Owen Jones clashes with Lord Mann ahead of being banned from Labour conference

Owen Jones had his access to the Labour Party conference revoked, just hours after an attempt to challenge the government’s antisemitism adviser, Lord John Mann, over his views on Israel backfired.

The left-wing commentator, who resigned from Labour last year, was notified via email that he had been banned from the conference ahead of Keir Starmer’s speech on Tuesday.

Jones claimed the ban was a result of “an attempt to question Cabinet members and MPs about Britain facilitating Israel’s genocide.” However, Jewish News has learned that the Guardian columnist was left “red-faced and flustered” after trying to confront Lord John Mann at the conference in Liverpool on Monday.

According to witnesses, Jones approached Mann with a videographer and said he wanted to discuss speeches Mann had made about Israel. The peer reportedly responded, “What speeches?”

Jones hesitated and replied, “I will have to Google them.”

“At that point, Lord Mann took hold of the microphone and said he wanted to interview Jones about his own views on Israel,” a source told Jewish News. “Jones went a bit red and started to look a bit frightened, to be honest.

“Mann then asked Jones about his views on a two-state solution. Jones said he believed in a one-state solution. He appeared embarrassed to now be the one facing questions.

“It looked like Lord Mann continued the interview with Jones’s videographer. Jones was clearly annoyed, but many of those who witnessed the exchange were laughing at him.”

Jones did not resume his attempt to quiz Mann on Israel.

An email from “Team Labour” said that Jones’s access had been revoked for “safeguarding” reasons.

In a post on X, Jones wrote: “Labour has cancelled my conference pass. Absolutely pathetic, Trumpian behaviour.

“They are suggesting that an attempt to question Cabinet members and MPs about Britain facilitating Israel’s genocide is a ‘safeguarding issue’. This is clearly insane.”