Ken Livingstone, the former mayor of London, has announced he is to quit the Labour party.
Livingstone has been suspended since 2016 following a row over comments he made about Adolf Hitler and Zionism.
The row escalated in dramatic fashion over the course of a single day, when a series of confrontations left him trapped in a toilet with a press pack outside.
Ken leaves BBC, pursued by press pack and a barking dog.
Shami Chakrabarti, the shadow attorney general who led a controversial review into anti-Semitism within the Labour party, had said earlier this year that he should not be allowed to remain in the party.
In a statement, Livingstone said: "I do not accept the allegation that I have brought the Labour Party into disrepute – nor that I am in any way guilty of anti-Semitism. I abhor antisemitism, I have fought it all my life and will continue to do so.
"I also recognise that the way I made a historical argument has caused offence and upset in the Jewish community. I am truly sorry for that."
He told the BBC that he was quitting as if he lost his case and was expelled, it would take another two years for a legal challenge to be resolved.
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, said: "Ken Livingstone’s resignation is sad after such a long and vital contribution to London and progressive politics, but was the right thing to do."
Livingstone's resignation was accepted positively by left-wing commentator Owen Jones.
Glad that Ken Livingstone has left the Labour Party. He could have gone down in history as a brilliant progressive Mayor, and just trashed his reputation. Now Labour has to keep desperately working on mending its relationship with Britain's Jews.
Other party members, however, were less positive about the events leading up to this point.
I'm glad Ken is no longer a member of the Labour Party, but it's an indictment of our disciplinary procedures that he wasn't expelled before. Rather than his achievements as twice leader of London govt, this is what he will be remembered for. But that's entirely his own fault
Jewish leaders had demanded Livingstone be expelled from the party by July, when they are due to hold a second meeting with Corbyn over anti-Semitism within the party.
Livingstone has jumped when he should have been expelled for his toxic and odious distortion of history. @jeremycorbyn calling it a 'sad day' demonstrates that he has still failed to grasp @UKLabour 's problem with antisemitism https://t.co/lk69J7gKRw