ARMS industry advocate Paul Mason has apparently admitted that he was the author of a notorious graphic smearing much of the left as witting or unwitting foreign agents.

Investigative website Grayzone has published what it claims is leaked correspondence between Mr Mason and his lawyers in which he confirms that he did produce the chart, but claimed it was not for public circulation.

Grayzone also published the original leak in 2022 which first revealed the chart, on which this newspaper and reporter, as well as Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott and a host of other left individuals and organisations feature, at the same time as exposing Mr Mason’s links to state disinformation experts.

At the time Mr Mason, a former Trotskyist and faux-Corbynite, now an ardent Starmer supporter employed by an arms industry-funded think-tank, neither confirmed nor denied authorship, claiming he was the victim of a Russian hack.

However, the leaked email to his lawyers from 2022 reveals he wanted to sue Grayzone in order to “deplatform/demonetise” it, while also conceding that he did indeed prepare the McCarthyite graphic.

He writes in classic Cold War language that he was concerned that “very dodgy characters clearly linked to Russian and Chinese influence ops were finding their way into Stop the War online rallies, and being laundered by Corbyn and his allies.”

He targeted in particular Jess Barnard, then a young member of Labour’s national executive, for her criticisms of Nato.

Mr Mason’s lawyers apparently advised that he should not pursue legal claims.

The Star approached Mr Mason for comment. He has made no public response to the revelation.