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Labour lefties show their solidarity

Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Once the British left fought for civil rights, social justice and the brotherhood of man. But now such high principles have been discarded in favour of less grandiose battles, judging by the shenanigans of the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs. The group, established by Tony Benn’s supporters in 1982, boasts the backing of 33 Labour MPs with more comrades in the House of Lords.

Members spent the weekend organising a letter in defence of filmmaker Ken Loach, who revealed on Saturday that he has been expelled from the party. The group lionised Loach as ‘an outstanding socialist and a fierce opponent of discrimination’ and decried how ‘Ken is expelled while Islamophobes are welcomed.’ 

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Yet the letter also serves to illustrate the SCG’s own divides on this issue, with only 18 of the 33 Labour MPs co-signing the declaration.

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