THE Conservative candidate for St Helens South and Whiston Richard Short is under investigation by the party over allegations of anti-Semitism.

Mr Short is one of three Tory candidates standing in Thursday's general election, along with Sally-Ann Hart and Lee Anderson, facing claims relating to their social media use.

READ MORE > What voters in St Helens are saying about the general election

Labour has called for the candidates to be suspended.

Mr Short is standing in St Helens South and Whiston in the election.

St Helens South and Whiston candidate Richard Short questioned in a tweet in 2013 whether journalist Melanie Phillips' allegiance was to the UK or Israel.

Andrew Gwynne, the Labour Party's National Campaign Coordinator, said: “Johnson must answer for the anti-Semitism being promoted in his name."

Appearing to refer to Mr Short, Mr Gwynne said one candidate had "accused British Jews of being more loyal to Israel than to the UK, a classic anti-Semitic trope".

He questioned why, after Boris Johnson had said earlier in the campaign that members who make such comments would be "out first bounce", the prime minister is "refusing to suspend these three candidates."

When asked by the Star earlier in the campaign about the tweet relating to Melanie Philips, Mr Short issued an apology over the matter and said it relates to before he had any parliamentary ambitions.

He said: "It was so long ago I can't actually remember the context in which it was written.

"I've given a full and frank and very sincere apology for that because it's not me, it's not something which reflects my values at all and I'm very sorry that people have been offended."

A Conservative Party spokesman said the party is committed to "stamping out the scourge" of anti-Semitism in society and "supporting our Jewish community".

He added: “These matters are being investigated.

“Discrimination or abuse of any kind is wrong and the Conservative Party takes decisive action to deal with any incidents of hatred, abuse or intimidation.

“Our complaints process is rightly a confidential one but there are a wide range of sanctions to challenge and change behaviour, including conditions to undertake training, periods of suspension and expulsion, and these are applied on a case-by-case basis.”