[Jimbuna]

The former shadow chancellor John McDonnell has claimed Labour is losing members "hand over fist".

In a BBC interview, he suggested that disciplinary action against some members on the Left of the party had made many others feel "unwelcome", and in some cases "intimidated".

He is calling for the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to call a summit with his critics next week, as Labour prepares for its in-person annual conference, to address their 'grievances".

Otherwise, he said, an internal party row could dominate the first day of the Labour conference in Brighton.

And he was critical of the way Labour's disciplinary process is being applied.

In July, Labour's ruling body - the National Executive - declared that membership of four groupings would be incompatible with party membership.

In other words, these groups were banned, or, in the jargon, proscribed.

Three of the groups - Labour Against the Witchhunt, Labour in Exile network, and Resist - had been criticised by party officials for downplaying the toxic anti-Semitism issue.

Labour is duty-bound to follow an action plan agreed with the Equality and Human Rights Commission to tackle anti-Semitism, following a report published in 2020.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-58591455

It would appear the opposition party are intent on destroying themselves from within.