A Labour conference delegate who spoke against uncritical support for the Ukrainian government on Tuesday has been suspended.
Angelo Sanchez of Leicester South CLP was the only speaker to oppose Composite 13 at conference, which backed sending more weaponry to the authorities in Kiev as it battles the Russian invasion.
Pointing out that the Ukrainian government has ripped up collective bargaining rights and banned opposition parties, Mr Sanchez had told conference:
It means that the future Labour government would be sending money to a government, the Ukrainian government, that is repressing the left in their own country, a government that is criminalizing socialist parties and imprisoning Ukrainian activists.
If you support this motion, motion 13 on Ukraine, you are not supporting the Ukrainian people, you are supporting only the United States, you are supporting neoliberalism, you are supporting imperialism.
Some delegates tried to shout him down as he spoke while others jeered that he was a “Putin apologist.” Another delegate, speaking at the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy (CLPD) fringe meeting on Tuesday night, said she had felt too intimidated to speak against the motion after seeing the way he was attacked, though she added that session chair Angela Eagle had stood up for his right to be heard and rebuked unruly delegates.
Mr Sanchez was suspended yesterday, the Morning Star understands–despite Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer claiming in his own conference speech to stand for tolerance of differing opinions within the party.