Interesting developments in Tom Watson’s West Bromwich East (WBE) constituency. Local sources tell the SKWAWKBOX that there has been an increase of new members in the constituency since this blog’s exclusive that the Sandwell LCF (Local Campaign Forum) – in which WBE lies – was suspended by Jennie Formby after allegations of serious anti-democratic practice.
Two senior members of the local Labour hierarchy, one a council Cabinet member and both members of the same LCF that has now been suspended, have been turning up on the doorstep of new Labour – and exclusively Asian – members within two or three days of the members’ joining the party, demanding to know why they have joined the party and ‘who was behind it’.
Neither of the figures lives in the ward where the new members reside. One works for Tom Watson.
This presents serious problems, as those Labour figures should have no entitlement under Labour rules to data about new members – and any release of that information to people not entitled to access the data would represent a serious breach of data protection regulations.
It may also indicate the scale of the panic among the Sandwell Labour establishment at the suspension of the LCF and any potential threat to councillors and MPs from changes in membership.
The unravelling in Sandwell continues apace. Letters of complaint are believed to be in preparation by the new members, who feel that they have been ‘harassed’.
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The only people who have access to data of new members are the secretary of the branch, the secretary of the CLP and the membership officer of the CLP.
It would appear that one of these people has breached data protection regulations by passing this information on to Tom Watson’s thugs so they could harass new members.
This is completely unacceptable behaviour. Unforgivable.
Heads will have to roll for this.
Don’t forget to add Regional Office staff to the list of people with access to member data. Hopefully, at some point in the future, Regional Offices will become accountable to members – although currently an incomprehensible idea, it should be an aim.
Yes, excellent point.
Dealing with endemic right wing corruption at Regional level is a pressing issue.
It’s generally the case these days that when people apply to become members of a CLP, they apply because they want to support JC. I’ve heard people from a couple of constituencies with RW MPs say that their officers are not encouraging new members.
Seems to be no limit to the rightards’ sense of entitlement.
Those two “senior” members must be profoundly stupid not to take into account that we all have the facility to record shit like that on our phones nowadays.
Have they been challenged to deny their actions yet?
I’d love to be a fly on THAT wall…
How do such morons get to be “senior” FFS?
Suspensions should immediately follow, and all found misusing membership data should be dealt with, kicked out if possible. Apart from the obvious illegality, that is shocking overt bullying. Watson should answer a few serious questions as well.
Watson hay whot a right winger get rid
And there was me thinking farcebook was a threat to subscriber’s privacy?