It appears the Batley by-election has forced an awkward u-turn from Keir’s Starmer’s Labour party. As Guido first revealed this morning, Kim Leadbeater is now posting dog-whistle leaflets accusing the Prime Minister of being “silent on human rights abuses in Kashmir”, which seems a world away from 2020 when Starmer faced an onslaught from the left over accusations of him being neutral on the issue.

In April last year, Sir Keir – according to a Labour Party press release – took the “first steps to rebuild links with the Indian community“, in which he said he was “committed to working closely with Labour Friends of India to rebuild trust.” The same Labour Friends of India who have now slammed Labour for the leaflet and told them to withdraw it…

Starmer continued:

“We must not allow issues of the sub-continent to divide communities here”

Exactly what Labour is now doing in Batley. Guido can’t help wondering what Lisa Nandy – who in April told the Commons of her own personal connection to India, and how aware she was of the closeness of our two countries – must think of Labour’s latest cynical campaigning message…