No reasons given in generic suspension letter
Alan Gibbons, the secretary of Liverpool Walton Labour party (CLP) and elected member of Momentum’s National Coordinating Group (NCG) has been suspended by the Labour party today – and the party did not even deign to provide reasons.
Gibbons, also a well-known anti-racism and anti-fascist campaigner, received an emailed letter from Labour’s HQ informing him of the suspension. However, it provided no details of the supposed grounds.
Walton CLP recently voted in support of Jeremy Corbyn, one of hundreds of CLPs to do so. Officers of other CLPs have been suspended for respecting the democracy and free speech of their members, but if this is the reason for Gibbons’s suspension it seems the party isn’t even bothering to say so.
Yet more shoddy, shady and Stalinist conduct by the national Labour party – one of several breaches its commitment to implement in full the recommendations of the recent EHRC report.
The SKWAWKBOX needs your help. The site is provided free of charge but depends on the support of its readers to be viable. If you can afford to, please click here to arrange a one-off or modest monthly donation via PayPal or here to set up a monthly donation via GoCardless (SKWAWKBOX will contact you to confirm the GoCardless amount). Thanks for your solidarity so SKWAWKBOX can keep bringing you information the Establishment would prefer you not to know about.
If you wish to republish this post for non-commercial use, you are welcome to do so – see here for more.
Worse is to come. These months of Starmer should prove to those who still consider him better than the Tory he is.
The language of some STILL indicate they are tied up in the fantasy of a Labour label OR just lack self belief. Self-belief was never encouraged on the “Left” i suspect. All the passion is wasted on Broad Churchery.
Singpost, Stamers isn’t only a Red Tory, by Tory standards, I consider Starmer on the right of Michael Heseltine. Would have I ever consider voting Tory has Michael Helseltine managed to be elected leader of the Conservative Party? I shouldn’t thing so.
Hence, either Red Tory Starmer stops leading my Party or I will not vote Labour in my area since not a single Labour Cllr or Labour MP is a socialist. I will do the honourable thing, abstain from voting in local elections and help with the campaigns of Labour’s candidates that are socialist somewhere else.
Our independent councillor has been magnificent throughout the scam. From day one he was leafletting, shopping, advising online, on the dog and ,cough, in person. He was masked officer, honest. I will vote for him no matter who Labour put up. We received one A4 sheet. Most of it was a picture of a smarmy so and so under which was printed labour hq number. That’s it. The Tories and the wierdos tried harder in their offers of assistance. Still it’s understandable that Labour have acted as they have. We live in a working class estate so we help our neighbours. Don’t need nor want their advice which is spouting stuff from the telly. Together, distance, avoid, don’t bother your g.p, what’s one of those, and just buy what you need says our overweight, sweaty borough councillor. Season’s greetings all.
I suspect Alan Gibbon’s only ‘sin’ , but a serious one for the Starmer NuLabour Rightists , is that he is a lifelong militant socialist, and not just any sort of socialist, but an old Trot one , going back to the IS ( then SWP) from 1974 (when he joined my IS student branch at Manchester University) – and not leaving until the 1990’s .
First rule of any rolling Labour Right Purge is to identify and then ‘go for the Trots’, as it was in the 1980’s too. Ironically, unlike the well-organised Militant (aka, RSL) Trots of the 1980’s though, todays Trots, and (often ancient) ex-Trots, in the Labour Party are by no means the tough , disciplined, entrists of Militant Tendancy days . But the Right Wing still think of ‘Corbynism’ as some sort of ‘Trot Plot’, and the heyday of Corbynism’ as being ‘Peak Trot’ ! Such is the blind backward-looking paranoia of the Labour Right. Of course Keir Starmer’s , no doubt opportunistic, short sojourn in a tiny Trot grouplet in the mid 1980’s , and editor of their journal, is just seen as a forgivable ‘youthful indiscretion’ . ”Comrade’ Starmer has proven his utter loyalty to capitalism and its UK state umpteen times since then , particularly as DPP, and as a key ringleader of the destruction of the Corbyn Leadership, via his hard work to get Labour to adopt the suicidal 2nd Referendum and Remain policy in 2019. Unfortunately for Alan Gibbons, HIS political history strongly suggests he actually IS a socialist . No place in NuLabour 2 for him then.
Alan wrote this still quite relevant piece in 2013 on the challenges facing Left realignment – for the for then fast-growing, but failed, (as the 2015 ‘Corbyn Surge’ made it irrelevant) ‘Left Unity’ group . Worth a read again – now that Labour Party-based ‘Corbynism’ has also utterly failed too.
http://leftunity.org/what-kind-of-left-do-we-need/
I am sure gibbons being anti racist and anti fascist couldnt have helped his case with our over Zealous convert the knight..?
When Starmer became leader Israeli govt press said they were pleased what Starmer started to do but he needed to do more. One was get rid of Corbyn and get rid of others, seems like he is doing what the israeli govt telling him to do. He should beware though as they are already reporting about him in a disparaging way. The israeli govt dont want to be seen to be involved with this. Starmer will be out in the cold soon. Even people who dont like Corbyn, dont like what is happening now. Corbyn always acknowledged he wasnt more important than the party and members. Starmer is making a big mistake as he thinks he is. Leaders come and go. As we found out.
Guilt until innocence proven….stammer even gets the concepts of Magna Carta arse-about-face.
Dummkopf schmitt was only half right about the second rate lawyer…
I’m just grateful stammer isn’t negotiating brexit, after all. He’d be sent back here with his kecks round his ankles crying for his mam ffs..
Utterly woeful.
Judge Keith by his SH. It’s clear they have no shame.
Another day of shame in the Labour Party. Naomi and Alan, there are no better comrades.
Stammerism doesnt do shame, Susan. 😕
Was Kafka a time traveller? I reckon he was and he got his idea for ‘The Trial’ off stammer…
Are there enough suspendistas now for a mass action I wonder – or would that just result in reinstatement? It’s not enough.
Clearly the right’s behaviour pisses on every notion of natural justice – and makes a mockery of the “world-renowned” English justice the UK is so proud of. I suspect there will be some judges who’d be glad of the opportunity to shove the law up Starmer’s arse.
A way must be found for the courts to declare such behaviour illegal and punishable by more than just a fine. Call it misfeasance or malfeasance in public office – whatever it takes.
I’m not quite broke yet so I’ll help crowdfund it.
Those slimy bitches in Fake Labour have got to be stopped.
Do they still collect dues from suspended members?
IT all comes back to “How could you idiots elect the knight from Surrey” How much clearer detail did you nead Knight?…Titled?…Surrey..?Government lacky?.I was staggered to think the majority of the membership voted for “that” thing that crawled from the sewer,and that was the final straw after the Chris Williamson fiasco under Corbyn.No wonder so many left the Labour party after you elected..or was that fiddled as well…clearly none at Hq would have worried 😟.?
I think this is Alan Gibbons, the noted children’s novelist. If so, he will be resourceful in his defence. Check him out on the web.
I’ll bet stammer won’t be in any hurry to pay Alan out…
Looks like a blatant targetted cull of left-wing candidates to me. No reason given as likely no evidence of any wrongdoing. Probably the suspension will not be sustainable but will last long enough that an acceptable right wing candidate can be selected.
Iain
To ensure there will be no opposition against Evans being elected as GS. Both himself and Starmer need to suspend as many of the left before Conference 2021.
Over the last few days I have been thinking who will be the next excellent campaigning socialist to be suspended from the party and sadly I thought of Alan. I really don’t know how long this can continue where they are allowed to get away with treating members like this.
No doubt the accusations are so flimsy they dare not let members know what they are.
They will do whatever they want and nobody can stop them.They have already rigged anything that can be rigged including the conference,why ? Expect anything to change?
Just fuckin ignore the suspension and carry on as the CLP sec , until all the CLP membership decide otherwise . Time now to tell these fuckwits in the Labour Stasi where to go !
I like it Rob, great idea suspended Secretaris and Chairs to carry on having meetings and inviting members to attend them without using Labour Party resources.
Perhaps as a precaution any CLP/branch secretary expecting to became a target for suspension: should made a copy of the membership so if they are cut off from Organise, they still can reach members in their CLPs
As a second measure and in solidarity with Secretaries, Chairs etc already suspended, ordinary members of the Labour Party should stop attending our official branch or CLP’s meetings, but carry on meeting online and only help electorally Labour candidates that are members of the Socialist Campaign Group.
Way to go Maria , way to go ………….. it’s called DEFIANCE
I’m getting a little warm feeling and it’s not coroni. Good stuff.
You paid for the resources use them and the offices ,bank accounts,ITs your party not their party.Make that the rule and the rest falls into place ,Clp offices ,bank accounts, facilities etc??
I suspect trying to retain the secretary role would cause his Regional Office to deprive him of access to important online access to members and other important links, needed to run a smooth CLP.
Change the locks immediately
alexanderscotish Theyve probably covered that including CLP bank accounts already.I have been urging the CLPs membership to go nuclear for a number of weeks now and just about given up.We shall see if theyve got the balls or just carry on being laughed at by HQ.
Its not labour anymore its the New labour, LFI and the B.o,D party telling starmer what to do and who to get rid ov. Labour was supposed to represent the working classes what’s happening now is corruption at the highest level in the L/P and what there saying to the working classes you follow our NEW rules pay your subs and be silent about it
I can find nothing to disagree with in your far too short post. I sense that people have a heck of a lot more to say but worry about being accused of ranting or preaching. This is one of very few places where long pieces should be encouraged. We are under house arrest so this is our Robben Island. Time to grow comrades. Whatever happened to the much lauded trigger mechanism? All the best and keep writing. It frightens them, that’s why they own the media and pay huge amounts to scurrilous vermin who seek to put us in boxes of division and then hunt us down. Let’s gather in a pride of revolutionaries. Regards ☮️
Maybe there’s a way to sue the party so that the Court has to compel Starmer/Evans/NEC/NCC to produce their “evidence” for its admissibility to be determined.
We can reasonably hope the Court will find much inadmissible – ie no prima facie case justifying suspension – and that therefore their suspensions were unlawful, wholly unjustified and deserving of financial restitution.
I feel confident any reasonable judges would declare Labour’s behaviour contravened every concept of natural justice in a civilised society – I certainly believe it did and does.
Publicly shame Starmer the great lawyer on his home pitch and we might get somewhere worthwhile.
David, when it comes to making decisions where there are Zionist/political implications, there may well be reasonable judges but I know from experience not to bank on it. As a barrister once told me, ‘there is no such thing as British justice’.
Jack
https://youtu.be/CUqcpySHZuQ
It is certainly at best a bit of a curates egg.
David…I have seen many judges over the years especially in the high court in London,I have never been able to find the mythical “reasonable” judge,I don’t know if you might of spotted him or her amongst all the public schoolboys and girls?
David ps and I wore a Suit?…must have thought I was a scouse?
Sometimes cases have to go all the way to the Supreme Court for justice to prevail. We shouldn’t give up on the law.
Unilaterally suspending party opponents to remove them from office or to prevent them standing for office – denying them the opportunity even to hear the allegations against them or know the identities of their accusers – those things are so self-evidently antidemocratic only a deeply fascist and dictatorial politician would imagine them acceptable.
My understanding is that the Courts can only intervene when a case is presented to them – separation of powers means judges are expected to avoid politics but they’ll certainly consider and discuss among themselves the rights and wrongs of issues – and like us they can hardly avoid noticing such blatant attacks on human rights and democracy.
A case needs to be laid before them now, while the offences are ongoing, before the Labour party’s fascists can spread their influence and continue the normalisation of dictatorship in democracy begun by Trump.
It’s dandelion head’s “You’re Fired” model Starmer clearly seeks to emulate.
The cult of new Labour is so ridiculous that they think rules are just there for them to use against people they hate!
Tell them to get stuffed and lets see how long they last having to pay for people to campaign for them. See how many votes they get if we all say nope. Keep your money give them nothing until we have the socialist party the UK people need.
No big tent no appeasement. Socialist only or nothing Labour walked away from my beliefs, I won’t compromise them by voting for a hate filled cult. No matter if they call themselves Labour they certainly are not the party i recognise of my parents and grandparents who voted for and believed in it.
Heck some of my family died to protect this country they must be so sickened and horrified that this bunch of scum dare to call themselves Labour and the opperision. Even more laughable think they will ever be elected to run this country!
The party has always allowed the scum to surface, settle and harden. The many have always been betrayed and the decent but subseptable compromised or corrupted. Leaving is not vanity nor is it taking your ball home. It is an act of principal and courage. You will not be alone or in the cold. It’s now or never. If you stay then bare your teeth. Whichever you choose I for one admire and support you. Regards ☮️ wobbly.
Walton an gibbons should be shadow cabinet and leader
Shameless scum suspension
I am not a lawyer. I am a Trade Unionist and I think it is possible to get an injunction to prevent the party’s continued suspension of Alan and all the others. I know my Union has used/threatened to use injunctions in the past but I’m not clear on the detail. Alan and other suspended comrades should maybe get legal advice on this. We could crowd fund any legal expenses.
I believe 7 party members are already crowdfunded and are taking the party to court about their suspensions.
I think the 7 may be in a different legal process richbpink, As I understand it a temporary injunction is granted almost immediately and without much trouble. Then the action complained of has to be halted right away. In this case it would mean reinstatement. The complainant then has to make the case for making the temporary injunction permanent.
As I said this is my understanding and if I am right I can only assume that it is a costly process and this has put people off using it.
smartboy, I think courts generally, even with temporary injunctions, try to inflict the narrowest possible restrictions on those injuncted – a different, further cause for suspension might be as easily invented as the original, particularly as no cause has yet been notified.
Starmer will know that the more specific the cause for suspension he gives the court, the narrower the injunction will be and the wider will be his latitude to re-suspend his victim at a later date.
I think the ideal would be to hit them with an injunction and a lawsuit at the same time – then any further attempt by Labour (as respondent) to suspend (the complainant) might be seen as contempt of court.
I believe I’m right but I’d be stupid not to check with a lawyer first.
Sorry Smartboy, I could have sworn you used a lower case ‘s’.
I doubt you can get an injunction after the event suspension as happened.IN any case tinkering around the edges will not solve this problem of a rabid dictator..Declare UDI and take over the CLPs bank accounts and building and carry on regardless.I doubt the police will be interested,probably private bailiffs.You need to contact andrew scattergood at momentum they are showing how to stop bailiffs and people being made homeless by bowing down to the “system” .Fight back against tyranny and monarchs,first parts of the constitution that comes to mind when dealing with the Titled class you voted in?….how the hell did that happen?
The private police have been enlivened during the scam. CLPs will need pickets.
Would the holders of JC’s war chest help? Would that be legal? I know little of such things but ‘ultra vires’ keeps springing to mind. Good luck, I’ll donate.
From what I’ve read, the terms of incorporation (?) of JBC Defence Ltd (?) were deliberately tightly written to restrict disbursements to legal fees for Jeremy’s defence against threatened defamation actions (possibly even limited to suits by the slug-slime WARE, but not sure).
Perfectly reasonable precautions, given the need to be above suspicion, but unfortunately leaving little freedom of action.
Not sure actions initiated even by Jeremy himself would qualify.
I did ask Carole Morgan if the terms might be extended or modified but haven’t heard back – not that I’m complaining – I can imagine it must be infinitely more work and stress than she ever anticipated.
Hello Sqwawkbox Box do you have any figures on how many Labour Members have been suspended and for how long i was suspended on the 24th of February its been nearly ten months and i have not heard anything since i was sent the orignal letter.
Taking a look at some of the comments on here HQ must be pissing themselves laughing at the motions,rules and regulations obsessed members that dont yet realise that the knight and his misfits know that rules are for “the little people” .Fight back its what they wouldnt expect.from the membership.And ditch the lawyer courts etc you can’t afford it, you gave your money away to the knight already.Locks changed,…building and bank accounts Taken under your control now ,..hit back and dont look back.
The Likud party, Southside, London
I believe in miracles,Harry Law,very impressed with your comments .carry on. But then again its a new day here,and the suns shining.!
Can we have some please Joseph – sunshine and miracles.
Dont know what to say about that jack,I am not Sir keir and I don’t have an exclusive line for god as he the rabid convert thinks he has..But I really do believe anything is possible if you work hard at your objectives.Removal of the knight most be top of the list.We cannot allow a bigger villian than piffel to get inside no ten..Even under Blair I couldn’t imagine myself working against the leader of the Labour party being elected to govern the UK….but for vermin like the knight I would always make a exception..Merry Christmas comrades…and a peaceful one for all of you….way past my bedtime comrades.
No one seems to have mentioned the basics here of British Law. It is a basic tenet of British law that the accused are innocent until proven guilty, and the burden of proof is on the prosecution.
So how does the Labour party get to suspend people before any guilt has been established its like the punishment is being dished out before any crime or guilt has been proved surely this is the basis of any legal defence. Many members have been suspended for months even years but as the EHRC report showed the vast majority were proved to be innocent so have the Labour rules themselves been used as a political weapon?
Alan Gibbons is a children’s writer. A good one. His case highlights that Labour has given up on democracy. The essence of democracy is that, as the people rule, there will be debate amongst the people. AG represents one strand of that debate. In a democratic party he would have the right to be heard. As Labour is giving up on democracy in the Party, so in the country. The range of permitted opinion will grow narrower. The irony is that the excuse for this is the defence of democracy. It’s important to grasp that what is under threat is not socialism but democracy. In 2017 democracy very nearly brought a left-wing government to power. That’s not supposed to happen. I945 was bad enough but Attlee was privately educated and Labour’s official policy was the forced transfer of Palestinians. The Establishment had to live with the NHS but real power was still with money. 2017 just came too close to the possibility of reforming capitalism out of existence. It must never be allowed to happen again. That’s what Starmer’s for. He’s a puppet of money. He’s been in parliament only since 2015. Before that he was looking after his career and feathering his nest. He still is. People are having democracy stolen and they don’t know it. The public has no idea what’s going on. When do you see reports like these in the MSM? If there isn’t a real, grassroots rebellion, democracy will die. We will still have the vote but the politicians will not be permitted to veer from a path so narrow choosing between one and another makes no difference. Millions will not bother voting, the poor.
Next month, Corbyn will launch the Peace and Justice Movement. We must all join it and see if it can become an alternative force. Surely it can.