SIR Keir Starmer and Jeremy Corbyn will be enemies for life – according to former Tory defence Secretary Michael Portillo.

Mr Portillo was speaking as the Labour Party announced it is no longer being monitored by the equalities watchdog.

Describing the pair’s likely relationship moving forward he told GB News: “I would say enemies for life.

“The surprising thing about the House of Commons to many people might be that there are very strong friendships between the parties, and very strong enmities within the parties.

“I have very good friends in the Labour Party, and they were only my rivals in a way every five years at election time, whereas the people in my own party, when I was Defence Secretary, they all wanted my job.

“They couldn’t have been happier if I took a tumble, and our job was available to them, so I think it’s much easier to get on with the other side.”

Mr Portillo also discussed Labour’s record on anti-semitism during Breakfast with Eamonn Holmes and Isabel Webster on GB News.

He said: “The fact they’re coming out of special measures is Starmer’s opportunity to blow a trumpet and say that the party has changed a great deal.

“I wouldn’t dispute that that is true, although some organisations which are concerned about anti semitism are still very concerned about the Labour Party because they think that some of the people who are perpetrators are still in the party.

“Jeremy Corbyn is not in the party. Starmer makes it very clear that he will not be a Labour candidate at the next election.

“But there are others who are associated with the Corbyn regime who are still members of the party.”