A judge has refused Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell’s attempt to give evidence at the trial of 13 climate protesters accused of blockading a Heathrow runway. Plane Stupid supporters are alleged to have cut a hole in a fence at the airport before chaining themselves to railings on the north runway in July 2015. They apparently even wore nappies so they didn’t have to break the strike to nip to the loo…

McDonnell wanted to give evidence defending “the benefits of direct action”, yet District Judge Deborah Wright deemed what he had to say irrelevant:

“It (his witness statement) gives an opinion about the debate around the expansion of Heathrow and talks about the benefits of direct action, which he says may cause short term inconvenience. In order to allow his evidence to be given I have to be able to say that it is relevant. I am therefore not going to allow Mr McDonnell to give give evidence.”

That’s the same direct action advocate John McDonnell who previously endorsed spitting in your boss’ tea. What is it with Labour’s top two and defending alleged criminals in court?