording released by the Jewish Chronicle, in which she adapted the famous ‘First they came…’ poem by German theologian and Lutheran pastor Martin Niemoller.

She was heard saying: “They came for the anti-zionists, and I stood up because I was not a target, I stood up in solidarity. And then they came for the socialists but they couldn’t get us because we were having a party, the Labour Party.”

The comments were condemned, and she is understood to have been suspended by Labour pending investigation.

On Monday, a spokeswoman said: “The Labour Party takes all complaints of antisemitism extremely seriously and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it in all its forms. All complaints about antisemitism are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.”

Her comments were also criticised by Countdown star Rachel Riley, who wrote on Twitter: “Absolutely aghast listening to JVL’s Jo Bird, take a poem about the Holocaust, remove the Jews, to replace them with persecution of anti-racists and anti-Zionists. Sickening.”

The Tory-led walk-out at Wallasey Town Hall on Monday was greeted by cries of “shame” from Labour members sitting around Cllr Bird in the chamber on Monday – one of those being outspoken Cllr Tony Norbury.

On Monday night, he issued a strong statement on social media defending his colleague, who he called “one of the bravest, most principled people I have ever had the pleasure to call my friend”.

He added: “Not many would have stood up, took it to the Tories and cleared them out of the chamber.”I have never seen that happen before and it’s a pity they were allowed back in after that terrible attempt to censor democracy. They and the splitters should be ashamed.”