Labour MP Margaret Hodge has tweeted a letter from her lawyers to the Labour Party which denies that she expressed any regret for her behaviour toward Jeremy Corbyn.
A letter sent by Labour general secretary Jennie Formby flatly contradicts Ms Hodge’s claim – and also states that Hodge received a formal warning from Chief Whip Nick Brown
Formby’s letter to Hodge states that Brown said Hodge expressed regret and her email to the NEC states that he confirmed it when she checked – in other words, he said so twice.
Formby’s letter to Hodge also refers to a formal warning issued by Labour’s Chief Whip – something that Ms Hodge seems not to have mentioned in her public statements – and that the case was closes on the basis of both that and her expression of regret.
The SKWAWKBOX contacted Margaret Hodge and asked:
- Are you asserting that Nick Brown or Jennie Formby lied about the expression of regret?
- Why don’t your public statements on the matter mention the formal warning? Are you disputing that it was issued?
No response had been received by the time of publication.
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The deviousness of neo-liberals knows no bounds!
If you want to get that Corbyn out, what’s a few lies between friends?
Shame on her. Though I doubt she knows the meaning of the word.
Hodge comes from that strand of supporters of Israel’s inhuman treatment of the Palestinians who believe neither they nor the regime they support can do any wrong and that it is fair game to try, by any means possible, to destroy those who are against them.
When you support a racist endeavour which is prepared to drop white phosphorous bombs on the heads of captive men, women and children, what’s a few lies between ‘friends’?
I’m curious to know whether formal warnings are required to be formally accepted by the member concerned to avoid further action, as I understand is the case with police warnings – and if not, why not, given that politicians’ default position is always to deny fault?
A member publicly falsifying the outcome of an investigation commits, to my mind, a further offence of (at least) bringing the Party into disrepute – one which requires only confirmation rather than investigation, followed immediately by punishment of both offences.
Denying an apology was made clearly retracts it – as an attempt to avoid the consequences of one’s actions it would be unworthy of a six-year-old.
Looks like it’s a case of who do you believe and trust. I look at behaviour and Hodge barely registers on my trust and integrity barometer. I suspect cynical game playing going on and it’s high time LP realized they are dealing with desperate people with zero integrity or care for LP, members or humanity at home and abroad in pursuit of their goals. These people are not open to reasoned discussion in a civilised fashion to reach a just compromise. They are not democrats they are totalitarian in nature, typical modern extreme ‘centrists’.
The whole point is of course that Hodge knows (and knew in advance), that the MSM – ie the fascist-controlled media – will go along with HER version of events. It’s all black propaganda machinations, and THAT is precisely why Hodge DIDN’T put it in writing. And you can be 150% certain that HAD Jennie Formby thought to ask Hodge to put it in writing first before dropping the case, Hodge would have refused.
When dealing with devious and duplicitous people you have to take every precaution!
Check out the following article (and it’s only got worse since it was written):
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/uri-avnery-israeli-politics-bears-comparison-with-end-of-weimar-germany-and-rise-of-fascism-1.2659314
The last thing she wants is to draw a line under the affair.
what a horrible deceitful LIER an untrustworthy woman thats only got the honesty of a fucking TURD we need to get rid of this lier
Michael Collins this invective is so uncool and you will only make more trouble for JC when people react to your abusive language. JC himself didn’t / doesn’t respond like this. I am fed up with how shes behaved but she is a Labour MP with Labour voters who put her in Parliament. before you speak,Think how it sounds, how our enemies can use it to our disadvantage
Once we get the ability to select/deselect our MPs then we will know whether Labour voters voted for her or for Labour. Until that happens we cannot assume they want her. Why would anyone want an MP who refused to investigate evidence of child sexual abuse whilst leader of Islington Council? And was forced to publicly apologise in Court to one of the sexual abuse victims she had been verbally abusing. Islington is, of course, Jeremy Corbyn’s constituency, where the victims of sexual abuse were writing complaints to him about her.
I agree.
Liar not Lier. Personally I think we should flush away turd-style language. It just makes us smell the same. Margaret Hodge is beyond the pale, but Nick Brown is a hard man who positioned himself with Brown against the Blairites. Margaret Hodge’s lies about what he heard will have made him very cross indeed. Hodge is deeply manipulative and deceitful and her behaviour has been vile. In the process she has been quite prepared to exploit the memory of holocaust victims which in my view is the behaviour that only a low-life would indulge in. Ghastly woman.
Considering she denies calling him a F****** racist this confirms she is a compulsive liar and completely untrustworthy. I hope her costituents take this account and show a vote of no confidence in her
What does it matter who said what?
Nobody’s head’s in the noose. Hodge’s should’ve been, and WOULD have been – IF the NEC/NCC had had the balls to go ahead with punting the hypocritical pederast facilitator in the first bleedin’ place.
So, just who’s fault is it that we’re seeing this utterly infuriating ‘He said, she said’ bollocks, now??
I know where my finger’s pointing.
The whole shambles (because that is what it increasingly resembles) of the anti-semitism campaign clearly demonstrates the shallowness of the Labour right, and their hapless band of external fellow-travellers. They have lost it grand style, again, and they never learn.
All that hard work by their friends in the MSM is falling to naught.
Last night, in my local, I brandished the latest issue of Private Eye, with it’s picture of Jeremy on the front, and the antisemitism/Labour issue boldly proclaimed. The response was fascinating. Everybody, to a person,
looked, laughed and immediately started on the subject of Boris’s latest howler over the burka, and most of my interlocutors would be considered nonpolitical on a normal day.
I learned a lot from that. We are winning.
Well, this says all. Self-centred, stubbornly refusing any sincere reflection of her behaviour. I think she is definitely in the wrong party.
Lots of frustration at the attacks on us seemingly not being countered as they happen – I feel it too.
No matter how satisfying it would be to swat them like insects, some of us would go too far.
I almost did that here today – I’m not saying how but it would have got a cheap laugh at the cost of being shockingly offensive to a member I despise – for completely the wrong reason.
I’d definitely have been guilty of bringing the party into disrepute and I ditched the thought immediately – but had I been angry at the time, who knows.
Remember the Ali – Foreman Rope-A-Dope where Ali let Foreman wear himself out before murdering him?
I’m hoping and trusting that Jeremy saw that fight too.
David, there is sense in what you say but there is a big difference between passive resistance and self flagellation which is what we do when we throw colleagues under a bus to appease the enemy. It makes the enemy stronger and us weaker.
If you consider our own every day role and that of our families and friends. I accept we have all lied and sometimes as a matter of purpose to achieve some worthless goal from which all lies eminate. But our lies pale into insignificance as we have not presumed ourselves so worthy to hold a public office whose credibility rests entirely on honsety and transparency. If Hodge does not yet realise that her position requires a level of integrity to which we can all aspire (ditto Johnson) she should realise thst she cannot possibly represent anyone buf herself.
Wouldn’t argue Jack, and back to les barricades would be a trip – but I don’t believe, with what’s at stake, that Jeremy’s just sitting on his thumbs and hoping for the best.
I think we owe him the benefit of any sliver of doubt unless any of us are more in touch than him, have every move pre-planned and the whole party chooses us.
A perhaps inexperienced Labour MP and a n other recently wrote I would suggest a weak piece on their constituency website.
I didn’t respond on the site as I have a golden rule not to undermine Labour MPs amongst the public in their own areas.
The MP in queston is a very decent human being but perhaps has a bit to learn?
They were arguing Labour should accept the IHRA definition in full as they argued it was accepted internationally; it is in fact recognised by something like 31 countries out of 197 in the World (JEC, July 2018) that is 15.7%
40 Jewish organisations from around the World (including Jews for Peace) also recently came together with an open letter to ask institutions like Labour to reject the IHRA definition because it could “equate legitimate criticism of Israel and advocacy for Palestinian rights with anti-semitism” (The Electronic Intiifada, 20/7/2018).
The writers of the webite piece also said we should accept it when Jewish citizens say it is anti-Semitism (perhaps referring to the Macpherson Inquiry) but whilst we should acknowledge the voices of people who feel they are are victims of anti-semitism and they should
be listened to, Macpherson was clear that they should not be judge and jury and decisions must be based on EVIDENCE!
And the two writers seemed to be imply that the Jewish population were an homogenous group (all the same) which an award winning writer (the Foreign Editor of Jewish News in Israel, Stephen Oryszcuk, said was doing a disservice to diverse Jewish citizens (he was recently interviewed on The Canary and apparently has since taken personal leave from his paper (Press Gazette 6/8/18).
With Hodge, someone on another post on here highlighted how she was exposed for her hypocracy a few years ago in The Jewish Chronicle; after becoming popular for quite rightly bashing big corporations for not paying thier taxes fully and using tax havens in Panama and Litchestein.
The JC reporter pointed out Hodge had loads of savings firstly in Panama then Litchestein! (Also see also Financial Times, 29/4/15).
But perhaps we have spent enough time on this (though the enemies of left wing democratic socialism will not let it lie) but perhaps it’s time to turn up the heat on the Tories and perhaps progressives in the Asian Community could pool their resources, hire a building wirh a suite of computers and get loads of young progressive researchers to trawl through previous facebook comments by Tory MPs, Councillors and members, and back copies of speeches reported in The Telegraph etc. and articles in The Spectator etc. and on Tory websites sites (what some suggest has been done to Labour); and perhaps if we are waiting for the Tory Party to carry out its own internal inquiry into Islamophobia then perhaps we may have to wait until hell freezes over?
So a bit of Community Action and DIY could go a long way and perhaps a weekly e bulletin of their findings so far would be most helpful.
Perhaps we need to fight fire with fire!
But the researchers could also look for potential Tory: sexism, Islamophobia, anti-semitism, all forms of racism, potential discrimination against the LGBT & Disabled communities etc?.
And this project ‘Operation Unite Diverse Communities’ will be doing ALL of the oppressed a favour.
‘Oh Veritas shine thy brightest beam.
And vanquish evil stories.
To smite thine great invisible foe.
Then come ye for the Tories!’
Diverse Community Solidarity!
‘….. the IHRA definition in full…. is in fact recognised by something like 31 countries out of 197 in the World (JEC, July 2018) that is [just] 15.7%. 40 Jewish organisations from around the World (including Jews for Peace) also recently came together with an open letter to ask institutions like Labour to reject the IHRA definition because it could “equate legitimate criticism of Israel and advocacy for Palestinian rights with anti-semitism”’.
The problem is that WE may know this to be the case, but the majority of people DON’T, precisely because they read/watch the MSM, who omit to mention such inconvenient facts, which would of course be contrary to their agenda, and undermine and invalidate it (as with the reason that most of the MSM didn’t publish or mention Kelvin Hopkins’ statement – issued through his solicitor – which exposed Ava Etemadzadeh’s allegations for the revolting and disgusting lies and smears that they were, as is more than apparent in the texts she sent him, which he fortunately saved).
Afterthought. Here’s a link to Kelvin Hopkins statement, and the following are a couple of snippets from it:
The allegation has been made and reported in the press that I “hugged her [Ava] inappropriately” (eg Telegraph newspaper 3 November 2017). Ava is reported to have said, “He hugged me to say goodbye, held me too tight and rubbed his crotch on me, which I found revolting”.
In fact after I left the University [where and when she alleges the above incident happened], Ava sent me a text message during the same evening of 12 November timed at 9 pm saying: “Thank you so much Kelvin for coming tonight!! We had a fantastic time. My members loved you! 🙂 You’re a star! x Ava”
https://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/politics/in-full-kelvin-hopkins-issues-statement-over-allegations-1-8231215
So bearing in mind that she didn’t report the above incident until some two years later, she would have people believe that a couple of hours or so after he held her too tight and rubbed his crotch against her – which she found ‘revolting’ – she sent him the above text (and as related in his statement, a few weeks later she sent him a text asking him for an address to send an Xmas card to, and then sent him one……… and so it goes on, all of her texts finishing with a x – a kiss – and totally at odds with what she was later to claim happened, and the MSM went along with it all of course, and not one single editor or journalist in the whole of the MSM thought to contact Kelvin Hopkins FIRST before publishing her story – ie her allegations – to ascertain what HE had to say about her accusations).
And one last point. Towards the end of his statement Kelvin Hopkins says the following:
‘I have had no contact with Ava since then and was shocked when I saw the allegations appear online last night and in the papers today.’
The reason I highlight this is because in the Telegraph article that broke the story, it says that they contacted him prior to publication to get his response to her allegations, and then say that they didn’t hear back from him. Well I think we can be absolutely certain of two things: 1. That when working on the story with the Telegraph, she would undoubtedly have told them about the texts she sent Kelvin Hopkins and 2. That they DIDN’T contact him prior to publication precisely because he may have kept the texts (which he had as it transpired), and IF he had, then the Telegraph could hardly publish a response from him which would of course have included her texts, as THAT would have completely blown her allegations out of the water.
That said, his statement was issued the same day (as the story broke in the papers), but of course The Telegraph just completely ignored it (for obvious reasons!), as did most of the MSM – ie didn’t put it up on their website at some point that day and reproduce it in the next days issue.
Well done Bazza for not wanting to spread even further evidence of disunity in your response, oh and well done David Mc Niven too! Nevertheless, it beggars belief that “decent” people being paid to carry the extraordinary responsibility of bringing the LP to power can be so politically illiterate and poorly informed in their views. I just don’t get how they can give validation and credence to the despicable onslaught on Corbyn with no apparent awareness of the damaging consequences of their blindness to what is going on.
Don’t they ever dip into … SqwawkB, The Canary, Jewish Voice for Labour, Electronic Infitadah, Media-Lens …? If this particular MP is a “decent human being” then someone, or his/her own CLP, needs to gently, but emphatically put him/her right. Surely there are non threatening and supportive ways of putting people like this in touch with what they need to know? Elsewhere on this site, a SkwawkB. poster bemoans how long it took them to find the pro Corbyn stance being adopted by so many important voices in the Jewish community. For me this is a clear pointer, that the voices represented by the above media channels need to be vigorously promoted so that they reach a much wider audience.
Elsewhere on this site too, The Guardian and most especially its news room, is correctly identified as being 100% (often subliminally and sometimes explicitly) anti Corbyn. They will disguise their position with an occasional “opinion” article that pays very thin lipped service to the “other” point of view just to keep their readership feeling they are reading a “progressive” newspaper (with its token Leftie, Owen Jones and its pantomime Marxist, Paul Mason). It fills me with horror that this may be the go to rag for “decent human beings”.
I’m not sure about “fighting fire with fire” Bazza, power to this perhaps, but I am sure as anything that there are a great many in the LP and wider, who need to be far better informed than they appear to be, especially before they publish their pronouncements.
Paulo. Forgive me for saying so, but I really don’t understand WHY you speak of these people in terms of being “so politically illiterate and poorly informed in their views, etc”, as if to say that THAT is the reason why they do what they do, and say what they say. I mean in the first place what you say is ambiguous anyway, and I’d be interested for you to give even ONE example of how your explanation for their behaviour applies.
And when you say – as you do in the last paragraph – that you are ” sure as anything that there are a great many in the LP and wider, who need to be far better informed than they appear to be, especially before they publish their pronouncements”, what do you mean exactly? Far better informed about WHAT exactly? You seem to be missing the whole point, that this entire ‘anti-semitism’ thing is a black propaganda op designed to sabotage Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership AND demonise the Left. I would have thought THAT was glaringly obvious to just about everyone on the Left long before now. And they – the MPs you refer to – are far, far, FAR from blind as to what is going on.
Anyway, could you give us some names of MPs – or whoever – that have said whatever they’ve said because they were – as YOU see it – “politically illiterate and poorly informed in their views”. Even ONE example, in fact.
Just noticed comment from “oldandgrumpy” expressing the hope that Ms Hodges constituents would deselect her. Sadly at the last meeting of Barking CLP I attended St Margaret said to the adoring throng “what do I always say ” to which the congregation replied as one “elections can only be won from the centre”.
My view is that the Right Wing Israeli Government are Barbarians and so too are Right Wing Hamas.
If any socialist thinks Hamas are progressive then they should think about the bombing of Gaza a few years ago in response to the Hamas rockets fired into Israel.
I can never forget a group of young Palestinians protesting in a Hamas controlled area to stop the rockets, the loss of life had been too great (they were young and brave – too brave and probably were socialists) but Hamas promptly turned up and shot them.
But Hamas were clever, whilst Fateh et al in the PLO were corrupt and self serving and top down Hamas got in the with the poor to offer services and jobs, mainly as their fighters, and won the hearts and minds of perhaps a significant minority.
From my perspective as a left wing democratic socialist, I believe what would help the Palestinian cause I would argue is a great left wing democratic socialist leader (and I think the Israelis hold one in prison) and perhaps Jewish citizens need one too!
But I am with the excellent Palestiian Human Rights Lawyer, Nuara Eraket, when she argued (CBS interview, 2018) that “Hamas was a scarecrow and Palestinians don’t want Hamas” and that the (Right Wing) Israeli Govt won’t talk peace “because they want to maintain their religious, ethnic, and economic supremecy.”
I am afraid (buoyed up by the Right Wing Barbarians in the USA and their finance) it’s as simple as that.
When asked what was her solution was Nuara replied: “Give the Palestinians their freedom!”
But whilst agreeing with this (as the Right Wing Isreali Govt. and Hamas offer nothing but violence) I always remember an elderly Palestinian man saying: “We need to learn to live together.”
It is up to the citizens of the region to work out their future but perhaps
left wing democratic socialists could offer Palestinians and Jewish citizens real democratic freedom?
Yours in peace.
Political islam is no friend of progressives. I remember aftter the revolution in Iran in 1979 (?), socialists and comunists were amongst the first to decorate street lamps 🙁
Allan Howard. You are forgiven, of course, because I share your anger. I have already made it clear what I think about Hodge and the many others in their despicable engineering of this situation. I read Bazza’s comments and yours, and everybody else on this site and I respect them.
Bazza made reference, in his comment above, rather charitably perhaps, to a”perhaps inexperienced Labour MP” who publicly doesn’t support the revised IHRA document. My rather long winded response was to express my incredulity and dismay that besides, wilful and malicious attacks of the worse kind, there may also be simple and disastrous ignorance adding to the mix. If this is the case, then it’s hardly controversial to comment on the importance of putting this right?
There is no anger on my part as such, just contempt. As for the Izzard interview, the main thing that struck me was his evasiveness and his reticence.
I should add, Allan, that it’s more than “glaringly obviously” to me as well and always has been. I’m sorry if you haven’t picked this up from my previous comments re Hodge and all the other IHRA thugs and opportunists in the PLP (eg in “No Pasaran” and in earlier threads). I despise them all.
Bazza’s comment above and another from Andy Foster (“Murdoch press ignores poll”) just made me reflect on the way others, even LP members, and certainly Labour voters, can be misled by the Guardian, the despicable NS, the BBC and of course virtually all of the other tabloids as well.
Obviously, some of these are not the PLP plotters and thugs that you refer to and it’s better information and argument, not chastisement that they require. If there was one MSM outlet that wasn’t anti Corbyn then the idea that some people are simply politically ill informed would hold less water.
Unfortunately, that isn’t really the case .
You’ve asked me to name one MP like this. Well – unless I’ve misunderstood him – you better ask Bazza.
PS
I’ll name Izzard on the NEC though: because he seems to me to potentially fit both descriptions: thoughtless, probably malicious (I’m not up to speed on this), certainly a breathtakingly arrogant opportunist, who, when interviewed by SkwawkB re the NEC elections, revealed risible, indeed truly woeful levels of political ignorance. And the NS and the Guardian will love him won’t they? Just don’t look too closely eh?