Labour sends out email to local party officers requiring update all properties owned
Keir Starmer’s Labour party has been accused by local members of mounting a ‘property grab’ to shore up its collapsing finances, after an email went out to local party officers demanding an update of any properties held by constituency parties (CLPs).
The email requires the details of any such properties – and their estimated value:
In 2012 under Ed Miliband the party pushed through a rule change making it a requirement of affiliation for any CLPs owning property on behalf of their local members to hand over the title of those properties to the party. CLPs were told that they would be kicked out of the party if they refused.
In byzantine convoluted wording, Labour claimed that the ‘beneficial ownership’ of the properties would stay with local parties even though the actual ownership of the title would now be in the hands of the party.
Now it seems that Labour, whose financial collapse under Keir Starmer and David Evans has brought the party to the verge of bankruptcy, wants an updated list of what it might flog off.
Labour officers and members have contacted Skwawkbox to express their fears of a party ‘property grab’. One told Skwawkbox:
Our CLP were hoping to sell their building as it was full of dry rot, but we’ve been told [the central party title] was in a cast iron contract . It’s like you own the property but not the collateral that belongs to Labour. What becomes of our cash if they sell?
Another said:
This is a money grab from Southside and local parties need to be on the alert.
Some CLP properties have been purchased out of funds raised by members for the purpose. Others have been given as, or purchased with funds given as, a bequest from local members or wellwishers who died. Now it seems Labour is looking for what it can expropriate from local parties and sell to stave off a collapse induced by Starmer’s dire leadership and mismanagement by right-wing staff.
A collapse that looked a million miles away when Labour’s finances were thriving under Jeremy Corbyn and the party’s mass membership that has now plummeted because of Starmer’s lurch to the right, his lack of vision, his war on members and eagerness to prop up the Tories.
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 without hardship, 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.