Corbyn supporter John Macdonald, who is great-nephew of former Labour PM, accuses party of ‘Stalinist’ approach

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

The great-nephew of Clement Attlee claims to have been suspended from the Labour party because he posted a picture on social media of David Cameron with a Hitler moustache.

John Macdonald, a longtime Labour member who supports Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership, said he initially could not work out why he was suspended for activity on 8 August 2015.

However, he eventually found he had reposted a meme on that date of David Cameron mocked up as Hitler alongside a quote from the Nazi dictator about the best way of taking control of people being to take a little of their freedom at a time.

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Speaking to the Guardian, Macdonald accused the party’s headquarters of a “Stalinist” approach to suspending members.

“They are not going for [Labour leadership challenger] Owen Smith supporters,” he said. “It just seemed to be Jeremy Corbyn supporters.”

The image of Cameron with a Hitler moustache that Macdonald reposted. Photograph: Facebook

He also questioned why the post from over a year ago had been dug up in the middle of the leadership election.

Earlier in the summer, Macdonald posted a joint letter of support for Corbyn along with another descendant of Attlee, the Labour former prime minister who created the welfare state, arguing that Corbyn could have a similar legacy.

“We urge all members and MPs to vote for and rally around Jeremy Corbyn so that the Labour party, under his leadership, can present the alternative government approach that is so desperately required for the economy of the United Kingdom and the wellbeing of its people,” the letter said.

“The Attlee government demonstrated emphatically that this can be achieved and we urge the party to place their confidence in a strategy rooted in this most successful and ground-breaking era of Labour government history but recalibrated for the 21st century.”



Labour declined to comment on the case, but said it had a “robust validation process for all votes to ensure every vote cast is eligible in keeping with the Labour party rules” and pointed out that decisions about individual members are taken by the national executive committee.

“Members who have been contacted by the Labour party to confirm they are not deemed eligible to vote can contact the party to obtain the evidence considered by the NEC,” the spokeswoman said.

It comes amid a continuing row about the suspension of Labour members, with many supporters of Corbyn suggesting they are being deliberately purged to increase the chances of Smith winning. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, has accused Labour officials of orchestrating a “rigged purge of Jeremy Corbyn supporters”.