‘Sir Keir has been conflating democracy with dictatorship and freedom with suppression’

• ONCE again Sir Keir Starmer has raised the bar for audacity.

He has put his name to a 600-word article in last week’s Islington Tribune, and elsewhere, giving his unshakeable support for press freedom while vilifying censorship and silencing of messengers.

He seems to have conveniently forgotten that the unelected enforcers in his own party have systematically dismantled local constituency teams, prevented journalists from witnessing key speeches at conference, shut down Twitter accounts and have gagged anybody deemed to lack the necessary “business competence” to discuss pertinent issues.

Meanwhile Sir Keir has personally sacked MPs from his cabinet for retweeting truthful statements or expressing solidarity with striking workers.

If Sir Keir had a genuine interest in free speech or human rights then he would have cited the shocking treatment of Julian Assange in his article. But instead he chose to waffle on about press coverage of royal events, sports highlights, and Nato’s insatiable appetite for war.

Clearly Sir Keir has been conflating democracy with dictatorship and freedom with suppression. And if he thinks his opinions will be respected in a borough like Islington, where he has alienated and demoralised a huge cross-section of voters, then he needs to think again.

IAN SHACKLOCK
Monsell Road, N4