Reporter Owen Jones has been expelled from the Labour conference due to concerns raised by the party about safeguarding.
A supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, Jones criticized Labour for what he described as behavior reminiscent of Donald Trump. He expressed surprise at having his conference pass revoked for the first time.
Sharing his thoughts on the matter, he wrote: “Labour has revoked my Conference Pass. This behavior is absurd, akin to Trump. They are suggesting that questioning Cabinet members and MPs about Britain’s involvement in Israel’s atrocities is a ‘safeguarding issue’.”
“This is completely unreasonable. I have been creating videos at Labour and Tory Conferences for ten years now. This involves attempting to get government officials to address questions that most media outlets avoid. Despite numerous videos, this is the first time my pass has been withdrawn.
“The Labour administration has supported and enabled one of the gravest crimes of our era. They may try to stifle scrutiny of this reality, but they cannot absolve themselves of guilt.”
In an email to the journalist from The Guardian explaining their decision, the party emphasized that it was a matter of safeguarding.
They stated: “We have a duty to protect all our attendees, staff, volunteers, and guests, and to uphold a secure and inclusive environment for everyone at the conference.
“After careful deliberation, we have determined that we cannot allow your attendance to continue while fulfilling our safeguarding responsibilities to all participants.
Although he has been removed from this conference, Owen Jones will have the opportunity to reapply for a pass in future events.
Receive daily UK political insights with our complimentary email newsletter delivered directly to your inbox.
