Labour shuts down London conference entirely in middle of chair’s speech to prevent her criticising Keir Starmer

Starmer’s sockpuppets and apologists now desperately trying to claim Kathryn Johnson was being libellous, which delegates say is a lie. She will have chance to deliver it in full on Socialist Telly on Monday night

Labour has outraged members today by shutting down its London conference in the middle of the outgoing Conference Arrangements Committee chair’s speech, apparently because she was speaking critically of Keir Starmer – and, ironically, of the party’s anti-democratic conduct.

The cowardly action began with regional officials muting Ms Johnson in full flow in the online conference session – and then abruptly terminating the conference altogether with no explanation.

The party’s apologists, in what appears to be a coordinated move, are now attempting to limit the damage by claiming she was cut off because she was being libellous – a claim attendees at the conference say is entirely untrue:

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Our CLP member Kathryn was giving a magnificent closing speech to #LonLab21 when HQ pulled the plug on her and the whole conference. "News managers" are now working overtime on twitter to say that she was being libellous, which is completely & utterly untrue. https://t.co/bnOD8zZmFg

— Richard Hering #SaveSheikhJarrah (@PerfecWagnerite) July 25, 2021

Another speaker who went off-script to criticise Starmer and the party’s attack on members was also muted earlier. Members had already complained about the party bringing conference forward from November – against the wishes of elected regional executive members – in order to hold it online where it could be tightly controlled, rather than in person as planned.

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Left speechless by Stalinesque move by #LabourParty HQ pulling plug on electrifying, closing words by Kathryn Johnson at #LondonLabour2021 because she reminded conference what the Labour movement is about 🌹✊🏽 speaking for the many not the few #KathrynJohnson4LabourLeader

— Apala Chowdhury (@raspberryberet2) July 25, 2021

This frontal assault on free speech is the latest in the party’s ongoing war on its members human and democratic rights – but Ms Johnson will have the opportunity to say her piece in a Socialist Telly special on Monday night, starting at 8pm.

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Labour delegate prevented from asking questions about the Forde report and reinstating the whip to Corbyn at London labour Conference – and then ejected from the meeting 🤬#LondonLabour2021 #LondonLab21

— Michael Calderbank #ThanksNHS #GTTO (@Calderbank) July 25, 2021

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The benefits of a July Zoom conference, being able to pull the plug on speakers compared to a November in person conference as was already agreed by the outgoing London REC, which we argued for on the NEC

Todays events are evidence of more leadership control freakery. https://t.co/zoeKFtJDtG

— Mish Rahman (@mish_rahman) July 25, 2021

Make sure to tune in via Socialist Telly’s and Skwawkbox’s social media feeds – and to spread the word so that Labour’s attempt to gag its elected officials who dare to speak out fails as abjectly as it deserves to.

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