David Lammy’s rant divides ranks

David Lammy MP broke political ranks yesterday by branding Ukip leader Nigel Farage a “racist”. But do Lammy’s loyal staff share his sense of what constitutes unacceptable political discourse? His adviser, Ben Kentish, is a former president of the Cambridge Union, who once invited Marine Le Pen — leader of the far-Right Front National in France — to address students.

“The Union is about the exchange of ideas,” said Kentish at the time, in the face of protests from Hope Not Hate and Unite Against Fascism.

Lammy is a supporter of UAF and a contributor to Hope Not Hate’s campaigns. One imagines the “exchange of ideas” in Lammy’s office is very forthright indeed.