Pro-Palestine rallies were held across the country at the weekend amid the deteriorating situation in the Middle East. Onetime Labour leader turned independent backbencher Jeremy Corbyn was the star attraction at the London shindig, waving a rose to his adoring fans just yards away from a ten foot inflatable caricature with devil horns and maniacal red eyes. While the suspended MP enjoyed a rapturous reception, he probably did his bid for re-admittance to Labour little good after being introduced to the stage by comedian Alexei Sayle who called his successor Keir Starmer ‘a little shitbag’.

Elsewhere on the same day, London Labour’s youth wing did their bit to help their party’s current embattled leader by posting a picture online of smiling activists captioned ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’ This notorious piece of Palestinian nationalist rhetoric demands that the line between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea be entirely placed under Arab rule excluding the contested Golan Heights – in effect, abolishing the state of Israel and its nine million inhabitants.

Solidarity is beautiful – young members at the #Nakba73 demo today ✊🏽

From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free 🇵🇸#FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/VvHg0az3oN

— London Young Labour (@LDNYoungLabour) May 15, 2021

When Mr S made enquiries as to whether the abolition of Israel is now official Labour policy, party officials did not respond to a request for comment. As the outraged replies to the tweet suggest, such rhetoric might well rhyme but only serves to alienate those Starmer is hoping to win round post-Corbyn.

Steerpike hopes those behind the account enjoyed the rally – it may well be their last in an official Labour capacity.<//>