Cabinet minister claims Labour candidates were 'hounded' during the General Election campaign over their stance on the war in Gaza

Candidates for Labour were 'hounded' during the General Election campaign over the war in Gaza, a senior Cabinet minister has said.

Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said Jonathan Ashworth faced 'pretty ugly intimidation', as did other candidates.

Mr Ashworth lost his Leicester South seat to a pro-Gaza Independent in the election.

He said he was 'chased down the street', 'shouted at' and even had to seek refuge in a vicarage. Mr Ashworth said he had 'never known a campaign of such vitriol, such bullying, such intimidation'.

Mr McFadden, who was Labour's election campaign co-ordinator, said he wants to 'stand up for campaigning in the right way'. 

Speaking on the BBC's Political Thinking podcast, Mr McFadden said: 'You want free debate, but I don't want to see candidates hounded, surrounded by people filming everything, trying to goad them into a reaction in the street.'

He added: 'There is clearly a level of anger with us in parts of the community... and we have to see that and think about it.'

Mr McFadden added: 'Jonathan was subject to some pretty ugly intimidation in the street, other candidates were too. We've got a right to point that out.

'I want to stand up for campaigning in the right way.'