A LEADING trade unionist has been expelled from the Labour Party for speaking at a meeting four years ago.

Martin Mayer is secretary of Sheffield Trade Union Council in South Yorkshire and a former member of Labour’s national executive committee representing his trade union Unite.

Mr Mayer was invited to speak at a meeting of Labour Against the Witch Hunt, which opposed the expulsion of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn MP from the party as well as the subsequent, ongoing purge of other members.

He was on the platform of a Labour Against the Witch Hunt meeting in May 2018, three years before Labour announced it was a proscribed organisation.

“That is the only charge against me. I spoke at a meeting,” Mr Mayer told the Morning Star.

“There was no suggestion that I was a supporter or a member.”

Mr Mayer is a retired bus worker and joined the Labour Party in 1981.

“This is unacceptable after 41 years’ service and activity in the labour and trade union movement. It is unjust,” he said.

He said there was anger among Labour Party members in Sheffield Heeley Constituency Labour Party, of which he was a member, and that he is appealing against his expulsion.

Last year, Sheffield Heeley CLP passed a motion demanding “all unjust proscriptions and expulsions are reversed.”

Other proscribed groups included Socialist Appeal and Labour in Exile Network.

Mr Mayer said: “I’ve also got magnificent support from the trades council. Messages of support have bowled me over.”

Sheffield TUC meets tomorrow to decide its next steps.

His expulsion comes after Unison president Andrea Egan was expelled from the party last week after sharing articles from Socialist Appeal on social media.