Labour MP Naz Shah has been criticised for attending an event promoting an extremist group at the House of Lords.

Naz Shah was spotted supporting Muslim Engagement and Development (Mend) to promote their Islamophobia Awareness Month in the House of Lords.

According to Guido Fawkes, “Mend is a very unsavoury group. They employ Azad Ali, a man who has written of his “love” for an al-Qaeda terrorist. They have defended Cage, the extremist group linked to Jihadi John. Their Twitter feed is awash with rants about the “Zionist Lobby”.”

Ms Shah was pictured with the group’s ex chief Sufyan Ismail who in 2015 spoke of “battering” the “Israel Lobby” in Parliament.

Ms Shah was suspended from the Labour Party in April for anti-Semitic tweets. She was reinstated in July after apologising. Since that time she has been working to rebuild her reputation, turn away from her past and help raise awareness for anti-Semitism.

Just last week Ms Shah attended a multi-faith, bridge-building event at a Reform Synagogue in Bradford.

Speaking to the Jewish Chronicle at the event Shah said, “I realised I was ignorant and I needed to learn about the Jewish faith and culture. I do not have hatred for Jewish people. I was never antisemitic but what I put out was antisemitic. I wanted to make a real apology rather than a politician’s apology.

“For me, the challenge of antisemitism and Islamophobia is now so personal, especially in the current political climate.”

However, following this new controversy, Tory MP Sir Eric Pickles said of Shah, “She’s taken an enormous step backwards.”

“It is not possible to be somebody fighting anti-Semitism and associate with people that revel in attacking Jewish people and the state of Israel.”

On her attendance, Ms Shah said: “I attended the event with many other MPs.”