Labour just banned me

I got banned from Labour conference. This is a party led by brittle, pathetic authoritarians

How pathetic is this.

I’ve been covering both Labour and Tory conferences now for 14 years or so.

For the past decade, we’ve been making annual videos at both. The format is very simple. We talk to a range of delegates about the big issues of the day, and how they think their parties are faring. We try and talk to ministers, too, even if that means chasing after them while their advisors try and knock us (i.e. me and a videographer) off balance.

What I’m particularly interested in is asking questions that other media outlets don’t tend to ask. Mainstream media organisations tend to critique political parties for, say, not clamping down hard enough on benefit claimants or migrants. They also tend to reduce politics to a soap opera of who is up and who is down.

That means trying to critique Tory ministers about, say, cuts to social security which drive children and their families into poverty. Sometimes they don’t like it, and either get stroppy or just refuse to answer the question. Others, like Michael Gove, try to filibuster with charm.

Right now, my focus is on British complicity in Israel’s genocide. Britain continues to sell crucial components for Israel’s F35 jets, which are slaughtering the people of Gaza. Israeli soldiers are trained on British soil, and British nationals freely serve in the IDF while it commits heinous war crimes. Britain shares intelligence with Israel, flies RAF surveillance jets over Gaza. Annual trade between the two countries is worth £6bn a year - with Britain refusing to impose sweeping sanctions.

I tried to question British Cabinet ministers about this, not least the Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who refused to answer questions about accepting Israel was committing genocide - after Labour Conference voted to declare it was - or about F35 component.

I questioned former Shadow Cabinet member Emily Thornberry, who disgraced herself by appearing on television at the beginning of the genocide. When the presenter repeatedly asked her whether Israel cutting off food, water and electricity violated international law, she answered: “I think that Israel has an absolute right to defend itself against terrorism.”

I also questioned Lord John Mann, who became extremely angry indeed, before grabbing the microphone and marching off with it.

There were many other interviews with Labour luminaries - and you can see the video tomorrow on my YouTube channel.

Today, I received an email from ‘Team Labour’ with the subject ‘Important Imformation [sic] about your Annual Conference Application’.

It says the following:

Dear Mr Jones,

Important: Your Conference Pass has been Cancelled

I’m writing to let you know that we’ve had to make the difficult decision to cancel your conference pass with immediate effect, following complaints we have received about your conduct.

Why we’ve taken this action

We have a responsibility to safeguard all our delegates, staff, volunteers, and visitors, and to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for everyone at conference. After careful consideration, we’ve concluded that we cannot continue your attendance while ensuring we meet our safeguarding obligations to all attendees.

At the end, it further says:

We hope you’ll understand that this decision was made with everyone’s wellbeing in mind. Any future applications for party events will be considered individually.

The language is frankly astonishing. What “complaints” about my “conduct” exactly? Anyone who has watched my party conference videos for the last ten years can see exactly what my “conduct” is.

As for the use of the word ‘safeguarding’ - what on earth does this mean exactly? As per the definition of the NHS, “Safeguarding means protecting a citizen’s health, wellbeing and human rights; enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.”

How does a journalist questioning government ministers about British complicity in genocide menace their health, wellbeing or human rights?

This is Trumpian behaviour. Donald Trump cancels the press credentials of journalists who displease him. His far-right cabal are now also conflating critique with the threat of violence.

Another left-wing journalist, Novara Media’s Rivkah Brown, also had her pass revoked. That’s a straightforward purge of left-wing journalists. A couple of years ago, left-wing commentators - such as myself - were removed from Labour’s press list. The same does not apply to Daily Mail or Daily Telegraph journalists.

Indeed GB News - which is frankly a hard right political operation more than a media organisation - has their own on site studio at Labour conference. You will see Labour MPs and ministers gladly queuing up to appear on the channel. Stephanie Peacock, the Sports Minister, has praised this extremist channel for giving her constituents a “voice.”

It’s noteworthy that a few days ago, Keir Starmer labelled Reform UK as “cowards” after they reportedly banned journalists from speaking to a local leader.

What this underlines, of course, is the Labour leadership see the right as legitimate opponents. The left, in their eyes, are completely illegitimate, beyond the pale, and must be crushed.

We’ve seen how they’ve operated as a Labour leadership. Starmer and his team deceived the membership in the 2020 Labour leadership contest, promising variously to nationalise utilities and services, hike taxes on the rich, scrap tuition fees, defend migrants’ rights, stand for peace and justice abroad - we could go on.

They then suspended Labour MPs who spoke out against Israel’s genocide. When predominantly Muslim councillors resigned, they boasted they were “shaking off the fleas”. On the eve of the 2025 general election, they attempted a purge of left-wingers, taking out the extremely popular and talented Faiza Shaheen, and only u-turning on Diane Abbott because of the scale of the backlash.

The right-wing hacks on the national executive committee divvied up constituencies they had no connection with, while rigging selections in favour of the blindly loyal. Ordinary members have been suspended for completely arbitrary reasons - a “climate of fear”, as Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham puts it.

Since the government was elected, they have repeatedly suspended Labour MPs - for opposing the Tory two child benefit cap, and for the failed attempt to attack disability benefits.

And we’ve seen their naked authoritarianism when it comes to legislation. They proscribed Palestine Action, a non-violent direct action group trying to stop British complicity in genocide, making them legally equivalent to ISIS and al-Qaeda, and meaning anyone who expresses support for them faces up to 14 years in prison.

Around 1,700 people have now been arrested for expressing support for Palestine Action, such as holding placards stating their opposition to genocide. Dozens of them were arrested for doing so outside Labour conference. Many of them are elderly.

This is a deeply authoritarian government - and it’s why we should oppose their plans to introduce digital ID. The last thing we should be doing is giving these people more power over us.

I should also add that - after years of attending - the Tories refused to give me a pass last year at all. Both parties are run by brittle, fragile authoritarians.

Obviously, I will keep scrutinising this terrible government, including their complicity in genocide. And yes, my conference pass is no biggie in the grand scheme of things. But it’s just one tiny example of the general trend towards authoritarianism.