Pressure by Keir Starmer on Kim Johnson to apologise for stating what leading NGOs, human rights groups and Palestinians have been saying for decades shows a worrying trend of ideological bullying in the Labour Party. Starmer's approach has more in common with leaders of tinpot dictatorships.

The word ‘apartheid’ aptly describes what Israel has been inflicting on Palestinians for 75 years. Reports from the world’s leading human rights organisations show that Israel’s systematic oppression and discrimination against Palestinians constitutes the crime of apartheid under international law.

Yet Starmer rejects the overwhelming evidence for this. Time and again Starmer completely fails to stand up for justice and international law. Instead, as Labour leader, Starmer pledges to ‘strengthen’ ties between the UK and Israel and fails to stand up for the right to boycott and BDS.

The words we use matter and we must not shy away from calling Israel an apartheid state. With a general election due next year, voters will undoubtedly treat Palestine as a key issue. Starmer will lose votes unless he recognises Israel for what it is - apartheid!