It looks like John McDonnell has backed down from a rare bout of sensible foreign policy opinion-having: having previously signed an EDM in support of Cuban human rights protests and the release of the country’s political prisoners, McDonnell has now withdrawn his support for the motion, without explanation. A real shame; it looked like McDonnell had finally come to his senses about the Cuban government’s mass violence against its own citizens. Apparently not.

The full text of the motion read:

“That this House notes that the Cuban civil society movement, Archipiélago, has called for marches on the 15 November 2021 against violence, to demand that all Cubans’ rights are respected, for the release of political prisoners and for the solution to their differences via democratic and peaceful channels; further notes that the Cuban government has thus far denied the right of citizens to protest peacefully and continues to detain and imprison those who peacefully protested on 11 July 2021; and calls on the Cuban government to allow peaceful protest, release political prisoners and to engage in meaningful dialogue with Cuban civil society.”