‘Labour’ MP Graham Jones was among a number of male ‘moderates’ happy to tweet support for Lewisham East Labour chair and right-wing Labour First trainer Ian McKenzie, after McKenzie was suspended for social media comments about the selling into sex-slavery, gang-raping or beheading of Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary Emily Thornberry.
Jones joined in with colleague Mike Gapes’ attempt to portray McKenzie as the victim of an ‘orchestrated campaign’ while making no mention of the comments for which McKenzie was suspended:
Not only that, but Jones also met McKenzie – along with fellow ‘centrist’ MP Neil Coyle and a Labour staffer – on the Terrace Bar of the House of Commons on Tuesday night.
Jones has now locked his Twitter account:
But if Jones was hoping to avoid further scrutiny, he was to be disappointed. A Facebook group set up for frank comments relating to his local area’s politics has provided a forum for local members to express their anger at his behaviour.
The conversation started with a post quoting the SKWAWKBOX’s Terrace Bar article and outrage at Jones’ support for the suspended right-winger:
This was the trigger for a number of criticisms from locals – and support from one defender outraged that he should be criticised – with Jones attempting, unconvincingly, to defend himself.
When the would-be defender objected that those criticising Jones’ actions had been less vocal about alleged wrongdoings by others, the response from one contributor was withering:
One respondent argued that scrutiny of MPs is not only permitted but vital:
Another pointed out that since Jones had frequently been willing to go public with comments considered to ‘undermine’ the party leadership as well as defending McKenzie, it was only fair that criticism be equally visible and that he be accountable for his choices:
Jones attempted to justify his choices by saying that he speaks to other suspended members:
But one suspended member commented that Jones only spoke to suspended members in that group to argue, while another suggested that Jones and his defender were both assets – to the Tory party – for their frequent, public complaints.
A number of McKenzie’s defenders – including Jones and Gapes – have attempted to portray the exposure of McKenzie’s tweets and his subsequent suspension as merely sour grapes by left-wingers upset at Lewisham East’s selection of parliamentary candidate. This is disingenuous, as the selected candidate is also a Corbyn supporter.
However, one commenter offered an example showing that the disgust generated by McKenzie’s tweets was independent of political affiliation or even interest:
A majority of commenters seen by this blog were strongly negative about Jones’ actions in supporting McKenzie, dismissing Jones’ use of ‘crass’ for McKenzie’s tweets and describing them instead as ‘disgusting’.
As further vile tweets by McKenzie – mostly but not exclusively about women – have now come to light and will be featured on this blog in the morning, Jones’ local members are not going to be feeling happier any time soon.
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So given Jones past and present behaviour as outlined above ,would it not be a reasonable course of action for the CLP membership to move a motion of no confidence in him.
This is exactly the reason why it is now imperative that we the membership have the option of reselection at our disposal.
Perhaps we should offer to form a bodyguard for Ms Thornberry when she next attends a shadow cabinet meeting. Then if she can manage a flood of tears the MSM might give this matter some coverage.
The Nastiness in the Labour Party is clearly on the Right – some viciousness, indeed, dressed up as endless blaming of the left for “taking over”. The contempt for the membership is staggering!
I am fast wondering what the point of much of the Labour right wing is. They aren’t Tories as such in the traditional sense, and most Lib Dem members seem far too pragmatic and decent to want their party overrun by “muscular Atlanticists”. Similarly the Labour right wing seem to be the most Europhile of the lot, so there is no room in UKIP for them.
There are figures on the Labour right I can respect but disagree with – Frank Field for one, who has done plenty of good work standing up for ordinary low paid workers, but on the whole many of them simply want to undermine the party to support rampant Europhilia, privatisation, the Murdoch / Barclay press, Saudi Arabia, TTIP and foriegn wars (stuff that Field and Hoey incidentally appear opposed to).
“One respondent argued that scrutiny of MPs is not only permitted but vital:”
Something they – especially the careerists & those on the right of the party – think they’re exempt from, or indeed, above.
Evidently we plebs don’t matter once we’ve elected them…But they swear they’re NOT tories, honest!.
Gapes says he blocked 30 accounts who all follow Skwawkbox. Consider the time involved to do that checking and you find the lie there in. These people must be removed from the party as soon as possible. We have no idea what other disgusting things they are getting up to or could get up to give more power.
And he follows me himself. Seems to have a bit of a fixation…
To all you Labour CLP members in Haslingden and Hyndburn, If you have any sense whatsoever, you will STRIKE this ODIOUS man out of the LABOUR SOCIALIST PARTY FOREVER!
PLUS THOSE OF THE SAME OPINION!
My complaint about Jones went in 5th of March. Nothing since last being told it was passed to the lobby.
I wish to complain in the strongest terms to this tweet by Graham
Jones MP @GrahamJones_MP, Labour MP for Haslingden & Hyndburn. In this tweet he says;
“Most of the hard left have never done a hard days work in their life
and probably cross the road to avoid the working class.”
“Most of the hard left have never done a hard days work in their life
and probably cross the road to avoid the working class.”
Says the MP!! Get him on the hod; he’d be cryin’ for his ma after three rungs of the ladder.