Updated

Britain's Labour Party has suspended one of its members in the House of Lords amid allegations he blamed a Jewish conspiracy for his prison sentence for dangerous driving.

Nazir Ahmed, 55, was jailed in 2009 for sending text messages shortly before his car was involved in a fatal crash.

The Times of London says that in an Urdu-language TV interview it has obtained, Lord Ahmed blamed his 12-week prison sentence on pressure put on courts by Jewish-owned media organization.

The Labour Party said Thursday it "deplores and does not tolerate" anti-Semitism and is suspending Ahmed pending an investigation.

Ahmed was also suspended from the party last year amid reports he offered a bounty for the capture of President Barack Obama — comments he denied.