Left-wing activist and Guardian columnist Owen Jones has been kicked out of the Labour Party conference in Liverpool due to what officials called “safeguarding concerns”, prompting accusations of “pathetic, Trumpian behaviour” from the prominent journalist.
Mr Jones, who quit the Labour Party in March 2024 after 24 years of membership, arrived at the ACC Liverpool venue on Sunday to carry out filming but had his pass revoked just before midday on Monday, hours before Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s keynote speech.
The 41-year-old activist, who writes a column for the Guardian and has 776,000 YouTube subscribers, accused Labour of attempting to silence questions about Britain’s role in what he called Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.
“Labour has cancelled my Conference Pass. Absolutely pathetic, Trumpian behaviour,” Mr Jones wrote on social media platform X. “They are here suggesting that attempts to question Cabinet members and MPs about Britain facilitating Israel’s genocide is a ‘safeguarding issue’. This is clearly insane.”
Decade of Conference Coverage Ended
The socialist columnist emphasised that he had been filming videos at both Labour and Conservative conferences for a decade, involving attempts to question ministers on issues he claims most media outlets refuse to address.
“After countless videos, this is the first time my pass has been revoked,” Mr Jones stated, suggesting the timing was deliberately coordinated ahead of the Prime Minister’s speech.
In an email to Mr Jones seen by multiple outlets, Labour’s conference team wrote: “We have a responsibility to safeguard all our delegates, staff, volunteers, and visitors, and to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for everyone at conference.”
The party added: “After careful consideration, we’ve concluded that we cannot continue your attendance while ensuring we meet our safeguarding obligations to all attendees. We hope you’ll understand that this decision was made with everyone’s wellbeing in mind.”
Despite being removed from this year’s conference, which runs from Sunday 28 September to Wednesday 1 October, Mr Jones will be permitted to reapply for a pass at future events.
Historic Break with Labour
Mr Jones’s ejection comes six months after he dramatically quit the Labour Party in March 2024, claiming that Sir Keir Starmer had created “a hostile environment” for anyone “to the left of Peter Mandelson.
The activist, who had been a Labour member since the age of 15, cited multiple grievances including the party’s stance on Gaza, abandonment of key policy pledges, and what he described as Labour becoming indistinguishable from the Conservatives on economic and social policy.
“My decision isn’t based on a desire to see Labour forever in the wilderness,” Mr Jones wrote in his Guardian column at the time. “Reaching it has been a gradual, painful process of realising the party won’t even do the bare minimum to improve people’s lives.”
He specifically criticised Starmer for abandoning pledges made during his 2020 leadership campaign, including scrapping university tuition fees, supporting public ownership of rail, energy and water, strengthening trade union powers, and abolishing the House of Lords.
Mr Jones also condemned Labour’s position on Israel’s war in Gaza, stating: “We all have political red lines: mine is supporting what would amount to war crimes against innocent civilians, toddlers and newborn babies among them.”
Support for Green Alternative
Following his departure from Labour, Mr Jones threw his support behind We Deserve Better, a pressure group backing Green and independent candidates against Labour. The group supported Green co-leader Carla Denyer against shadow cabinet member Thangam Debbonaire in Bristol Central, where Denyer won, and backed other candidates in Labour-held seats.
Most recently, Mr Jones endorsed Zack Polanski during his successful run in the 2025 Green Party of England and Wales leadership election. He was reportedly at the conference with Polanski before his pass was revoked.
The activist suggested the movement could exert pressure on Labour from the left in the way Reform UK influences Conservative opinion from the right, stating that “Starmer has alienated Labour’s base and taken seats for granted based on an arrogant assumption that those voters have nowhere else to go.
Starmer Launches Attack on Farage
The controversy over Mr Jones’s expulsion coincided with Sir Keir Starmer using his keynote conference speech to launch a blistering attack on “snake oil merchant” Nigel Farage, whom he accused of not “liking” Britain.
In his address to delegates on Tuesday, the Prime Minister declared Britain faced “a fight for the soul of our country” and a choice between “decency or division” as he sought to rally his party against Reform UK, which has been consistently topping opinion polls.
“When was the last time that you heard Nigel Farage say anything positive about Britain’s future?” Sir Keir asked delegates. “He can’t. He doesn’t like Britain. Doesn’t believe in Britain. He wants you to doubt it as much as he does. So he resorts to grievance.”
The Prime Minister had earlier described Reform’s immigration policies as “racist” and “immoral”, specifically targeting their proposal to abolish indefinite leave to remain status and potentially deport hundreds of thousands of legal migrants.
Labour’s Polling Crisis
The conference takes place against a backdrop of dire polling for Labour, with only 13 per cent of voters satisfied with Starmer’s government whilst 79 per cent are dissatisfied, according to Ipsos – marking the worst score of any prime minister since the firm started collecting data in 1977.
Reform UK, led by Mr Farage, has capitalised on discontent over the cost-of-living crisis and rising concern over immigration, consistently topping British polls for weeks despite holding just five of the 650 seats in the House of Commons.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham had sparked speculation about a potential leadership challenge, warning that the party needed to change direction “quite radically”, though he insisted on Monday he believes Sir Keir remains the right man for the job.
Mixed Reactions to Expulsion
The expulsion of Mr Jones prompted divided reactions from Labour figures. Luke Akehurst, a member of Labour’s national executive committee, dismissed Jones’s new political initiatives, suggesting they would be “as unsuccessful as every previous breakaway from the Labour Party”.
However, another Labour MP, speaking to media outlets, said: “Only the most factional of members will celebrate the loss of Owen from the party. A tireless activist and writer, he has campaigned in scores of seats and in numerous campaigns.”
The MP added: “Whether you agree with him or not, it is hard not to see this as a sad day for the party. Historically from its inception the party has always been a home for such activists. His argument that despite generations of his family’s involvement he no longer feels at home in Labour is an indictment the party would do well not to ignore.”
The New Statesman had named Jones 45th in The Left Power List 2024, noting that his “future influence will hinge on the electoral performance of the non-Labour left”.
As Labour faces crucial local and regional elections in May 2025, with many predicting poor results, the exclusion of prominent left-wing voices like Jones highlights the deep divisions within the party over its direction under Starmer’s leadership.
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Image Credit:
Owen Jones — photo by Policy Exchange (or appearing at Policy Exchange event) — licensed under CC BY 4.0
