THE National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned Labour’s withdrawal of press accreditation for a member to cover its annual conference and called for the decision to be overturned.

Independent journalist Asa Winstanley, who writes for the Electronic Intifada publication, was granted press accreditation on July 22 to cover Labour’s annual conference in Brighton from September 21 to 25.

But he received an email from the Labour press team three weeks later telling him that his credentials had been cancelled due to his personal suspension from the party pending an investigation.

The NUJ said the union made repeated requests to the Labour Party for an explanation for banning the journalist from the conference.

Thirteen days later the NUJ was told that “Asa Winstanley is currently suspended as a member of the Labour Party and the terms of that suspension prevent him from attending Labour Party meetings.”

The union said it was apparent that “those in the Labour Party responsible for this action believe that suspension from membership of the Labour Party gives them a blanket reason to refuse access to conference, even in a journalistic capacity.”

NUJ organiser David Ayrton said: “It is wholly unacceptable for a journalist to be refused access in this way. An individual journalist’s political affiliation or party membership has no bearing on their work.”

He said the ban was “a disturbing breach of press freedom” and called for the journalist’s reinstatement with accreditation to cover the conference.

The Labour Party has been contacted for comment.

Labour told the Star last month that another Electronic Intifada journalist had been accredited.