The chief executive of Sandwell Council – the borough which houses right-wing Labour First MPs Tom Watson and John Spellar – has this morning been suddenly placed on gardening leave by the Labour-run council.
An email to staff informed them that Jan Britton had been placed on ‘extended leave’ with immediate effect.
Mr Britton – considered a close ally of Watson’s close associate Steve Eling when Eling was council leader – has been at the heart of a number of controversies exposed by the SKWAWKBOX, including:
- a clean standards finding in an investigation into Eling’s behaviour, described by several other councillors as a whitewash
- a bullying complaint against both men by former assistant chief executive Melanie Dudley
- the exoneration of Watson employee and Sandwell councillor Simon Hackett after Hackett was judged by the Information Commissioner to have breached data laws concerning a minor
- legal persecution of a local blogger that collapsed spectacularly during the trial when video evidence emerged that exploded claims made against the blogger by Brittan and a council employee
The SKWAWKBOX understands that the ‘extended leave’ announcement was made after ‘discoveries led to serious concerns’ about Brittan’s conduct.
Jan Britton hung up when contacted for comment. New council leader Yvonne Davies declined to comment on the situation, saying only that she was focused on serving the people of Sandwell.
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Our party is a cesspit.
From top to bottom, there are corrupt fiefdoms where the rule of law is non existent and bullying is normalised.
This is blairs legacy.
If I have one criticism of Corbyn, is that he and his team have not been proactive enough in enacting processes to clean this kind of thing up. However, I do realise that there is so much more he deals with, and reform is being blocked by people like watson himself.
MAB agreed and these are the questions which need to be answered.
Who are the ‘Labour Staff’ who recommended that Chris Williamson be subject to further disciplinary measures? Are these the Zionists in the background who appear to run the Labour Party and stifle any criticism of Zionists, be they Jewish or otherwise? Are they the people who single out anti-Zionist Jews such as Tony Greenstein and Jackie Walker whilst leaving the despicable Margaret Hodge and Ruth Smeeth to spread their poison? Are they the people who had Miko Peled, an Israeli Jew and internationally acclaimed peace campaigner against Zionist atrocities in Israel/Palestine ejected by the police from last years labour conference whilst welcoming to the conference Ayelet Nahmias Verbin the Israeli politician who called Jeremy Corbyn an anti-Semite and said Jews in Britain would be unsafe if he became PM?
Who are these people in the background of the Labour Party who appear to be running it for the benefit of the Zionist colonisers of Palestine?
MAB’s post had nothing at all to do with “Zionism”, Jack T. That is your very dodgy personal conspiraloon obsession, which in the “dog whistle” language employed looks a lot more like old fashioned conspiraloon anti-Semitism than any concern with the deep historical dark tradition of corruption, in Labour local government, that has always plagued our Party, and that has nothing whatsoever to do with “Zionist” conspiracies.
Endemic corruption amongst Labour councillors predates Tony Blair by generations, MAB. It is the, often, but by no means always, in the past, masonic-based, glue that has always held together the OLD Labour Right from which Tom Watson and his crony circle hail. Remember the eventually jailed T Dan Smith (“Mr Newcastle”) the postwar leader of Newcastle Council, who along with sundry other Labour (and Tory and Liberal) corrupt politicians across Britain , trousered huge bribes from developers in the post war reconstruction boom of badly bombed towns ? Planning permission-based bribes to councillors is as old as the hills, and still very much alive. and today’s massive council outsourcing contracting allocation is a more recent major basis for bribes to key councillors.
Don’t be fooled by disruptive Right Wing Troll, Jack T’s, deliberately distracting anti-Semitic conspiracy rants, the rot in the Labour Party has always been there, and based on nothing more sinister than dodgy politicians , of all ethnicities and beliefs, getting on board the Labour Party to line their own pockets. These parasites are still there, the bedrock of the local level anti Corbyn, anti Left, continued sabotage of our Left advance. They have to be rooted out, just as much as the corrupt careerists in the PLP, because their bone-deep corruption means they will never support a genuine socialist Labour Party
jpenney, I might have known it would be you piping up to defend the Zionists.who are trying destroy Jeremy Corbyn and our chances of a true Socialist government.
MAB mentioned Blairites a cesspit and bullying, all applicable to Zionist back stabbers such as Hodge, Smeeth, John Mann and dozens of others.
jpenney, your middle paragraph describes, all too precisely, an era of local council corruption with which, as a teenager in sixties London E2, I am deeply familiar, if not marked for life by.
The long road to socialism:
“It’s a hard road to travel and a rough rough way to go…”
Toots Hibberd (and the Maytalls)
Labour friends of Israel sold us all out for 30pieces of silver (1million pounds)jack,and probably more since Ryan grabbed 1million pounds.off the Israeli embassy employee . How cheep do the TRAITORS come in the right wing!
BREAKING NEWS
90 Labour MPs and peers demand Jeremy Corbyn intervene in Chris Williamson case
A joint statement by the MPs and peers has demanded Jeremy Corbyn “show leadership” by personally ordering a fresh review into the MP’s comments
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/breaking-90-labour-mps-peers-17265793
.. and the inevitable ‘Williamson must go’ article up instantly in the Guardian. Not good for my blood pressure.
The spirit of Joe McCarthy is alive and smiling at the state of British politics and the media.
He should intervene in the case by reinforcing it with the expulsions of Margaret Hodge & Ruth Smeeth
And in view of the list below, Tom Watson, too.
Here is a full list of the conspirators in an easier to read format. Can you spot your MP?
Tom Watson
Holly Lynch
Stella Creasy
Anna Turley
Rosie Duffield
Louise Ellman
Ruth Smeeth
Jenny Chapman
Roberta Blackman-Woods
Stephen Doughty
Karin Smyth
Baroness Thornton
Lord McNicol
Baroness Morgan of Huyton
Lord Turnberg
Gloria De Piero
Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
Yvette Cooper
Baroness Massey of Darwen
Baroness Kingsmill
Lord Soley
Madeleine Moon
Kate Green
Ruth Cadbury
Owen Smith
Seema Malhotra
Liz Kendall
Chris Matheson
Margaret Hodge
Stephen Kinnock
Jeff Smith
Chris Bryant
Wes Streeting
Julie Elliot
Lord Levy
Lord Knight of Weymouth
Lord Harris of Haringey
Ali McGovern
James Frith
Lucy Powell
Bridget Phillipson
Pat McFadden
Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall
Lord Triesman
Lord Dubs
Ian Murray
Darren Jones
Alex Sobel
Karen Buck
Neil Coyle
Lord Mandelson
Anna McMorrin
Chi Onwurah
Baroness Taylor of Bolton
Lord Willie Bach
Susan Elan Jones
Ged Killen
Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale
Lord Livermore
Kevin Barron
Dan Jarvis
Jess Phillips
Martin Whitfield
Rachel Reeves
Peter Kyle
Baroness Armstrong of Hilltop
Lord Young of Norwood Green
Lord Levy
Baroness Maggie Jones
Rushanara Ali
Debbie Abrahams
Daniel Zeichner
Lillian Greenwood
Graham Jones
Toby Perkins
Lord George Robertson
Baroness Mary Goudie
Barry Sheerman
Tonia Antoniazzi
Ian Lucas
Lord George Foulkes
Lord Wood of Anfield
Cat McKinnell
Ben Bradshaw
Lord Haskell
Lisa Nandy
Gareth Thomas
Lord Brooke
Sharon Hodgson
Ellie Reeves
Yes, in between Liz Kendall and Margaret Hodge. Illustrious company for sure!
Didn’t trust the slimeball when he was parachuted into the constituency. You could tell he was a Blairite straight away. Got a good mind to vote against him in the next election.
We should have a list of mps who didn’t sign,and the Lords ….Well they sold out when they aceppted the title.A list of loyal Labour Mps to remind us of how cheap the other sellouts come .
I wonder where Benn is?Preparing for Leadership and standing above the rabble? He is the chief plotter and has always been fixated with Leadership!
Brilliant, a veritable chamber of horrors or Scotland Yard’s Black Museum. Not side splitting tinge but deep, dark black. I am fortunately hilariously tinged. Some lists are funny, some informative but some are terrifying. Good health.
Just seen it on BBC news. Looks like crunch time.
We need names.
The shit has hit the fan
https://twitter.com/tom_watson/status/1144234392920973313
A ready made de-selection list?
Pretty much, yeah!
I think that if Corbyn can make a big display of not giving a fuck, most of these scumbags will leave the party voluntarily. I mean look at it – it’s practically a wishlist! 😀
Timfrom, would be great if he did but recent past history suggests another cave in.
CW is hated by the ’90’ because he’s one of the few prepared to call out the Smearers’ bullshit. That’s why they are so incandescent that his suspension has been ended.
You have them in the Mirror link David – look long and look hard. I can’t believe I’m a LP member when confronted with this kind of behaviour from so many in the PLP.
Oh, no you di’ent… Mirror:
Today’s statement, led by deputy Labour leader Tom Watson, said there are “questions about the fairness of the process” which is “mired by the appearance of political interference.”
Wot.. political interference like wot u an’ yer red tory mates just tried, ya tiny dumb fuck?
As there is the likely-hood of a GE I suppose most of us were expecting something. Chris Williamson was just a convenient catalyst. There are some in the party who are absolutely determined to sabotage Labour’s electoral chances.
To nick the words from a song, ” We’ve only just begun”. It is really going fire up. Time to head for the pills. Regards.
We cannot overstate the depth and breadth of hurt and anger felt about the Deputy Leadership in the Labour Party and the questions that arise about the fairness of the process of accepting his constant undermining of Labour Party rules and values.
The membership recommendation – that Tom Watson should be referred to the National Constitutional Committee for persistent actions he takes to undermine the Labour Party and Leadership at every possible opportunity, should be pursued vigorously.
Justice needs to be seen to be done and this process needs to equably applied to all Labour Party members, including Members of Parliament and Deputy Leaders of the party, if so required.
Given that the Labour Party is being constantly attacked for such matters as antisemitism, despite the robust and prompt actions of the Labour Party General Secretary to address this, it is imperative that all Labour Party members are held to the rules of the Labour Party and do not bring the party in disrepute in the manner and conduct as seen by the Deputy Leader over the course of many months, including the now infamous “Chicken Coup”.
It is clear to us that the Labour Party’s disciplinary process remains mired by the appearance of political interference. At one point the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party informed party members that he would be keeping a separate list of complainants and take independent action, despite this breaching legislation, and This Must STOP.
We need a truly independent process to review and regulate ALL party members conduct.
We call on Jeremy Corbyn to show leadership by asking for this inappropriate, offensive and reputationally damaging decision to retain Tom Watson as the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party to be subject to a disciplinary consideration for continually undermining of the objectives and rules of the Labour Party.
Ultimately, it is for the membership to decide whether Tom Watson retains the Labour Party Deputy Leadership.
We must remove him immediately a vote for this post has been concluded, should the membership vote against his continued participation, this action is to be taken if we are to stand any hope of persuading anyone that the Labour Party is taking seriously all of the issues that confront our citizens and our country today .
SIGNED
Dave Putson
This isn’t really about CW is it?
Have I got it wrong, or is this the overture for a coup led by TW?
PS apologies to DP – the above from me was meant to be a stand alone comment not a response to the very witty letter!
You’re not wrong, Paulo.
While we have these quislings in our midst the next coup attempt is only an opportunity away.
If they were ever to succeed though, they’d find themselves with a skeleton membership, overwhelming debts and me at their doors acting with extreme prejudice as an unpaid volunteer fucking bailiff. (spits)
(spits) Like!
Excellent skit. We need a bit of satire on here! Will pass it on with pleasure.
Adapted slightly and sent to both my local papers. But I ain’t holding my breath!
Couldn’t Heels appoint him as leader for life? Well lot’s of PLPers would appreciate that. If not Guido needs a job. Let’s get a GE. We have a crack in the window for selection, it’s our last chance. Good luck all for the tough days ahead. Don’t try to get fairness from the media. It’s never going to happen. Would outlawing the Guardian and BBC be a bad thing. Bugger it, I’m nearly on my bike and away from it all. I would love to see the Tingers and Tapeworms become mere footnotes in election history. Good luck.
Please, if you agree, add your name and pass it on
Dave
“Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer”. That will be you then Watson. For the sake of my children and my grandchildren go.
stop apologising…………