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Progress director at Labour First rally 'spits venom' about Palestine supporters

PROGRESS director Nathan Yeowell disparaged Palestine supporters at the Labour Party conference today, saying that their lanyards made it easy to identify who to “avoid.”

Mr Yeowell, the newly appointed head of Blairite pressure group Progress, was speaking at the Labour First rally on the second day of the conference.

Anti-Corbyn Labour MPs such as deputy party leader Tom Watson, Ruth Smeeth and Margaret Hodge also spoke at the rally.

Some of those present laughed when Mr Yeowell said: “There are all those people wandering around very strangely with their Palestinian solidarity lanyards on.

“Although it is great because you can actually see who they are and know who to avoid.”

However, the Morning Star spoke to three people who attended the “moderate” Labour First meeting who were also wearing Palestine Solidarity Campaign lanyards.

They did not want to be identified, but said they have each been party members for up to 40 years — though they quit during Tony Blair’s premiership but returned to vote for Jeremy Corbyn to be leader.

One said it was “hard to sit in that meeting and listen to the venom they were spitting out.

“It goes against what Margaret Hodge was saying about it being a ‘broad church’.”

Another in the group said: “They do not want a broad church. They want a right-wing Labour government. I did not expect to hear that kind of talk.”

She added: “All three of us regret voting for Tom Watson to be Labour deputy leader, especially after seeing his attitude and arrogance during the meeting.”

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