On Wednesday, the government of Keir Starmer took the unprecedented decision to block Zwelivelile Mandla Mandela from entering the UK. The former South African MP and grandson of Nelson Mandela was supposed to speak at a series of pro-Palestine events across the country but, following the Home Office expressing doubts about his diplomatic passport (on which he has freely travelled until now), he was not issued with a visa.

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, who famously stated in 1997 that “our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians”, Mandla Mandela has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause, including the right of resistance. His outspoken stance made him the target of a concerted effort from pro-Zionist groups and right-wing media to which the government buckled.

This is but the latest attack by Keir Starmer’s government on the pro-Palestinian movement and, perhaps, should not come as much of a surprise when over half of his cabinet has received funding from pro-Israel lobbyists. Since coming to power in July, Labour has made few changes to the policies of their Conservative predecessors and has continued to provide Israel with military and diplomatic support – including by recently ruling out an arms embargo on the rogue state that is currently on trial for genocide at the International Court of Justice. Now, just as the when Conservative government stood side-by-side with the South African apartheid regime, Labour is choosing to be on the wrong side of history.

Reacting to the news, Ismail Patel, Chair of Friends of Al-Aqsa, said, “The UK government’s decision to prevent Mandla Mandela from speaking in the UK is a deeply concerning development that violates our democratic right to free speech. It once again exposes the blatant double standards through which the Palestinian solidarity movement is targeted and maligned for simply demanding an end to Israel’s war crimes and human rights violations. Since coming to power in July, Labour has shamelessly continued to stand in opposition to the British public by providing Israel with military and diplomatic support. This latest attempt to silence one of the global pro-Palestine movement’s loudest voices will not reverse this trend, nor will it deter us from continuing to organise for a free Palestine. We demand that the Labour government reverse its decision to obstruct Mandela’s entry into the country and illustrate its commitment to international law and the democratic right to free speech.”