Former EastEnders star Lord Cashman has had the Labour whip suspended for suggesting Rosie Duffield was scared or lazy after she called off local hustings over safety concerns.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the peer’s comments were “particularly inappropriate”.

Ms Duffield, who is standing for re-election in Canterbury, has been the target of abuse over her defence of women’s rights and female-only spaces.

Former Labour MEP Lord Cashman commented on a social media post about Ms Duffield’s decision, saying she was “Frit. Or lazy”.

Sir Keir told reporters on a campaign visit that what Lord Cashman said was “particularly inappropriate and that’s why the support of the whip was withdrawn as it was very swiftly”.

Ms Duffield said the “extremely difficult decision” to cancel local hustings was made because the “actions of a few fixated individuals” had affected her “sense of security and wellbeing”.

She has faced allegations of transphobia about her defence of female-only spaces.

After the backlash to his remarks, Lord Cashman said: “I apologise unreservedly for a post that I put out regarding the Labour candidate for Canterbury. I fully understand any complaints that will be sent to the Labour Party.”

The 73-year-old has served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the West Midlands from 1999 to 2014.

He has been a member of the House of Lords since 2014.

He is a patron of Humanists UK and founded Stonewall in 1989 – a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights charity.

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is among those to have expressed her support for Ms Duffield’s decision not to attend local hustings.

Responding to a comment on X accusing the Canterbury candidate of being scared of a public forum, Ms Rowling said: “When you’ve had years of death and rape threats, physical intimidation, the necessity of hiring your own personal security and a total absence of support from your party, you can show us all what bravery looks like.”