Media presenting story fundamentally at odds with facts
As the Establishment scrabbles to divert from Tory minister Mark Field’s appalling manhandling of a female protester last night, centrists are once again attacking Jeremy Corbyn’s closest aides.
Claims are being regurgitated from the beginning of this month that Corbyn’s chief of staff, Karie Murphy, ‘blocked’ the suspension of David Prescott after complaints from a female MP that she had been sexually harassed.
Just as when the stories were first circulated, they present a fundamentally untrue picture of events. The SKWAWKBOX is now setting the record straight.
The Establishment version
The gist of the establishment claim, fuelled by selective presentation – and misrepresentation – of stolen emails, is that a female MP tearfully complained about the alleged harassment and two other women had been similarly mistreated. The Murdoch Times claimed that Corbyn’s chief of staff, Karie Murphy, ‘blocked’ an attempt by party staff to suspend Prescott.
Reality
The simple run of events as they actually happened is very different from the media/centrist version.
The female MP spoke to Murphy and Corbyn and did identify two other cases. She was asked to make a formal complaint but did not wish to do so.
Prescott was immediately suspended from his party role, but not from his membership as there is a process that has to be followed.
The two other women mentioned by the MP were not prepared to give evidence and no one else could be found who could provide any information.
The email sent to Murphy suggested sending Prescott a ‘notice of investigation’ and not a suspension. Murphy said no, on the grounds that Prescott was already suspended from his post without any formal complaint and action could not be escalated further without any actual complaint against him. In legal terms it is acceptable to suspend someone from employment on a ‘without prejudice’ basis, but suspension from the party requires at least a prima facie case but there was not even a formal complaint.
Prescott has contractual rights as a party employee and was eventually reinstated when there was no actionable case against him.
A number of senior right-wing party staff wanted to suspend Prescott’s membership to rule him out as a potential parliamentary candidate in the Mansfield selection, but there was no complaint to justify such action.
The female MP continues to be supported by Jeremy Corbyn and his LOTO leader of the opposition) staff.
As of the time of publication there is no pending complaint against David Prescott.
Labour has been attacked for slow processing of disciplinary cases, but as the SKWAWKBOX exclusively revealed, right-wing staffers departing after the resignation of former Labour general secretary Iain McNicol shredded thousands of documents relating to ongoing cases, after making copies to release to the media.
SKWAWKBOX view:
Jeremy Corbyn and his staff at all times acted properly – but the scenario presented by the media is inaccurate and seriously misleading. It’s not the first time and certainly will not be the last.
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The Guardian report was focused on pay rises and possible future strike action and moved on to “office culture” by a series of innuendos, presented without evidence (classic Guardian “get Corbyn” stuff in fact). I want these lickspittles who have the privilege of working for the Labour Party, and getting paid for it, to know that if they need to go complaining to the enemy press (I wasn’t born yesterday, this is a political not an economic issue), then they should hand in their resignations now: I for one am quite happy to take their place – and I’ll even do it as a volunteer. If there are provable allegations about inappropriate behaviour by colleagues, there are proper channels for dealing with them – and they don’t include blabbing to the press. People like them make me sick. Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer, we’ll keep the red flag flying here.
“these lickspittles who have the privilege of working for the Labour Party, and getting paid for it”
Could be the Tory press attacking those ‘privileged’ to have a job.
(I have no insight into the substance of this stuff – I just note the immediate partisan judgment of the claims having no basis other than political shenanagans. So much for worker solidarity).
The Guardian lets the cat out of the bag by mentioning that Karie Murphy is considered to be an anti-EU, pro-Brexit influence on Corbyn.
No surprise therefore that there is a concerted effort by the anti-socialist establishment within the Party and outside it to get rid of her.
“… former Labour general secretary Iain McNicol shredded thousands of documents relating to ongoing cases, after making copies to release to the media.”
Were any of these people suspended? I doubt it. While Chris Williamson, Jackie Walker and others are prevented from campaigning for socialism and colonial freedom traitors in high places like Margaret Hodge use their positions to attack the working class in the UK, in Palestine and elsewhere.
Labour has been attacked for slow processing of disciplinary cases, but as the SKWAWKBOX exclusively revealed, right-wing staffers departing after the resignation of former Labour general secretary Iain McNicol shredded thousands of documents relating to ongoing cases, after making copies to release to the media.
Why is this still an obscure story? It’s dynamite stuff! Hopefully, Corbyn’s team are working on persuading a credible MSM journalist to persuade his editor to print it.
I’d go for Aditya Chakrabortty, though I realise that would require a sea-change at The Guardian…
If three women have confirmed sexual harassment by a Labour employee yet have declined to make formal complaints I have to wonder why.
I don’t see any virtue in any of the possible explanations I’ve considered, though I’ll keep my speculations to myself.
So easy to make false accusations, plus anonymity without any legal consequences,followed by guilt by accusation. Many teachers know what I’m talking about. Whatever happened to Bex Bailey’s accusations ref. senior Labour officials, or is there a little more to the story that will never be allowed to be told?
‘So easy to make false accusations…’
Exactly, just like Ava Etemadzadeh! The reality is that it’s so easy to make false allegations IF you’re a Sociopath. And why hasn’t the NEC dealt with it yet after more than eighteen months, when it’s glaringly obvious to anyone above the age of five that it is ALL complete fabrication. And why on earth isn’t Kelvin Hopkins suing her for defamation. Really REALLY doesn’t make sense to me given that it would take any judge (and jury) on the planet about five minutes maximum to conclude that she was lying through her teeth:
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/15640737.kevin-hopkins-statement-in-full/
Afterthought: And if he DID of course, and, as such, proved beyond any shadow of doubt that her allegations were false and fabricated (and that it was all concocted and designed to undermine JC’s leadership and the left), then THAT in itself would cast big doubts in the minds of many people about all the OTHER allegations and accusations made against Jeremy and some of his closest allies – like Ken and Chris and Jackie and Pete etc – and the left in general during the past three years or more.
But then I would have thought that THAT would have occurred to Mr Hopkins a long, long time ago.
Here we go again and nothing happens
When politics acts like the normal rules by which we all have to live do not apply to them then no woner they are held in complete contempt
For the love of God do somethi g
The Guardian report on the pay question is Heather Stewart’s usual Karie Murphy conspiracy theory and even then Stewart had to give balanced view at the end of the argument because she knew the article was hogwash.
Let’s face it, the Guardian’s political staff have absolutely no sources bar Tom Watson’s gang. Even today’s revelations about Johnson was reported by the media reporter Waterson (who has enough problems of his own about the attack on the young lad from Southwark earlier in the week). The political staff are clueless and are given their line from Viner, Freedland and co. (eg, have a look at their reporting on the Tories which is just rewrites of the Times).
We really need someone to stand against Watson, anyone on the left would win by a mile. And some day someone has to take the Guardian’s political team to the courts.