AN MP has called for a “full apology” from the BBC after it reported he had been suspended from the Labour party amid antisemitism allegations.

On Tuesday, BBC News reported that Andy McDonald, the MP for Middlesbrough since 2012, “was suspended by Labour for an alleged antisemitic remark”.

McDonald lost the Labour whip in October last year after he told a pro-Palestine rally: “Until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea, can live in peaceful liberty.”

The phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” is alleged to be antisemitic as it appears to call for the eradication of Israel and for Palestine to have all the land from the Jordan river to the Mediterranean.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked controversy in January after he stated: “The state of Israel has to control the entire area from the river to the sea.”

But McDonald did not call for either Palestine or Israel to control the land “from the river to the sea”, instead only calling for all people in that area to live in peace.

After the BBC’s report, McDonald wrote on social media: “@BBCNews have got this totally wrong and I am [in] touch with them and expect an apology, retraction and correction in the same medium tonight.”

The BBC later issued an on-air clarification.

It reported: “Andy McDonald is the MP for Middlesbrough and just to clarify for viewers, he is accused of bringing the Labour Party into disrepute after he made some comments at a pro-Palestinian rally where he called for peace for Israelis and Palestinians between the river and the sea.”

Responding to the clarification, McDonald said it was not enough.

The MP wrote: “I do not consider the clarification to be sufficient and I have, in addition, asked for a full apology, retraction and correction.

“I am assured that this will be done.”

BBC Newsnight previously deleted a post on Twitter/X in which Guardian political reporter Aletha Adu claimed that McDonald had been suspended for making an antisemitic remark.

The deletion was highlighted on social media by a user who wrote: “Earlier I posted about the Guardian's @alethaadu defaming Andy McDonald MP, falsely accusing him of making an ‘anti-semitic remark’.

READ MORE: Pro-Palestine Labour MP threatens to sue over 'defamatory' tweet

“@BBCNewsnight has deleted the clip but hasn't issued a correction or apology for the smear. What's going on?”

Responding, McDonald called for further apologies.

He wrote: “As I said no such thing, I invite @alethaadu and @BBCNewsnight to contact me, not only to apologise but to agree to do so publicly and to correct the record and undertake not to repeat their error.”

A BBC spokesperson said an apology had been issued on-air on BBC News at One on February 14.

They said: "Yesterday we reported that Andy McDonald – the MP for Middlesbrough – had been suspended by Labour for an alleged anti-semitic remark. This was incorrect. He was suspended for what the Labour Party called deeply offensive comments relating to the Israel-Gaza war. Mr McDonald denies this. 

"We apologise for the error."

Responding, McDonald accepted the correction. "I am grateful that @BBCNews has broadcast this retraction, correction and apology. Other print journalists have accepted their errors and done the same," he wrote.

"I trust MSM will now stop accusing me of things I have not said or done,  and they will quote the words I used and not the ones that they think I have used. "