LEADERS of Young Labour have been barred “without any prior warning” from the party’s social media accounts.

The move follows left Labour MPs being forced to withdraw their names from a Stop the War Coalition (StWC) letter criticising Nato.

Young Labour activists had their access to the group’s social media account restricted “until further notice.” 

A tweet posted on Young Labour’s Twitter account said the party expected “certain standards of behaviour from those with responsibility for this page’s output.

“In particular, it has become apparent that the account has recently become actively detrimental to the party’s core objectives: to promote Labour candidates and policies, and to win elections.”

No indication has been given to Young Labour about what standards of behaviour are being referred too.

However, Young Labour recently hit out at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer over his criticisms of the StWC.

In a Guardian article earlier this month, Sir Keir said the anti-war campaigning of StWC was giving “succour to authoritarian leaders who directly threaten democracies.”

Jess Barnard, chair of Young Labour, said today that she was “deeply disappointed by the decision” taken without “prior warning or discussion.”

Ms Barnard said she was hoping to “resolve this issue” and was “seeking dialogue with the party.”

She added: “It is important that young members are not bullied into silence and we will continue to push for a democratic and autonomous Young Labour.”

Labour’s Momentum group said they condemned the attack on Young Labour and that the “leadership was exploiting this moment of global crisis to silence critics within the party.”

On Thursday, Labour clamped down on opposition by MPs to the party’s position on the Ukrainian conflict.

Eleven MPs who had signed a statement from StWC over Ukraine, which condemned Russia’s invasion and called on Nato to “call a halt to its eastward expansion,” were forced to withdraw their signatures under threat of the party whip being withdrawn.

A party spokesperson said the move showed Labour was “under new management” with Sir Keir.

The statement had been signed by Diane Abbott, John McDonnell, Richard Burgon, Ian Lavery, Beth Winter, Zarah Sultana, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Apsana Begum, Mick Whitley, Tahir Ali and Ian Mearns.

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn also signed the letter, as did MP Claudia Webbe, both of whom now sit as independents.

The Labour Party has been approached for comment.