Labour’s conference may still be a month off, though Sir Keir is already facing headaches on multiple fronts. Young Labour chair Jess Barnard has published a lengthy Twitter thread bemoaning the party’s efforts to muzzle its youth wing and distance itself from its far-left politics. This is, of course, the same Young Labour that expressed ‘solidarity’ with the Cuban government, saying it fully supports “an end the illegal blockade of Cuba and stands in solidarity with Cubans against US imperialism.” Can you imagine why Starmer way want to put some distance between himself and the Labour youth wing?

Writing this afternoon, Barnard claims to have heard “nothing from Keir Starmer or the leaders [sic] office since being elected almost a year ago”, and that following the cancellation of their own YL conference, Labour’s General Secretary David Evans has now reneged on his promise to “provide YL with more resources at national conference [in Brighton] to make up for it.” Apparently the party just doesn’t have the time to run all those due diligence checks on its young socialists…

Young Labour aren’t the only ones making bad conference headlines; Labour’s elected leader in Wales, Mark Drakeford, has shocked political rivals by agreeing to appear alongside independent MP Jeremy Corbyn and recently expelled Ken Loach at a fringe event. Drakeford, fresh off bungling Wales’ response to the Covid crisis, will appear at The World Transformed fringe tent. Wales Against Antisemitism has expressed rage at his appearance, asking why the First Minister thinks it “appropriate to speak at this event, given the antisemitism controversies involving many of his fellow speakers?” – a question Welsh Conservative Leader is also levelling at Drakeford:

“This demonstrates a huge lack of judgment and sensitivity on the First Minister’s part – how will Wales’ Jewish community feel in seeing him cosy up with those who have shown disregard to the very real presence of the world’s oldest form of racism in the Labour Party?

Drakeford’s actions begs the question of why he thinks it is appropriate to make friends with those Sir Keir Starmer has said has no place in the Party.”

Recently the left was wetting themself with excitement over Corbyn’s forthcoming appearance at Labour conference, claiming “Centrists are fuming over his attendance.” Guido had to point out that the absolute boy’s in fact appearing in a field… ten minutes down the road.