A CONTROVERSIAL event has been cancelled for the second time.

MP Chris Williamson was originally due to speak at the Brighthelm Centre, Brighton, alongside the auction of a banned Steve Bell cartoon on Thursday.

The Derby North MP was suspended from the Labour Party over anti-Semitism allegations.

The venue pulled out last month following an intervention by Hove Labour MP Peter Kyle.

The event was then scheduled to take place tomorrow at the Holiday Inn Brighton Seafront.

But the hotel has now said the talk has been cancelled.

A representative for the hotel said it would not be issuing a statement.

A now deleted tweet from an account purporting to be from Kew Green Hotels, who operate the hotel in Kings Road, said it was cancelled as “we do not support or give credence to extreme beliefs”.

But organiser Greg Hadfield said an email sent to him by the venue puts the blame on “abuse and threats” made by the public.

The pro-Corbyn activist shared the email, which he said was sent to him by the hotel’s events team, on his Twitter.

It read: “Over the past 24 hours, our hotel and employees have been subjected to abuse and threats from members of the public on the phone, on email and on social media outlets.

“We cannot allow our guests and employees to be put at potential harm and we will therefore have to cancel your booking with the Holiday Inn Brighton.”

The Argus rang the hotel’s events team, but they refused to confirm the email’s legitimacy.

Mr Williamson was suspended in February after saying Labour had “given too much ground” in a remark about the party’s handling of anti-Semitism.

The August 8 event would have also seen the auction of a signed version of a controversial Steve Bell cartoon which The Guardian refused to publish.

Campaigners against anti-Semtism have described the cancellation of the August 8 event as a victory.

The Sussex Jewish Representative Council said: “There should be no place in our City of Sanctuary for racism, bigotry, antisemitism or homophobia.

“Just as our city this weekend celebrated Pride and rejected homophobia and transphobia, so we reject antisemitism and are grateful to all those who stand alongside us.”

And Peter Kyle, MP for Hove and Portslade, added: “I dream of a time when every inch of our city’s meeting space is used by people who want to unite our community, unlike this which will only sew division, fear or hate.”