As Guido reported yesterday, constituency Labour branches are currently up in arms over an edict from HQ banning motions in support of Jeremy Corbyn. Despite the new rule, many hard-left cranks are ignoring General Secretary David Evans and pressing on regardless, with some 36 CLPs backing Corbyn with the result that at least half-a-dozen local officials have been suspended. The hard left aren’t happy and are going on about Starmer’s suppression of debate and free speech.

Some digging through the Labour history archives reveals that it’s not the first time in recent living memory a Labour General Secretary has banned motions regarding individual disciplinary cases of hard-left figures. Under whose leadership did a General Secretary clamp down on such free speech? Miliband? Blair? Kinnock? It’s……… Jeremy Corbyn, banning local parties from voicing support for Chris Williamson:

“Please note that individual disciplinary cases that are being dealt with through the NEC disputes processes are confidential. Motions on individual cases are therefore not competent business for discussion at CLPs and will not be discussed by the NEC or any associated bodies.”

– Jennie Formby, 2019

Guido can’t recall many of the TrotsApp rent-a-gob crowd now whinging accusing Corbyn of suppressing debate and free speech at that time. Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.