The hubris of the Labour party’s General Secretary and of some parts of the NEC (National Executive Committee) is genuinely astonishing.
Wallasey CLP (Constituency Labour Party) was suspended before the Labour leadership election based on trumped-up and clearly nonsensical allegations of homophobia and at least one proven-false allegation, while the official NECDP (NEC Disputes Panel) report presented information in a misleading way and was a case-study in obfuscation. Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn attempted to prevent the NEC’s approval of the ridiculous report – and Wallasey MP Angela Eagle publicly misrepresented his presence at the meeting as ‘support’.
Most recently, the NEC initiated disciplinary proceedings against Wallasey vice-Chair Paul Davies for helping to create a detailed document refuting the allegations and highlighting the report’s inconsistencies and false statements. Davies wrote to party General Secretary Iain McNicol and received a breathtakingly arrogant letter in reply, which the SKWAWKBOX published on Friday, along with Davies’ subsequent and statesmanlike response.
Now, the latest chapter in this sorry saga of anti-democratic chicanery by Labour right-wingers with no respect for democracy or natural justice has come to light.
The suspension imposed on the CLP last year was supposed to be lifted this month, allowing the resumption of normal meetings. Without warning and without giving any reasons, Wallasey Labour members have received the email below (highlighting added):
In case it renders too small on your screen, opening the image in a new tab should enlarge it. But the text of the key parts are below:
At 10.30am Wallasey Labour Party will be meeting at Cherry Tree Shopping Centre..collecting signatures of the Save Wirral NHS petition and handing out leaflets…We have many events planned over the coming weeks..
Many members have requested an update on the current suspension of the constituency. The NEC met on Tuesday and agreed that the suspension should be reviewed again in March. However, to ensure that members are able to be engaged in Labour Party activity and campaigns, the Regional Office will be arranging…
So, the suspension of the CLP is being extended by at least another two months and the Labour bureaucracy just decided to do it and doesn’t even give a reason – but even while the CLP isn’t allowed any official gatherings, it’s apparently ok to gather to spend time and wear out shoe-leather when they’re wanted.
This isn’t the first time, either. Angela Eagle issued what amounted to a ‘booty call’ to members – members suspended in large part because of her – to come and support an event she had organised, which earned her an unequivocal slap-down from one such member.
It seems that every time the functionaries and right-wing NEC members open their mouths or send a letter, they make ever clearer the fact of their complete contempt for Labour members, their willingness to embrace hypocrisy by accepting their labour (pun intended) when they want it, their absolute unfitness for their position – and the fact that Labour can only move forward, unhindered and ready to fight, if they are removed.
The right-wingers were more than ready to carry out a purge last summer for their own purposes. It’s time the vast, pro-Corbyn majority of members got to return the favour.
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Reblogged this on Wirral In It Together.
The NEC are destroying my party
I feel very uncomfortable and even angry that this is happening in the party I and my parents have supported all our lives even when I was astonished at the Tory antics of some MP’s especially Blair. When are the NEC going to explain the reasons for treating Wallasey LP this way and getting us back to a united party fighting the social injustices we are suffering and listening to what ordinary people want.
The breath-taking arrogance from the NEC that we’ve sadly come to expect. The system is well and truly broken. Power corrupts …
There needs to be mass demonstrations at MPs offices and NEC members residences. I don’t mean do anything illegal just a show of force by numbers, Call them out at every public event they try to speak at. simply print a list of the offending MPs and NEC members who are involved and give them something to consider at their next meeting. I am not sure if there is an opportunity for all members concerned to put a vote of no confidence in the NEC and call an emergency meeting of the party and change the officers and members. Expulsion from the party should apply to all involved in the vote rigging. We must take the party back from the tory lites. People may consider this intimidation but I believe it is a price worth paying to get democracy and justice back in the party. Direct action is needed.
Reblogged this on HUMAN RIGHTS & THE SIEGE OF BRITAIN POLITICAL JOURNAL.
BBC Question Time will be in Wallasey in a couple of weeks. This is a chance to set the record straight. Wallasey CLP needs a strong voice there.
Apply to be in the audience here:
https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5vyK2GwYrdQGFvCJyKNfZhn/join-the-question-time-audience
Disgusting. It’s terrible how the NEC gets away with it – in any other organisation they wouldn’t.