Controversy has dogged Labour deputy leader Tom Watson since press and broadcast interviews last week with Max Mosley over a 1960s racist leaflet. Mosley – who admitted some parts of the leaflet were racist but told the Guardian it’s legitimate to offer immigrants incentives to ‘go home’ – has donated over £500,000 to Watson’s office costs.
Although Tom Watson has stated that he has ‘no plans’ to return Mosley’s donations, he has not issued a flat-out refusal – yet.
But it appears that something is on the cards and that the Labour right may be planning to attach the blame to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Yesterday, the SKWAWKBOX contacted a ‘centrist’ Labour MP for comment on the handling of a motion in the MP’s constituency calling on Watson to return the cash. At the end of the response, the MP let slip that the motion would be debated “in April [when] members will have the opportunity to discuss the motion with the benefit of the statement from the leader’s office that no money is being returned to Mr Mosely. [sic]“.
A Labour source told the SKWAWKBOX that no such statement is planned – but claimed that:
Tom can’t pay it back. It went on staff costs and to “run his office”.
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This is a question of ethics.
The ethos and reputation of the Labour Party depend upon this money being returned.
There can be no compromise with racism or the Labour Party stands for nothing.
The fact that Mr Watson has already spent this money is immaterial.
The party must immediately return the dirty cash and Mr Watson will have to fund his own office and cut his cloth accordingly.
We are not the Liberal Democrats, or the Tories or the DUP, we do not cling on to dirty money.
Ethics must be applied immediately, Mosley’s funds must be returned in full forthwith.
Every day this decision is delayed is another deep scar cut into the very moral fibre of the Labour Party.
I wonder what Tom Watson spent such a large amount of money on: it’s a massive amount to spend on “running his office and staff costs”.
Whatever he spent these funds on, after this shameful episode in the party’s history has been closed by the money being returned in full by the party he will have to get by on the same amount of funding that any other Labour MP manages with.
The LP should return the money – and convert the amount onto a loan for TW to pay back. It does beggar the question about how much TW has spent on office costs OVER AND ABOVE the expenses all MPs claim on for their offices from the HoC system. Indeed, the incoming GS should seek an immediate full audit from TW. Nothing less will satisfy the members.
So does this mean kicking the old scrote in the nuts for his pin number would be unethical too?
Dammit, I used to have GOOD ideas.
This money was given before JC was made leader!
As for the right making waves, I would think they should look inwardly at themselves, have a whip round, that would include Watson and pay The Money Back To Mosley, seeing it happened under their watch!
Could the money have been used to fund the Coyne campaign against Unite?
I can’t help it. Bugger ethics.
Using Capitalist money to bring Capitalists to heel appeals to me.
When you think about it they ‘own’ 99% of it – do we really want to fight those odds?
Not saying that’s what Watson spent it on by the way… 🙂
As Wilson said “The Labour Party is a moral crusade or it is nothing”.
On those terms the money must be returned.
Max Mosley’s involvement with his father’s fascist party has never been a secret so why the “shock horror” now about accepting money from the man? The money should have never been accepted in the first place as Mosley’s past activities were so well known.
Is there no control or scrutiny in the Labour Party as to where cash donations are coming from? Somebody must have said it was “OK” to take money from Mosely. Would that responsibility not rest with the General Secretary given the size and source of the donation? What made Watson think it was in order to accept it?
‘…Is there no control or scrutiny in the Labour Party as to where cash donations are coming from? ‘. That’s a very valid question. And whilst still at it, they should explain where the “Other Income” amounting to 4.522 Million Pounds in the 2016 Labour Party Income & Expenditure account came from. This is more than a third of membership subscription at 14.393 Million Pounds.
Name of donor: Max Mosley
Address of donor: private
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: donation of printing, with a value of £27,554.06, in support of my campaign for deputy leadership of the Labour Party
Date received: 29 August 2015
Date accepted: 29 August 2015
Donor status: individual
(Registered 17 September 2015
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmregmem/160711/watson_tom.htm
This appears to be in addition to the donations made to run his office.
‘some parts of the leaflet were racist.’.
A clear case ‘of bringing the party into disrepute’ by Mr. Watson – that catchall phrase so often used to purge ordinary party members deemed to be sympathetic to JC in the run-up to immediate past leadership elections, or alternatively, a clear case of being ‘captured’ by the wealthy elites and big business: a charge that will stick on all these right-wing Labour MPs and their Councillors.