Analysis Breaking comment

Labour right trying to suspend suspected leakers without evidence while those implicated in report carry on as normal

Right-wingers try to ignore NEC meeting remit to attack left-wing staff

Right-wingers on Labour’s National Executive Committee have attempted to suspend staff they suspect – without evidence – of leaking the party’s internal report that accused right-wing HQ staff of undermining Labour’s electoral efforts, using abusive and potentially racist language and obstructing disciplinary processes.

No action was proposed against the staff accused of misconduct.

The matter was raised during today’s NEC meeting convened to discuss the party’s response to the leak, even though it was outside the remit of the meeting. However, it was not agreed.

The Labour right has shown no hesitation in diving into persecutory behaviour that they showed such outrage about when Corbyn was leader – even though such behaviour was a figment of their imagination.

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58 comments

  1. Well – the sectarian bias would be absolutely proved unless those exposed were also suspended pending investigation. Not very clever.

    1. It would be a national scandal if there were no arrests following this leak.

      Misappropriation of party funds by those in a position of trust & responsibility is a very serious criminal offence.

      Failure by others to place such allegations front & centre in their investigation &, instead, focus on who leaked is just as great a dereliction of duty.

  2. £100k on trying to discover who leaked? Will they be offering that as a reward?

    Had I still been a member, I’d be writing to the party telling them I’d be withholding subs until the investigation does a full about-turn and starts investigation the actions of the most unwelcome right-wing ensconcement within the party, because I vehemently disagree with this Assange-style witch-huntish attack on transparency and democracy.

    1. Conference going ahead in September seems iffy.

      I don’t hear from my local branch now that I’m no longer a member and I don’t remember reading much from Skwawkbox on branch activity since December.
      An online Conference, judging by parliament online, seems unlikely to work very well, if at all, without “over 13,000” reliable connections.

      Unless branches have lurched to the right along with the leadership (my sense is that members and branches won’t reflect national polling) could Conference be a big problem for Starmer?
      On the other hand does cancellation give him the breathing space to entrench the Quislings even further?

      All just guesswork, could be way off the mark, any takers?

  3. Sectarian bias or not proving or not,it makes no difference to the end result.The Blairites are back in charge and guilty offenders walk tall and leakers will be dealt with and prosecuted to the limits of a witchunt

    1. I don’t think that overwhelming defeatism is the best response to difficulty, Joseph. The manipulators didn’t get their way. The task is to keep it that way.

      1. An impossible task. They won’t release their strangle hold however much you put some sort of gloss on what’s happening. The Party is over, don’t you understand?

      2. OK, Paul. Let’s translate what your saying in real time and in the world of real options. Let’s not wrap it up, given that the Tories are currently polling 20% above Labour. :

        “Let’s give up. Socialism and Democracy are dead ducks Fuck it.”

        .. because that’s the implication.

      3. What nonsense! There is no need for you to translate what I say thank you very much! Stay with Starmer’s Blairites to save democracy? It’s demented!

      4. So your answer is to mimic the Social Democrats, but with a twist of socialism added? Not a great precedent.

        I think I’ll stick with Labour – as I did then.

      5. You make it up as you go along! Who said anything about the .libDems?! They are just mini Tories! (Like yourself I imagine).

      6. “The manipulators didn’t get their way.”
        Of course you did – and you did it with the help of the Tories and the BBC so you could build your “broad church” coalition with them.
        Now you’re taking steps to remove any vestige of socialism from “your” Labour Party and Starmer’s presenting your arses to the Tories for their delectation.
        Stealing the name “Labour” won’t save you from the angry mob.

      7. They aren’t dead, but they are under lock and key.

        The establishment (for want of a better word) has hamstrung the Labour party since it’s creation. People drifted away in the thirties for example, for the same reasons we’re seeing today. Disenfranchisement.

        The anomaly was 1945. And I’d say that was more due to the reneging of promises such as Home fit for Heroes. By 1950, greed was good again.

        Labour is not the solution, and besides, what was wrong with Corbyns socialism?

      8. TH dreaming of “never never land” and smug appraisal of the task at hand shows your contempt for socialism and the task ahead that cannot come from a establishment knight led Labour party..The fightback will come from The streets not from the over educated cretins like yourself RH.

      9. “Now you’re taking steps to remove any vestige of socialism from “your” Labour Party”

        “You”?

        “… mini Tories! (Like yourself I imagine)”

        Christ! We all know about ‘social distancing’ – but, unless I’m misreading, this current run of of barmy comment and febrile fantasizing suggests that the Skwawkbox isolation wing has infection as well.

        The reference to the SDs is simply a reminder of the fate of break-away parties – and what they break away from.

        “Labour is not the solution”

        If it isn’t, what does that make the no-hope isolationists who run away as soon as the firing starts?

        Just shouting ‘Socialism!’ no matter how loud, has never won any battles – besides sounding hollow when the other shouts are insults aimed at the majority who haven’t run at the first whiff of gunpowder.

        “what was wrong with Corbyn’s socialism?” Nothing – except a better description would be ‘social democracy’ – and the ‘angry mob’ even vote for that in sufficient numbers They’re now giving the enemy a 20% lead in the polls.

        And a ragged-arsed and isolated small coterie excluding themselves from Labour (and mainly exercised in fighting potential allies) is going to turn that all around?

        I fear not.

  4. Which right wingers raised it and which spoke in favour. If members of the NEC are reporting what happened at the NEC then as members we should be aware of who proposes and supports such calls. After all the right wing have in the passed named left-wing members of the NEC (I’m thinking in particular issues surround the Anti-semitic issue), so only reasonable that right wingers try to shut down democracy should also be named,

  5. Its about time we named and shamed these right-wing wreckers. Let’s make sure they aren’t allowed to hide behind the curtain of NEC confidentiality.

  6. Labour party can now go join hands with Trump and Obama. Shoot the messenger, not the perpetrators.

      1. SteveH
        Key point was all clear to take disciplinary action against those named in report

  7. And this is exactly why I have nothing more to do with the LP! Bunch of vipers!

  8. Are NEC elections before or after this report in July
    RW are not going to go away until we shift them
    Have fun speeding up process at conference

  9. It seems unbelievable that not that long ago we had smoking and non smoking seats on aeroplanes
    Can you see where I’m going with this
    Social distancing my arse

      1. That fact that Ian Duncan Smith appears to be in excellent health seems to indicate that eating your own bogeys wards off the deadly virus too……. Now where did I put that old packet of Capstan Full Strength??

      2. Your reference to Capstan Full Strength takes me back to days of my youth when we used to buy a fag and a match for 1 old penny at the shop near my old school.

      3. Paul – Me too. Apparently so (if it turns out to be true). The French are conducting a trial using nicotine patches.

      4. As an ex-professional smoker (Capstan Full Strength, Gitanes, Romeo y Julietas) who scorned filtered fags as being only fit for women and children, the following got my attention:
        “[Nicotine] may also lessen the overreaction of the body’s immune system that has been found in the most severe cases of Covid-19 infection.”

        I’m not sure I’ve ever had influenza and hardly ever had a cold until I gave up smoking about ten years ago. Only had 2 or 3 colds since then but it felt like an increase.
        I used to joke that no germ could survive the inside of my lungs – maybe there was a germ of truth in that after all.

        I’d be interested to know if wood smoke has a similar effect – it always seemed far more toxic than tobacco smoke.

      5. I started working for a company that made air vents the year the pub smoking ban took effect.
        It seemed to me at the time the industry had missed a trick by not campaigning for smoking to be allowed where effective ventilation was installed.
        Maybe there’d still be some village pubs left if they had.

      6. Nobody smokes anymore
        Dad was a 100 a day John Players and mum was 60 a day Senior Service
        Smoking ban was a great step forward but I’m pro choice and never understood how Working Mens Clubs members only could not carry on

      7. Well goodbye COVID, welcome back yellow fingers……..

  10. What the hell do we do about the state of the Party now? Four years of hope & inspiration from Corbyn, McDonnell & Team… wiped out for the foreseeable future.

    1. McDonnell went soft, and Corbyn could have done better.

      The reality is hope out there amongst us got quite strong, unified even.

      And the Labour right has shit all over that. People who are already successful. I’ll never forget or forgive the party for this. This is far lower than any Tory’s behaviour

  11. I’m just glad I’ve left. Utterly pointless and poisoned party. Very very sad. I had such high hopes. Good luck to all who choose to stay x

    1. Thanks Jacki. Whether in or out, the most important thing every socialist should do is to fight for electoral reform.

      Make socialists and make our electoral system democratic

  12. …….we are discussing the benifits of the dangerous and stinking foul habbit of Smoking….and once again agreeing with the drug for the oppressed working class The Torys love the ….compliant weak and drunk or drugged the anaesthetic helps to further the cause of the Smoking pushers of global capitalism….British American Tobbaco the silent killer across the world.!

  13. Leave Labour party membership and not stay to pointless fights, when people are dying from the effects of right wing Labour did under Blair and Brown.

    Help Chris Williamson to start his socialist movement, to make it a new party, and encourage the socialist Labour MPs to join that party as sitting MPs, as safe as no election til 2024.

      1. Could you remind us what he’s selling.
        SH you’re response just sums you up. A brown nose Starmer supporter who fought the party at every turn over Brexit.
        So called socialists like yourself have put the last nail in Labours coffin.
        Me personally I thank you because now it’s made it clear Labour isn’t what it says it is.
        Something new will come out of this, something “Moderates” won’t have their hands in.

      2. Masmit – Thanks for your contribution, unfortunately you got yourself so worked up that you clean forgot to answer my question,

      3. You’re question is a moderates spin for relevance. Going against Labour whilst Corbyn was still leader would have been a no for most. Also the electorate outside of the membership bubble
        “ the likes of you moderates forget” wouldn’t have had a clue about the internal battle to oust Chris.
        I see you didn’t answer the question about what he selling?
        The way I see it is you are a Tory enabler you and RH, JackT contributed to getting a conservative government with you’re position on Brexit. So in my eyes you own a part of the deaths under Tory rule, then you doubled down by backing Starmer.
        Scab and Scum come to mind for some reason.

    1. Its a good thought Grey Swans , build a movement within a movement , sounds some how familiar doesn’t it ?
      But first there are ” scores to be settled ” within the Party and the best way to do that is to stay and fight the Stamer-ist and the Centrists from within.
      Bend them utterly to the majority Left wing memberships will , that starts this Sept with the NEC elections .
      Leaving is EXACTLY what the likes Screeching Streeting , Ian Murry and all those other utterly foul Centrist MPs want you to do.
      Use the time to organise and unify the Left , that is already starting to take shape with Forward Momentum’s initiative ,along with other LW groups.

      Await the inevitable mass losses of Labour Councillors at the eventual forthcoming Local elections , wait for those polls , that so many here worship ,, to show Starmers Leadership popularity falls to single figures , BTW its less now than Corbyn’s ever was !
      At that point , gut the Centrist MPs as they have done to us , raise a motion of NO Confidence in Starmer and then when we have the Socialists MPs on board , launch the new Party in time for the next GE. Stand candidates in every Centrists Labour Party MPs constituency and if nothing else hopefully should we fail at this then enough votes will be bled away from them to ensure they loose their seats anyway .

      1. rob – “launch the new Party in time for the next GE. Stand candidates in every Centrists Labour Party MPs constituency and if nothing else hopefully should we fail at this then enough votes will be bled away from them to ensure they loose their seats “

        To be honest I am really struggling to understand how your intention to increase the Tory majority at the next election by splitting the Labour vote is going to help anyone.

      2. @Steve H. I think Labour did a pretty good job of splitting it’s own vote in 2019, don’t you?

      3. marty – You appear to be making a bit of a habit of trying to distract and divert away from the specific subject being discussed.

    2. A new socialist party sounds entrancing but, in a two party electoral system ,is doomed to failure as long as the Labour Party is hogging the ‘alternative govt’ position, as the establishment @second choice’. What perhaps needs to happen is what happened to the Lib party wjhen the LP took over as main opposition a century agoi, only with the LP being consigned to oblivion. Big ask but not impossible. It’s a long term thing though and many of us will not live to see it:(

      1. If a couple of hundred thousand left the LP to join the new party the LP would not remain th e”alternative government for long!.If we could take a few Unions with us,the collapse of the LP would be relatively swift.

      2. @Marty I’d not underestimate the speed of political change . Point in case , the Brexit Party , came out of nowhere and in 12 months if that , it was driving Tory policy like the devil it is.
        The reason i.m.o we don’t right now have Brexit Party ministers is the “deal ” Fartage did with Johnson to stand down his candidates.
        I agree it will take a little time perhaps as unlike The BP we will not have the MSM/Establishment on side .

        @John Thatcher , yes I would hope that would happen , right now I think that there is a mass of LW members twiddling their thumbs, waiting , hoping for a real alternative LW platform to materialise within Labour , to coalesce around .This is born out by the massive majority who simply DID NOT VOTE at all in the leadership election more didn’t vote than actually voted for Starmer , so there is the proof.

        Rapid work needs to be done right now within the LW rank and file , heads need to be banged together in Momentum and the other LW grps , LLA LAA, JVL ,Left Unity , CLPD, all of them , to get them unified under one banner and group. I don’t care what we call it but unity is a must .
        Work also needs to be done right now within the Unions , Unite is salvageable and imo and would perhaps be positive , Unison /GMB requires a lot of work from their members to remove the rotten leadership but then again if the membership is content with that so be it .CWU and FBU certainly think they would be positive .
        Its a case of creating a viable honest home for the Left and then I think they will join in their droves we have seen this proved already with the rise of Corbyn, who knows maybe Corbyn and McD might be persuaded ?

      3. “the Brexit Party , came out of nowhere ”

        But it didn’t. It came out of years of massive propaganda in the right wing MSM – a significant part of which was the writing of Mr Tory Toad.

        Splitting the LP will be lapped up by the Tories. Trolls will encourage it. Have no doubt.

      4. The LP is being lapped up by the Tories right now with their smirking at a near Tory becoming Leader and about to purge the Party of left of centre members. They reckon the loss of members and activists give them a clear run through to the 2030’s let alone loss of votes. Starmer and the Gang couldn’t give a hoot; they have recaptured ‘their’ party and don’t expect anything but to continue in their safe seats until they accept their peerages. Why would anyone vote for Super Dull Starmer when they could have bouncy Boris and One Nation Toryism? Name one thing Starmer has to offer.

  14. @RH in comparative time scales the BP did indeed
    ” come out of nowhere ” Approx if memory serves 2 yrs from Fartage appearing on our screen to full blown BP .

    The Tories already know Labour is deeply split , just as they are or were until Johnson booted out those dissenters .And that is what JC should have done , if he had a weakness it was being too kind .

    In fact with the election of Johnsons arse licker Starmer , then they quite probably would not want to see Labour split and would want to maintain their indirect control of it via their poodle Starmer .
    Thus hardly likely to “Lap anything up ” further , it’s just not in their interests to do so .

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