LABOUR officials hit back yesterday at claims they doctored a speech by veteran campaigner Harry Smith in a “Stalin-era” purge of his attack on austerity.

A party spokesman strongly rejected claims made on the Left Futures website claiming that parts of Mr Smith’s speech to Labour conference were cut for political reasons when the text was e-mailed to supporters.

Left Futures editor Jon Lansman wrote on Tuesday that he believed references to “welfare cuts and austerity measures” had been deliberately removed.