Apparently promising a ‘fresh start’ for Liverpool is ‘impugning’ other candidates – but only if you’re Anna Rothery, as replacement candidate is using exact same language
Anna Rothery’s bid for a court injunction to prevent Labour depriving Liverpool members of a genuine choice of candidate in the city’s mayoral selection has failed today. But Labour’s excuse for barring her from the contest means that the party is claiming it de-listed her – for being too outspoken against the alleged corruption that has plagued the city council.
Gavin Millar QC, speaking for the party, claimed that ‘concerns’ had been raised because Rothery supposedly ‘impugned the integrity of the other candidates’ during an online hustings event attended by a large number of Liverpool Labour members.
But the claim is false, as leading Labour activist Alan Gibbons, who attended the hustings, made clear in a tweeted statement this evening:
According to Labour sources, the party decided to re-interview the candidates because concerns had been raised about the links of a rival candidate to a company with problematic cash transactions, loans and accounting failures – and SKWAWKBOX understands that no such claim of ‘impugning’ was raised with Rothery during her re-interview.
And even if she had spoken out strongly about corruption in a city whose last mayor resigned after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and intimidation, that would only qualify Rothery even more to give Liverpool a fresh start.
Labour has again disgraced itself and continues to both insult and damage the city most associated with it – at least until now. So intense is the anger in the city about Labour’s conduct, with even some Labour councillors talking about voting for an independent candidate, that the party might just be about to experience a ‘Scouse Scotland’ moment.
Ironically, one of the two candidates put forward by the party to replace the legitimate shortlist has co-opted Rothery’s exact ‘fresh start’ language. Labour appears to have no issue with this.
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And after reading this, Steve H will STILL claim “no evidence” has been produced and that Starmer has nothing to do with this…that it’s just those pesky regional officers and Starmer and Evans are not only innocent of any interference, neither can be expected to do anything about this.
Has the Labour party taken an hypocritical oath
What can be done about this? What can be done about this shambles of Keir Starmer’s “Labour Party”? If we all leave – there’s no-one to stay and fight.
What can be done about this blatant trampling over democracy & disdain of grassroots Labour members?
Does anyone have time to start a petition to Keir Starmer: a vote of no confidence requesting that he stands down as “Leader”?
Utterly shameful. Starmer’s goal seems to be the total destruction of the Labour Party.
Off topic, but given that it’s International Women’s Day, here’s a Big Black Op Smear from yesteryear:
Initially the Greenham Common Women received little coverage by the MSM and, as such, had little influence on public opinion regards the plan to base American cruise missiles there, but slowly opposition grew, and by the time of the big all-women demo in which 30,000 women lined the perimeter fence all holding hands – and because of it – public opposition was approaching 50% and growing, and thus it was time for the PTB to hatch a plan to smear them, and THAT is precisely what they did. Word – somehow! – reached the GCW that the then Defence Secretary was attending a private meeting of the Local Conservative Association in Newbury, not far from Greenham, and the GCW naturally arranged to hold a demo outside the building – ie Newbury Town Hall. A lie-in as such. So he arrives, gets out of the vehicle, is then surrounded by half-a-dozen police officers, and as he goes up the steps just prior to the entrance he just very slightly stumbles momentarily, but the headlines right across the MSM had a different story to tell. The following is an excerpt from The Press And Political Dissent by Mark Hollingsworth:
The following day seven of Britain’s national newspapers had other ideas ‘Peace Camp Women Mob Heseltine’, said the Daily Telegraph’s front page. ‘Mr Heseltine, Defence Secretary, was dragged to the ground…… several women tried to kick and punch him’. The Daily Mail agreed – ‘Women Knock Down Minister’ and ‘Ban-The-Bomb mob send Heseltine Crashing’…… ‘Jeering Peace Protesters Punch Minister’, claimed the Times and added that he was ‘punched and pushed by peace protesters’. The Sun agreed: ‘Angry Peace Girls Rough Up Heseltine’, and in a leader it said that ‘He is right to refuse to debate with these fiery violent ladies….’
Yep, they – the Establishment’s propaganda machine – ‘transformed’ peace campaigners into angry, violent women, so as to malign and marginalise them.
It’s a good account of what happens all the time, as Meghan Merkel said tonight, the press dont report the news, they create it. It’s the scourge of Western Liberalism, unregulated over powerful, Rightwing sponsored press/media. No wonder Leveson 2 never happened!
Leveson 2 should be in next manifesto
Afterthought: Needless to say, if any of what the main stream press told their millions of readers HAD happened, arrests would have been made, but there weren’t any arrests because it DIDN’T, and it was ALL complete fabrication, concocted and designed for the obvious reason.
But perish the thought that the whole episode – including Heseltine’s private visit – was a set up. Needless to say they had a spycop or two infiltrate the peace camp! Who just happened to ‘learn’ about Heseltine’s visit, and when and where it was happening…..!
The people of Liverpool are the best in the world. They are Socialist, fearless and always try to do the right thing which in this case is to either not vote or vote for an independent candidate. If under Starmer we cant get a Labour mayor elected in Liverpool, the reddest city in England, then I believe that would finish him so Liverpool Labour’s future is in your hands.
Smartboy – I don’t live in the NW so forgive my lack of local knowledge but can you explain to me why if Liverpool is such a hot bed of socialism then why haven’t ‘the left’ got control of the council and the party machinery particularly as councillors are subject to mandatory reselection. If the left have the numbers then why aren’t they in control.
Reply to Steve H
I genuinely don’t know why .It also always amazes me that our Liverpool comrades allowed right wing MPs to be foisted on them one after another. I hope they stand their ground on this one and boycott the election if necessary.
SteveH
Good point and corruption is probably the short and sweet answer
But your biggest weakness is you cant count
The people will vote for an Independent LABOUR candidate
See Ken Livingstone
You have no knowledge of decency and honesty,but it’s never stopped you spouting from your Caribbean bolt hole..Steve H..judas Davidh ..SH “A deviant mind has no boundary” ..And Liverpool is a Hotbed of working class honesty and decency and thats why you are confused 😕mr H .
Smartboy, sadly I have to agree with you, it is a question of temporarily be cruel to be kind. We need to stop this filibustering tactics and the only way to do it is by no voting for candidates we don’t approve.
Liverpool deserves better that a mayor that is only marginally better than a Tory, Liverpool deserves a socialist Mayor. I still believe that the Labour candidate will win, but is going to have a negative knocking effect or Starmer’s leadership if the Labour’s vote decreases substantially across the board including Liverpool and London.
kenburch – You’re making stuff up, there is no mention of Keir Starmer in the above article. If there was evidence of Starmer’s involvement don’t you think that SB would publish it.
Don’t be stupid Steve H.ITs hardly worth covering Stammer as theres very little left he isnt guilty of.When we talk corruption we automatically think of the funding from Israeli government slush fund and stammer.When we talk about lies next to you hes the first in line.ITs all out there.like you its probably best to ignore.because like your slithering lies and deceit its just expected.
Joseph – You’re right it is all out there, every donation has been published in the register of members interest, just as the law requires.
Joseph, why do you and others engage with Starmer’s little helper, it gives the twisted wretch the oxygen he needs to carry on.
John – I agree that Joseph should follow your advice.
but, SteveH, you can’t honestly believe that an unusual decision of the party’s regional ‘mafiosi’ to revoke the selection of mayoral candidates and effectively cancel or suspend local operations was implemented without running it past Head Office?
Sir Keir and Evans cannot come out of this looking credible: if they didn’t know then they are highly ineffective managers, if they did, then they endorsed it.
qwertboi – I’m presuming that the Regional offices didn’t run it past Jeremy when he was in tenure and they were reeking havoc in the CLPs throughout Jeremy’s tenure.
Qwerboi, spot on it is either one of the other: highly ineffective at managing the Party or they knew. and acquiesce Further on if they didn’t know, they know now and it isn’t like Evans is shy of issuing orders, even when they contravene the Labour Party Rule Book
As a reply to SteveH it is really simple Starmer isn’t Corbyn. Unlike Corbyn (in many ways Corbyn was ineffective) that believed in trying to appease his opponents within the Party, Starmer believes in suspending them from the Party.
What I see is an unholy alliance within some elements of Momentum very much supporters of Jon Lasman with Starmer and Evans.While other local Momentum members in Liverpool as represented by Alan Gibbons are appalled at what is going on and are denouncing the lack of democracy within the Party.
Maria Vazquez “unholy alliance within some elements of Momentum… with Starmer and Evans”
That bothers me. I retreated from Mo’tum personally when Lansman was still at the helm, so I should investigate if an ‘unholy alliance’ is apparent locally here in Leeds too. Thanks for your insight. Valuable.
Well, it’s like, Starmer said he had no input into suspending Corbyn on the day it happened. Later Newsnight was briefed that “he was consulted”. Today on Jeremy Vine he said quite clearly that he personally decided to suspend Jeremy Corbyn.
Why has it failed? Is this the end of the process. Surely if people come forward like Alan Gibbons, the judge cannot refuse those witnesses?
Unfortunately, Samuel, the case has been heard so anyone coming forward is too late.
You win some, you lose some. As Tony Benn used to say you have to keep fighting the same battles over and over again. There are other court cases going through the process. Any win, especially if it comes with costs and damages, will be worth celebrating. Keep your fingers crossed for LA4J.
I am still afraid that Labour is doing this to do another purge in Liverpool. If Anna Rothery goes independent, than all those who supported her can be expelled because they showed public support. So we have
1) the Oldknow case, which Oldknow lost. And I think she will not do any appeals
2) the Mike Sivier case, shedued for May
3) Press Gang case, sheduled for next year
4) Caroline Eastell, going to instruct lawyers regarding the Tracy-Ann Oberman pile-on
5) Corbyn against his exclusion –> when is that planned? It’s too quiet about that
6) LA4J starting in June
2, 3 and 4 are not essentially Labour but quite important to fight against the bullying from the right.
ITs all beginning to sound like a “Surestart” for Lawyers.Just aceppt that only a Total meltdown of support from the members and redundancy for councillors and MPs will have a slight chance of saving the Labour party and even then the party will only be a tribute act for the Tory party.This is the Scottish moment for Labour in England and Wales…The voters have had enough and the only people who are still supporting this lot make a living and a very good one out of “being Labour” ..
Joseph – “The voters have had enough
Most of us cottoned on to that when we lost 61 seats.
The voters made there collective views very clear in Dec19. when for the first time ever more of the working class voted Tory than voted for Corbyn’s Labour.
It may come as a shock to you but surprise, surprise you haven’t been missed. If you’re bored why don’t you ask your Chinese paymasters if they’ve got some additional work for you.
‘Chinese paymasters’!! Cheered me up! I wonder who pays you? Somebody nearer home I expect, one of the secretive Tory mis-information outfits I imagine. like 2 Temple Place? Can you tell us what the going rate is for you? Are you paid by result eg number of responses? You’re a hard worker I grant you that, day and night you’re busy.
SH, Let me tell you, coming from a red wall constituency that hadn’t had a Tory MP for 100 years, it WASN’T Corbyn that voters here turned their noses up at here. They wanted their brexit vote to be upheld. That is from the ‘horses’ mouths. Starmer was going to ignore their brexit vote of 2016. Even old, died in the wool, Labour voting miners voted Tory, for their brexit vote to be honoured, with vomit in their mouths
Foggy, any ‘Labour voter’ who voted Tory, no matter what the reason, is NOT a Labour voter. In a fit of pique they helped to put the Tories in power and harmed themselves into the bargain.
So Anna Rothery was the real target of the interference by regional mafiosi all the time? The others selectees were innocent by-standers who were cancelled from the short-list just so the psychotic and anti-democratic ‘new management’ couldn’t be called anti-socialist?
Sorry for the following outburst Fuck Labour New Labour New New Labour and the current incumbents of the Labour Party a Bunch of Corrupt Liars, They have Disgraced and Tarnished FOREVER the Workers Party Name Starmer Hodge Philips Hartman Sugar Nandy and all the Front Bench are not Fit For Purpose they are SCUM.
Patriĉk – Do you feel better now that you’ve got that off your chest.
Youre still alive then?
There is no justice.
Well, I know who I will NOT vote for for mayor… That settles it.
As an aside question, what was Rothery’s position on BDS?
You may be closer to the truth with your final remark than you know.. Do some research on the Liverpool City Region adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism.and follow the links.
https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/liverpool-city-region-combined-authority-formally-adopts-official-definition-of-antisemitism/.
You may be closer than you think with your last remark.. Do some research and follow the links. https://www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk/liverpool-city-region-combined-authority-formally-adopts-official-definition-of-antisemitism/
Lundiel, strangely, yet ANOTHER conspiraloon covid denier on these blogs, ‘loves his tower block’ apparently. Well hooray for you buster – but hundreds of thousands of families, women , in particular, with children ,and old people, and people with disabilities, who had to journey endlessly down the endless stairs to supervise their childrens’ play, or go to the shops, or the doctors, because the lifts were bust – again , didn’t. And the build quality of so many was appalling . in Hulme, Manchester , many of the 60’s blocks were built with straw board walls which harboured insects in large numbers, and poor weather resistance, damp, and cold, was a constant across so many of these chucked-up blocks. This poor build quality is a major reason for the dodgy extra cladding added to so many . But Lundiel ‘loves his ‘ – well goody you smug bastard – but I have worked in local government across the UK where we had to demolish block after , badly designed and built ,block – and very few residents mourned their passing – replaced with more human scale smaller housing. And those demolished blocks left behind a long term council debt legacy – and so much of this council-led postwar development was accompanied by planning permission and contract kickbacks to local councillors – Labour, Tory, and Liberal.
But ‘Doug’ still thinks the utterly corrupt, T Dan Smith, was a socialist hero – and ‘lundiel’ (I’m all right jack’) loves his particular tower block flat . Be grateful you don’t/didn’t live in one of the shit ones that had to be demolished, or simply fell down – like Ronan Point – or is a permanent fire disaster risk with flammable cladding , then lundiel !
Fuck off Wolfie, stop making stuff up. I’ve lived in a tower block for nearly 40 years and only had to use the stairs about 4 times. We have two lifts dodo and they’re on 24 hr call out so the bollocks you’re spouting never happens. Also we are a tight knit community and come to each others assistance should anyone need it.
You write comments like you are an expert on everything. Well I have to say you are an utter tosser know all who knows nothing. The reason for cladding is because the blocks were cast in concrete which is then insulated and rendered. Concrete as a finish is ugly and cold. Render has a limited lifespan Einstein so it has to be replaced every 15 to 20 years. Councils opted for aluminium cladding because of corrupt architects, lazy councils and shit regulation. Now the cladding has to be replaced with terracotta and similar materials.
Don’t come on here trying to teach me how to suck lemons you useless know nothing turd.
Oh yea, I’m a woman so don’t come all that “women in particular” shit with me.
And another thing Wolfie. In instances when they do knock them down they replace them with rabbit hutches that don’t have enough room to swing a cat and have a view in someone else’s hutch instead of a beautiful panorama.
And I’ve seen the crescents at Hulme many times. They weren’t tower blocks and were badly built. My block has been up since the 60s, has just had new cladding and is structurally very good.
Leopards don’t change their spots. Folk might be interested to Google the fate of Eddie Milne the MP for Blyth Valley in1974 when he took a principled stand on Labour’s involvement in the Poulson Affair. Those day the Labour nasties had a long reach and they even had Eddies expelled from his own trade union and his son in law sacked from his job with a local authority in the North West.
I was in my early 20’s at the time and lived in the North East and I saw it all playout . Labour certainly lacks the muscle that it once had -hence the crumbling of the Red Wall – but those who control the Party are still as irredeemably awful.
Democracy is the least worst option
T Dan Smith achieved more for Newcastle than every other Labour politician before and after and he paid the price
The Robert Johnson of the Labour Party
T Dan Smith was summed up for me when he claimed in an interview after his release from prison that he had been set up by MI5. As a former Trotskyist he also claimed that his part in the Poulson Affair was aimed at destablising the establishment. Implying that he was still a Trotskyist. The man would say anything
Owing the the corruption lets not forget that the rebuilding of Newcastle City centre came at a much greater cost to the people of Newcastle than it would have otherwise have done. Smith was corrupt and a liar he even got started after the war with his painting and decorating business that depended upon him being award contracts by a Council of which he was a member. He facilitated people like Poulson and his like and took his cut. His only real complaint was that unlike him not all of those who were involved with Poulson were brought to justice. That was certainly a disgrace but it doesn’t excuse him.
He led the Apprentice shipyard workers strike during WW2
That was fairly laudable dont you think
There is also a T Dan Smith course at Northumbria University where a library of material is kept on the whole affair
Only that crazy conspiraloon covid denier, male chauvinist dismisser of the WASPI women’s pension robbery cause, and obsessive ‘zionist conspiracy’ bore, ‘Doug’ could seriously defend the abysmal record of serial corrupt abuse of his senior council position by T Dan Smith in Newcastle ! There were many other Labour council-run T Dan Smiths in the immediate postwar period, corruptly exploiting for personal kickbacks the opportunities for council contract graft as the rebuilding of Britain’s bombed-out cities and slum clearance took off big-time . All those corrupt Labour Council big-wigs were a total disgrace ( a endemic corruption that continues today and is the ‘glue’ that still binds the Labour Right together – not ideology) – exploiters of the very class they were put into office to serve – and all too often directly responsible for the inhuman planning disasters of high rise council housing blocks – that were usually badly built , totally unsuited to families, and in a huge number of instances , simply had to be demolished because few people with children , or disabilities wanted to live in them, but the interest charges for constructing them to councils far outlived the life of those tower blocks !
‘Mr Newcastle’, T Dan Smith , ex Trot, even had the cheek , after pleading guilty to all the corruption charges, and serving his prison sentence, that he had been totally innocent all along ! brass necked Chutzpah or what !
Give it a rest, Doug, you are a total multiple fantasy obsessed nutter.
Bad Penny
My Curriculum Vitae runneth over
Doug I don’t know whether you are old enough to have witnessed the Poulson Affair as it was going on. By that I mean what people knew of the activities of people like Smith while the fraud was actually being perpetrated prior to the prosecution. I dread to think that in the intervening years some sort of folk law has been built up around Smith. The man was a pathological liar and a conman. He was able to lead the war time strike because he was a conscientious objector and had avoided war service. Many people were genuine conscientious objectors at the time but I don’t know of many who were also self proclaimed Trotskyists.
Smith never did anything that was not of benefit to himself. Although he talked himself up the redevelopment of Newcastle was part of the post war reconstruction of the whole of the industrial north that took place in late 1960’s’. It affected in every city from Sheffield to Newcastle and beyond. Smith was no innovator he simply over saw the process in Newcastle. In fact if you look at how some of our European neighbours reconstructed their cities after the war Smith made a bloody poor job of it. He even knocked down the listed Georgian buildings of the original Eldon Square to replace them with a shopping centre.
So far as the Robert Johnson analogy goes I fear that Old Nick himself would certainly have come off second best if he had ever been foolish enough to try and strike a deal with Dan. Dan’s whole strategy after he was exposed was to play the victim. On his release from prison he even told the local TV news “I am just like one of those Russian dissidents.” I remember that well I laughed for hours.
J Penny, I love my council tower block.
If this is NOT true then Anna should sue Labour for defamation. She has lost out on the chance to run and become Liverpools first black female City Mayor due to lies
Corruption: “made a good living from it….”
Yes Joseph. He has.
Whether it’s protecting a corrupt, fundamentally dishonest American state as DPP by ensuring that Assange is denied sanctuary and therefore an opportunity to justify his wikileaks whistleblowing and defend himself, or ensuring that the tip of the Savile case iceberg was not given publicity and media attention it deserved, Sir Keir Rodney Starmer has shown himself to be ethically challenged with the morals of an alley cat.
And for him to be presented as a “unity candidate” of a party that rediscovered its soul with the simple phrase “for the Many, not the Few” whilst also receiving significant sponsorship from neo-con likudists like Sir Trevor Chinn (which he never disclosed until after his election victory) and acquiring full membership of a leading billionaires’ pressure group shows his integrity to be lacking too.
It probably won’t be till long after most of us are dead that the full details of this man’s ethical delinquency and dishonest duplicity are fully disclosed and admitted.
The message going out from this is, Labour have skeletons and don’t want anybody looking for them. It’s a short term win, but in the long run it will come back and bite them on the bum.
Being seen not to want an anti corruption candidate as god as says, we know it goes on but don’t want anybody else to know. It’s not a good look for a party who want to take their turn in government and when/if the time is right, the Tories will use it against Labour. .
Starmer and Evens political acumen is not sadly lacking, it’s non existent.
I could tell you about corruption when I was a councillor that would make your eyes water under a Labour council leader.We had bodys being dug up by Builders and land set aside for social housing being used for luxurious detached houses.all made up and agreed in a slap up dinner in the west end. I know whats always gone on in local government and it stinks.Anyone that stands up against the gravey train gets marginalised and slandered.ITs very easy to see between the lines and maybe Rothery was a whisleblower that needed cutting down.?
Every action has a reaction, Joseph.
Maybe now is the time for genuine democratic socialists to shine a bright light on Labour’s compromisable former councillors and the innevitable questions about corruption it would raise? The very second Jeremy announces he is not trying to have the whip restored, that Anna Rothery decides to stand as a non-Labour (ILP) candidate, a Union or two announce further misgivings about Labour’s direction of travel under Evans and Starmer, the house of neoliberal cards will combust.
Every action has a reaction, and denying the whipp to an exceptionally honest former leader was the first domino to collapse. The last sure as eggs will not be the collapse of historical Labour under a cloud of corruption. It will be the creation of a new democratic socialist political and parliamentary project.
Joseph, you don’t need to be or have been a Labour councillor to know of the corruption. You just have to have been an active Labour member and the nepotism and cronyism soon becomes apparent.
The cabal that wont let newer members be too involved with the running of the CLP or the planning of campaigns. The secret meetings that go on just before a meeting and the secret emails and messages that exchange that only become obvious later – or when one of them accidentally sends them to an outsider.
The self selection of councillor candidates. The same tired pale, stale and male candidates somehow manage to get through every time and always into the safe seats. Some of the councillors in one Liverpool City Council are well into their 70’s and 80’s and are up for election again, sitting in council seats for over 30 years – need I say, since Blairs time? If they ever was any good, their best years are behind them, but they block the way for new blood to refresh the party. And if you are a member of Momentum, don’t even think of applying, because you wont get onto the list of prospective candidates. I’ve seen it happen.
Newcomers or those not close to sitting councillors or members with real ability are given the unwinnable, seats to contest and sometimes by luck they manage to get elected.
And heaven help you if you manage to do something positive, like get an MP elected that the cabal disapprove of. They have their own preferred candidates and they will not campaign for any other. It’s preferable for them to keep a sitting Tory MP in Parliament, in a marginal that is winnable and wait for their choice to be given another go next time. I’ve seen it happen.
f course, the NWRO know of this, but don’t do anything.
WTF she was kicked out because she spoke out AGAINST CORRUPTION and that’s BAD??? WTF!!!
So the new clowns do the same and that’s different or is it as we all know she is the wrong type of socialist and not a nice right-wing cultiest of new Labour 2.0?
What a joke Labour is the party of the worker’s nope party of the Tory-lite BS and lies.Stop supporting the cult don’t give them money, help or your vote you will only keep them going and they will never change.
We need a new Socialist Labour party with MP’s with real conviction and fire young MP’s not the same tired old gits like me. No I won’t stay and fight it’s pointless Labour is dead accept that and move one. Start again and get it right and make sure No right wing enshrined in stone if needed. But please for your own sanity just stop supporting this cult!
“No right wing enshrined in stone if needed.”
Another Ed-Stone, what a brilliant idea.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ7YNR9QkdM