Hello my name is Esther Giles. I am a mother, self employed gardener and a socialist. I am currently suspended from the Labour Party and my roles of CLP Secretary, Branch Chair and LCF Treasurer.

I have recently been a member of the “Save our Socialists” group, which was set up to campaign for the reinstatements of CLP officers for allowing members the right to free speech and debate in their local parties.

I am also on the interim steering committee of the Labour in Exile Network, which provides solidarity and a home for suspended and expelled Party members, and those who have left in despair at the current leadership.

I was listed to speak for “Save Our Socialists” at the February 7 ‘Stop the Labour Lockout’ event. alongside Alan Gibbons and Gaya Sriskanthan of Momentum, Matt Wrack of the Fire Brigades Union, Leah Levane of Jewish Voice for Labour and Socialist Councillors and many more.

But yesterday I was contacted and it was explained to me that some speakers had threatened to withdraw from the rally if I was allowed to speak, and asking me to withdraw.

The reason: three years ago, I supported a comrade who was being pressured to make a statement about trans women and to say that she believed “Transwomen are Women”.

My feeling was that, regardless of the issue of the debate - nobody should be bullied into saying something they don’t believe.

I very much believe in free speech in our organisations and in wider society. The best way to fight prejudice, misperceptions and misunderstandings is through education and debate and not by no platforming comrades on the left.

Over the last five years, the mere accusation of a Labour Party member being antisemitic has been enough to get them suspended, disciplined and vilified.

It is therefore more than ironic that an event billed to fight for “free speech in the Labour Party'' should decide to no-platform a speaker merely for standing by a comrade’s decision to exercise that right.