Sir Keir Starmer 

• REFERRING to the councillors, and other candidates, that were barred from seeking election, Sir Keir Starmer says Labour had a candidate selection process that was the same for everybody, (Sir Keir backs Labour’s candidate selection process, March 24).

Really? He says there are lots of people who have supported him on some things and not on others, and that’s absolutely fine.

Well not at all. One of the reasons I was barred was that I criticised the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of anti-Semitism; weak, woolly, equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, and not even supported by its author.

I’m not aware that anyone else was quizzed about a definition of anti-Semitism.

He goes on to say that anyone not supporting his stance on NATO risks suspension. I wasn’t aware that support for NATO is about the identity of the Labour Party, as he says.

So to hold the view, as I do, that the stealthy eastward expansion of NATO was provocative, that further expansion must be ruled out, and that NATO has engaged in wars that were not defensive, is not “absolutely fine”.

Back in 2014 when a hitherto apolitical Sir Keir Starmer was seeking selection as a parliamentary candidate, as a local branch chair I was one of the first people Keir came to seeking support, I recall he even bought me a drinking chocolate.

Now he is quite happy to dismiss me and other councillors as not delivering what is best for Camden, even though election literature I have seen takes pride in achievements that we have brought about.

A funny old world.

SIMON PEARSON
(Outgoing) Labour councillor
for Swiss Cottage ward