The GMB Congress has descended into an even bigger farce than expected after it passed a motion to outlaw Blairite pressure group Progress from the Labour Party. In a frothing attack, the GMB slammed Progress for accepting the need for spending cuts, undermining Ken Livingstone’s campaign and briefing against Ed Miliband to the press. The decision of Progress patron Lord Sainsbury to stop donating to the party might also have something to do with it… 

The motion, which lays into Miliband and Balls for failing to bring about a socialist revolution, appears to be part of a summer putsch of centre-left Labour figures. At least this means Dan Hodges will have some company. Their ten point lead in the polls should see Labour go into their most buoyant conference in years, yet it seems the left are determined to turn it in to a witch-hunt…

UPDATE: Dan Hodges was for three years up until 2003 the GMB’s director of communications.