Local members outraged at decision to render huge branch majorities ‘null and void’
Labour’s London regional office has ‘annulled’ two branch ‘trigger‘ meetings of Ealing Southall Labour party that voted overwhelmingly in favour of a selection contest against incumbent Virendra Sharma – after an ‘unfounded’ allegation that ineligible voters participated.
Elthorne branch voted 30:3 and Southall Broadway 74:32 in favour of a full selection and against automatically retaining Sharma.
Members only been told that the meetings are ‘annulled’ and their results are ‘null and void’ and have not been given any information about the allegations leading to the annulment. However, the SKWAWKBOX understands that Sharma or his supporters have claimed ineligible voters took part.
However, local members told the SKWAWKBOX that the allegations are false: only a handful of members in each branch were ineligible because they joined after the ‘freeze date’ – and none are known to have participated in the votes. Even if they had, the majorities in favour of the trigger were so huge that any ineligible voters would have been immaterial to the outcome.
Only one further branch would have been required to reach the trigger threshold – and a meeting scheduled for this evening was expected to deliver that result.
Ealing Southall members are understandably outraged by the decision of London’s regional office to nullify their democratic demand, reached by huge majorities, to ‘trigger’ an MP who was the subject of an equally massive vote of no confidence earlier this year – and of a protest by constituents asking Labour to put up a different candidate in the 2017 general election..
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I don’t recall ever reading anything good about regional offices.
In this era of instant communication the need for that extra layer of officialdom escapes me.
I remember in the Blair years how the Rgional Office left sticky paw-prints over procedures.
Is this another example of Labour’s ‘democracy’? Although it has to be said that it is up to the branch officials to ensure that voting is carried out within the rules.
You’re right – it is a reasonable part of procedure. My historical scepticism about the role of Regional Office is based on memories of how it was used to police the inputs to Conference.
What is questionable is that – as in normal election procedures, membership cards should be checked off against an up-to-date central membership list on the door. Not foolproof – but simple, pretty secure against dodgy dealing, which should be detectable.
The probity of Labour’s London Regional Office is also being called into question elsewhere. All this political manoeuvring by the hierarchy of the Labour party is very dispiriting for the membership. We don’t want them to indulge in underhand methods to protect their political allies and thwart the memberships wishes. They are not supposed to be part of the problem, they are supposed to represent the membership and ensure the good governance of the party.
Over the summer, local members considered moving a vote of no confidence in Labour’s London regional director, as LabourList reported, as they suspected that the selection process was being purposefully delayed.
https://labourlist.org/2019/10/enfield-north-selection-runners-and-riders/
Outrageous
Nah. Sienna Rodgers using ‘purposefully’ when she meant ‘purposely’ is outrageous 🙂
Jack T , you mention that branch officials make sure that rules are followed and to an extent you are right . Meetings of this sort are actually arranged through branches but are controlled and overseen by a ” Regional Official ” , whose only role is to oversee procedure . They have a duty to intercede if necessary to ensure rules are followed.
Bebbingtonmark….Thanks for your little gem of wisdom,but we all know the rules and we all know a stitch up when we see one.Long time members of the Labour party have seen it all before.We are more worried regarding retaining the membership of the Labour party and making sure that the party is run for the many not the few parasites
I think Mark was pointing out that the London Regional Office had an initial supervisory responsibility and are now acting a bit late in effectively overturning 2 decisions they originally sanctioned
Laughable to say the least, not as if anyone with two functioning brains cells was unable to fathom that the ‘trigger process’ fudge was always going to lead to any result being questioned and then overturned by anti-democratic forces within the Party machinery.
Suffice to say, Open Selection would have done away with all this factionalism and power plays.
I’m just surprised the Margaret Hodge trigger has yet to be overturned to be quite honest.
I’m just surprised the Margaret Hodge trigger has yet to be overturned to be quite honest.
Indeed. I’m expecting bad news on that any day now!
Democracy in play again. I am seriously fed up with labour party bureaucracy. I didnt sign up to this when I joined labour.
Cindy.. I wish it was bureaucracy ,but its far more serious than that.We cannot begin to quantify the damage to the Labour party that such anti democratic actions do in retaining the membership.. Regional bodys and the NEC undermining the democratic socialist Labour party and the loyalty of the membership.!We go into an election hobbled by the enemy within!
Another argument in favour of open selections.
The situation wouldn’t be any different – just one stage less.
Handmaidens of the political class .repeat the processes with supervision immediately.
You would think that with limited staffing resources Labour would develop more agile methods of working and say, OK we need to investigate these allegations but the result is unlikely to be unaffected so no need for invalidations. Like the drift of the Law Lords beyond what most would see as their remit, institutions do appear to develop their collectivised importance over and above those that they are appointed to serve.
The Labour Party will never be resourced to deal with the fineness of practice that plays no effective part. If half the resource of the Labour Party was devoted to getting candidates into place that is devoted to MPs feelings of deprivations Labour would stand a better chance in the forthcoming elections.
When will we learn that the RW of our party HATE US and will do all in their power to stop/castrate a Corbyn Govt. Let this be a lesson to any more left wing members that they MUST ensure that any trigger votes are water tight.
We can all rage against the injustice of it but if there is the slightest chance to destroy our chances they will take it , vis a vie the Twatson debarcle , but I blame idiot Lansman for that fxxx up and the whole re-selection mess he and Mcluskey created at COnf in 2018.
Perhaps the NEC can now investigate the Region team to make sure they are “fair” but I hold little hope.
WE are just making JCs life more difficult should he become PM and we must do better .This is where Momentum or some “savey” LW organisation could actually be useful
I know nothing about Unite’s rules so I’ve no idea whether fear of the principle of mandatory reselection spreading was a factor in McCluskey’s decision not to support it in 2018 … I only suspect.
On Lansman’s reason I won’t speculate.
If the right mounts another coup or otherwise prevents us winning the next GE, Lansman and McCluskey won’t be the only ones who have to answer for it.
If they succeed in ousting Corbyn I hope a far larger socialist party of half a million ex-Labour members and 650 genuinely left wing PPC’s might rise from Labour’s bankrupt ashes under Corbyn’s leadership.
The country deserves and will demand a real socialist option when Austerity 2 hits, as it will almost immediately if the Tories win a workable majority.
Otherwise I think I might leave the UK.
Agreed David and I can’t help thinking it might have been better if in a ideal world the LW had left the Party taking Corbyn and Co with us to start a new Democratic Socialist Party.
Still one can but dream
David your comments . I think I might leave the UK,rings a bell for me…What a day and we seem to take one step forward and two steps back.We have a socialist government witin reach and for whatever reason it will be our Own Labour party that will stop a socialist leader and a democratic socialist Labour government.We are gifted an election and a Tory regime in meltdown….Its slipping away for the Labour party.through the ruling enemy within.I am too old and do not know what the future holds but if Johnson and the torys win I give up because if the public and the Labour party allow another Tory government then its time to hoist the mainsail and cast off to other horizons.and distant lands were my helps required and welcomed.
Yes, David, leaving the country if they get in again looks like a tempting move, money notwithstanding!
I despair that this might be facilitated by former Labour voters, worn down by the wait for Brexit and estranged from their former class-consciousness, actually falling for the anti-Corbyn propaganda and Boris Johnson’s evil charm. They’ll deserve everything they get.
For “… might rise from Labour’s bankrupt ashes under Corbyn’s leadership.” please read “… might rise under Corbyn’s leadership from Labour’s bankrupt ashes.”
Hope you knew what I meant despite my poor phrasing.
Can we really be complacent in the light of such? Read again. Take it in. Labour’s London regional office has ‘annulled’ 2 branch triggers of Ealing Southall that voted overwhelmingly 4 Open Selection? Yet did not act on the dodgy operations in BOS? Is the NEC & Disciplinary Committees fit 4 purpose? Are members being taken 4 granted? Is the vast Labour machinery helping or hindering us? Are they reforming CoyledSharmasThornyTwatsons or emboldening the ghastly creatures to coup, coup and coup again⁉️⁉️⁉️Answers & ideas please♏️♦️♦️♦️
Signpostnotwindchimes. .You are absolutely correct we are throwing an election by accepting passively another virtual coup against the membership and the leadership.The traitors don’t want a Labour government under Corbyn. Last chance saloon for a Labour government
A puzzle that despite the behaviour of wreckers on either side and behind JC, he rescues TW and throws Chris under a bus. v V VERY strange…. But i am ever optimistic. We must NEVER give up♏️♦️♦️♦️
The predicted dirty tricks…