A LABOUR MP has backed Owen Jones being banned from Labour conference, accusing him of “haranguing” MPs with “deranged” questions on Gaza.
The journalist and National columnist revealed that his conference pass had been "cancelled" with immediate effect earlier this week, branding the decision "clearly insane" and an example of “Trumpian behaviour”.
In an email he shared from Labour's conference services team, it was claimed his pass was cancelled "following complaints we have received about your conduct".
North Durham Labour MP Luke Akehurst has now claimed Jones should never have been given a pass because of his “anti-Labour political agenda”.
He has also suggested on social media that questions from GB News were “more pleasing” than scrutiny by Jones.
Akehurst wrote on Twitter/X: “Owen's an activist from another political party who came to conference to pursue, argue with and harangue MPs, including me, with deranged accusations of "complicity in genocide", in pursuit of an anti-Labour political agenda.
“He should never have been given a conference pass in the first place.”
Akehurst has been slammed for his comments with Albert Toth, a journalist with The Independent, saying Labour are setting a “terrible precedent”.
A terrible precedent being set here, with Labour's language and approach around media echoing Farage/Trump's. Owen is a journalist, he does not need to hide his views or be on a FTC at a legacy news brand for this to remain true. Scrutiny is not harassment. https://t.co/wdiC338IQa
— Albert Toth (@alb_toth) October 2, 2025
Sharing Akehurst’s post, he said: “A terrible precedent being set here, with Labour's language and approach around media echoing Farage/Trump's.
“Owen is a journalist, he does not need to hide his views or be on a FTC [full-time contract] at a legacy news brand for this to remain true. Scrutiny is not harassment.”
SNP councillor Mhairi Hunter branded Akehurst’s stance as “nuts”.
She set out how many journalists attending SNP conference next weekend “will be overtly anti-SNP” – with the majority of papers in the Scottish press having a pro-Union stance – but insisted they cannot be blocked from attending.
Sharing Akehurst’s post, she said: “his is nuts. A good proportion of journos who attend the SNP's conference will be overtly anti-SNP. But you can't stop them coming.
“They're annoying as hell but you've just got to put up with it, particularly if you are in government. Otherwise you look scared of scrutiny.”
Labour MP Emily Thornberry also accused Jones of “misogyny” for scrutinising her over Gaza, suggesting he did not do the same with male politicians.
Jones said in response: “This attempt by politicians to appropriate identity politics to protect themselves from scrutiny is a cynical attack on democracy. It’s entirely comparable to Donald Trump’s crew claiming that scrutinising them is inciting violence.”
The National Union of Journalists has come out against Jones’s ban from Labour conference, which was held in Liverpool this week.
Rivkah Brown, a reporter for Novara Media, also had her pass removed while journalists from Declassified UK were denied entry.
NUJ general secretary Laura Davison said: “It is very concerning that bona fide journalists attending the Labour Party Conference had their event passes revoked.
“It’s a journalist’s job to hold power to account, and in a functioning democracy, elected representatives must be transparent and open to challenge.
“Labour is the party in government and has repeatedly stated its commitment to media freedom. Yet its actions yesterday risk the impression of a party that is trying to evade press scrutiny.
“More worryingly, this seems to be part of a growing trend of legitimate newsgatherers being denied entry to - or removed from - political proceedings that are firmly in the public interest.”
