Owen Jones springs questions on Dame Emily Thornberry

JOURNALIST and activist Owen Jones has accused his MP Emily Thornberry of being “absolutely shameless” after she labelled his questioning of her “bullying” with an “element of misogyny”, writes Isabel Loubser.

Mr Jones, who lives in Islington, had his Labour conference pass in Liverpool revoked on Monday after receiving an email that said there had been “complaints against [his] conduct”.

He accused the organisers of “Trumpian behaviour” and said the decision to cancel his accreditation was “clearly insane”.

The left-wing activist has made annual videos “doorstepping” ministers between meetings and interviewing members, and was this year asking them about their stance on Gaza.

Dame Emily was asked why she had implied that Israel had the right to cut off electricity and water in a Newsnight interview two years ago. She said she believed it would be a temporary measure while Israeli forces carried out a raid to save hostages held by Hamas.

In an interview with the Tribune the following day Dame Emily said: “I did say to him that I thought he was bullying me. I don’t think that if I’m a democratically-elected politician that that means that it’s right to chase me around and to insist that I pay attention to someone who has a microphone. I have other people I want to talk to, and other people have a right to talk to me too.”

She added: “How many men are treated like that? I didn’t see any men being chased by Owen Jones, I didn’t see any men with two cameras being chased. I just think there is a element of misogyny in all of this sometimes.”

Mr Jones has since released his conference film, which sees him intensely questioning several male Labour politicians. He said of Dame Emily’s comments: “This attempt by politicians to appropriate identity politics to protect themselves from scrutiny is a cynical attack on democracy.”