It seems the SKWAWKBOX was again a topic of discussion at the latest meeting of Labour’s NEC (National Executive Committee).
Senior sources have told the SKWAWKBOX that NEC member Ann Black spoke to tell the meeting how outrageous it was for this blog to report that, on General Election night, over-eager HQ staffers cancelled the ‘Southside’ access passes of Jeremy Corbyn and his team in anticipation of a coup planned on the assumption that Labour would perform as badly as Labour and media doom-mongers had wrongly predicted.
Said staffers ended up looking extremely foolish as Labour surged both in vote share and in its number of MPs – team members including Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell and MP Jon Trickett arrived at Southside just after midnight, with exit poll predictions of the Labour surge and hung Parliament already becoming reality, to find they were unable to get into the building.
In an elegant payback, the team simply turned on its heels, returned to Westminster – and HQ staff have been forced to walk the half-mile along Victoria Street to Westminster when they need to meet Corbyn and his team.
All this was not only apparently outrageous, but was, according to the SKWAWKBOX’s sources, denied by the party’s General Secretary Iain McNicol. In a move that was outrageous, he told the assembled NEC that those locked out had been temporary contract staff taken on for the election, whose access was rescinded because their contracts had ended.
This was, of course, a cause of considerable astonishment among those NEC members who knew exactly what had happened, including at least one who was among the group that found itself locked out.
Moreover, Mr McNicol’s version of events does not explain why the party leader’s team’s email accounts were also cancelled.
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Mr McNicol is a disgrace. He is acting more and more like a Mafia Boss than a paid employee of the Labour Party. You really could not make this stuff up. He is bringing the Party into disrepute, once again.
It seems it it is time for Mr. McNicol’s resignation.
He has to go
Is it not time this person was removed from the labour party, & how has he kept his position for so long!
McNichol being economical with the truth? Do bears evacuate their bowels in the woods? Does the Pope wear a big hat? Answers on a post card please?
I really think that JC has the right to sack this man because of gross misconduct the very idea he could take it on himself to bar the party leaders from any building is beyond belief but we know he’s emboldened by the extreme right wing of the party time for Jeremey to kick some serious butt.
Laura Kuenssberg appears to know more about McNicol’s misconduct than he does himself! Or perhaps he’s laying the groundwork for a plea of diminished responsibility, hoping to be quietly pensioned off.
Really, what a clown act.
Iain McNicol is an untrustworthy individual.
He is a liar, an election rigger and a liability to the Labour Party both electorally and reputationally.
It is time for him to be removed from his position.
Mr McNicol says it was temporary?Yeah Right. Unbelievable shenanigans. NEC has to be completely overhauled. It has acted in an undemocratic way ever since Jeremy Corbyn looked likely to win the leadership election. So many people suspended or expelled. I’ve said it before and don’t care if I say it again, mostly because t displays a very sharpe difference in treatment. Mr Mandelson says he gets up everyone morning thinking of ways as to how he can get rid of Mr Corbyn – Mr McNicol says it is just his “opinion!”; Mr Blair tells all Labour supporters to vote Tory – Mr McNicol does nothing; two terminally ill 80 year olds are suspended with no reason given, others were suspended for RT a post from the Green Party. It’s all so even handed aye? RW members still in place & still causing trouble. Let’s not forget about the Zionist element. I dared to say that Zionist oppression of Palestinians was wrong. I was then threatened by one person for being anti-semitic & another 4 then proceeded to call me all unrepeatable names. It was horrible. I reported them to Twitter for threatening behaviour. Blocked them all. That goes on all the time but who gets suspended? Zionists? Not on your life. NEC & Thought Police needs totally reforming and be seen to be acting democratically not discriminating between Pro-RW elements & Corbyn supporters. Certain people should be give their P45s for bringing the Labour Party into disrepute.
He just doesn’t know when to stop digging, it’s the lies and the cover-ups that will be McNicol’s downfall.
Correct me if I am wrong but reading this it would appear the Ann Black is on side for McNicol as she appears to be castigating the Skwawkbox for revealing this sad fact and action , is this so ?
This and other actions demonstrate conclusively that the right’s fightback is all about stacking committees, officers and delegates … anything to smother rank-and-file engagement.
The NEC is absolutely key, which is why it now has *appointed* WLab and SLab members.
I have the uncomfortable feeling that, in spite of our best efforts, we’re going to get shafted at this year’s conference as well.
We might not, if we can gain control of the CAC (it’s an OMOV vote so I think we stand a good chance) and the NCC (a delegates-only vote so I’m not optimistic) … gaining control of these committees might be enough to scare the right into backing down a little, especially given that a friendly NCC could dig up the right’s toxic waste and put it on public display, but that’s only a might.
It’s well past the point where Jeremy should have used whatever power he has as party leader to intervene in the right’s sordid chicanery and act decisively in support of party democratisation.
If the right keeps getting away with their treachery, it’ll eventually add up to the win they seek, and we will have LOST.
Oops, should have posted this last comment on a different article =)
McNicol’s is the mouthpiece of Blair and his Progress gang of right wingers, Blair is bitterly disappointed this legacy is at risk. Mind you not much of a legacy after Iraq .
But surely voting in leaders and MP to stand as leaders , members must have a bigger voice, we only have the right to vote for MPs who have been picked to stand as leaders but MP’s
Corbyn only got onto the leadership election because Burnham gave him his spare votes , members did not have a say until after this was voted on by MP’s
Surely again the NEC members must have more say in the people who are elected to these groups , including getting rid of them if they do not toe the line .
Was the suspension of thousands of genuine, honest Labour Members also a “mistake”? Pull the other one. McNicol needs to go!
McNICOL M U S T GO