The UK government has barred leading Swedish human rights and climate campaigner Andreas Malm from entering the UK. As with other campaigners for Palestinian rights, the Burnham regime has used the excuse that Malm’s “presence in the UK is not considered to be conducive to the public good”.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn condemned the “absurd and outrageous” move and said it demonstrated the anti-democratic nature of the current and recent complicit UK governments that is damaging the UK’s reputation globally:
This is an absurd and outrageous decision which must be reversed immediately.
This is not the behaviour of a government that believes in freedom and democracy. What kind of society are we living in where world-renowned authors and campaigners are treated as enemies and threats? The real threat to our society is this government’s assault on freedom of expression.
This is not an isolated incident — and the government should know that it is gaining a bad reputation for censorship and repression. We know why the government has taken this decision: because it wants to silence criticism of Israel, as well as its own complicity in genocide. It will not succeed.
Shameful track record
Irish author Sally Rooney has also been targeted by the UK government for her solidarity with Palestinians. She condemned the blocking of the “brilliant and influential” Malm as “outrageous” and “frightening”.
Malm had been scheduled to speak at a Tribune magazine launch event, as well as to participate in an academic conference and feature on the BBC. He said he was “deeply dismayed” at the “scandalous” ban:
I am deeply dismayed at this sudden ban on travelling to the UK. I have been going to the UK for decades — this is where I did my archival research for my PhD dissertation and lectured at dozens of universities and participated in even more conferences.
I have always considered the UK a centre of the world of ideas, where differences in opinions and scientific approaches can be aired freely.
Former Greek government minister Yanis Varoufakis said that the ban showed that Andy Burnham is no better than his Israel-fanatic predecessor.
Varoufakis is absolutely right – but with most of the people who handled Keir Starmer now running Burnham, it’s no surprise. Burnham continues to out and shame himself to protect genocidal Israel.