SIR KEIR STARMER is being called on to “come clean” about the alleged hiring of a former Israeli “cyber spy” as his office’s social media manager.

Suspended and expelled Labour members are challenging the party’s leader to explain how Assaf Kaplan was hired and how much Sir Keir knew about his background working for Israeli intelligence.

Mr Kaplan served in the cyber warfare unit of Israeli intelligence, which, in 2014, was alleged to be using information on Palestinians for the purposes of extortion and blackmail, the Electronic Intifada has reported.

The Labour in Exile Network (LIEN) group claimed that Mr Kaplan has tried to track LIEN’s activities by following the group on Facebook and Twitter.

LIEN was recently formed to facilitate a fightback against scores of local party officers and chairs being suspended over motions in support of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, after his suspension and subsequent withdrawal of the whip following his reinstatement.

Group member Esther Giles was suspended in November as Bristol North West CLP secretary and branch chair after the passing of a motion calling for the reinstatement of Mr Corbyn.

She said that reports that Mr Kaplan was hired were “chilling,” adding: “We can only conclude that the Labour Party has hired this man to spy on us.

“We have a purge of the party going on at the moment, with at least 63 local party officers suspended for allowing their CLPs to discuss motions in support of Jeremy Corbyn and related matters.

 “There are still thousands of Corbyn supporters left in the party, and we think that the new regime will be looking for evidence to get rid of as many of them as it can.

“Kaplan appears to have the experience and track record needed to do just that.”