Merseyside activist expelled after political humiliation of Starmer – but party claimed she had been expelled six months earlier but that it had forgotten to tell her
In late July, Liverpool left activist Audrey White went viral when she was filmed giving an immobile Keir Starmer several hefty pieces of her mind in a city restaurant.
In an attempt to discredit white for Starmer’s political humiliation, right-wing hack Lee Harpin falsely claimed White had already been expelled by the party and implied it was for antisemitism. The claim was entirely false – White had not been expelled and an administrative suspension by the party was exclusively for being interviewed by Socialist Appeal long before the party had ‘proscribed’ that organisation.
As White consulted lawyers, the party’s right-wing regime seemed to want to bail out Harpin from his defamation of Ms White – and the ‘Governance and Legal Unit’ (GLU) wrote to her claiming she had been expelled from the party in early February, almost six months earlier – but that it had forgotten to tell her. Below, is a copy of a letter sent by White’s lawyer to the party and analysis by a lawyer of the situation and the party’s excuses.
The letter reveals that:
- the party had ignored White’s demand for compensation for its smears and leaks to right-wing press
- the party’s ridiculous claim to have forgotten to inform White of her suspension leaves only two options: either the party was so negligent that White has a clear claim for compensation; or the party has maliciously defamed and damaged her and she has a clear claim for legal remedy
- the regime’s latest leak to Harpin – who has already cost a former employer heavy damages payments to Audrey White for at least four separate libels – is just one in a series of similar malicious briefings and data breaches
- Labour dragged out its process against White for more than a year, ignoring her and her lawyers’ communications and often failing even to acknowledge them
- White does not intend to ‘appeal’ the ‘patently corrupt’ expulsion; instead, she has demanded reinstatement and a full public apology from the party – and has reserved her right to take legal action if it fails to comply
The following analysis was written by an experienced lawyer on condition of anonymity:
Audrey White is a campaigning socialist and feminist from Liverpool. She is well-known in Labour circles as a former manager of a fashion store in the city, who in 1983 fought a highly effective campaign against sexual harassment in the workplace. In 2017 Audrey was acclaimed as one of the TUC’s 150 heroes and heroines of the Trade Union movement; and has been nominated by TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady, speaking on BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme, as one of the UK’s five most influential women in challenging sexual inequality and sexual harassment.
By strange co-incidence, the Labour party’s expulsion letter arrived just three days after Audrey had addressed a very public reprimand to a stony-faced Keir Starmer in a café in Liverpool for causing deep offence to the people of Liverpool by writing a column for the S*n newspaper – and casually jettisoning the socialist policy pledges he had made during his leadership campaign in Spring 2020.
The GLU’s case against Audrey goes back more than 18 months, and reached its disgraceful conclusion just days after the long-awaited publication of Martin Forde QC’s report into the workings of the Labour Party. Highly relevant is Forde’s hard-hitting section on the Party’s (mis)management of its disciplinary processes, in which he sternly criticises:
– successive systems procedure [being] unfit for purpose and susceptible to factional interference and manipulation;
– the continued use of administrative suspension for prolonged periods; and
– administrative suspension used purely for factional advantageAudrey’s case is an outstanding example of the incompetent and prejudicial case management Forde was referring to. If the case – her expulsion for association with a group that she could legitimately associate with at the time she did it – seems confusing and nonsensical, I would like you to imagine that:
– a tennis club has a rule that members may only smoke in the so-called “Rear Garden”
– On 30 June 2021 the club changes the rule to prohibit smoking altogether on the club’s premises
– On 25 July 2021 the club decides to expel member Mr S for smoking in the Rear Garden on 31 March, three months before the rule change came into force
– It turns out that as well as being an occasional smoker, Mr S has been a vocal critic of the club’s poor track record in promoting outreach to local state schools; its elitism; and its sycophantic cultivation of wealthy benefactorsAgainst that background, the Club’s action against Mr S appears not only to be legally illogical and nonsensical, but also malicious and vindictive.
So it is with the Labour Party’s treatment of Audrey, whose offence is not being an occasional smoker, but a vocal critic of the current leadership. Instead of taking responsibility for its own original case, the GLU preferred to scrabble around the internet in search of trivia, desperate to find any pretext for the summary expulsion of a long-standing member and courageous and popular activist.
Still undeterred, Audrey responded on 31 January with a detailed defence to the new charge, explaining the patently unlawful and illogical nature of her anticipated “retrospective exclusion”. There then followed another half-year of silence. Now the party wants people to believe that on or around 29 July – just after Audrey’s encounter with Starmer – the GLU’s case manager reviewed the file and just happened to notice that Audrey hadn’t been informed of her expulsion back in February. Make of that what you will.
As soon as the Forde Report was published on 19 July, prominent NEC member Luke Akehurst tweeted rather indignantly that “the new disciplinary process is working well”. Audrey’s case demonstrates that the opposite is true – as her own lawyer has said, the GLU’s conduct of it stinks of bad faith, with scant regard for even the most basic standards to be expected of any professional organisation.
The simple truth is that the so-called “Governance and Legal Unit” is a million miles from the professionally independent “civil service” that Martin Forde advises it ought to be. The GLU brings Labour into disrepute.
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Of course, it was a nonsense letter. I don’t think there was, ever, any doubt about that.
Simply, one more example of the dishonesty of this – current – Labour Party administration.
On a related matter, this appeared on Twitter, this morning :
https://twitter.com/Trickyjabs/status/1559801241999478785
George, thanks for the link.
I wonder how many members were in arrears by the end of December on top of the almost 100K that left, including myself.
Somehow a £12,000 donation is a drop in the ocean when put into perspective by the over £5 million lost in revenue.
It gets worse, by July 2022 it was 150,000 gone since the end of 2020 when it stood aT 523,332,
I still suspect its a lot more too.
– from the independant –
In July 2022 figures reportedly shown to the party’s national executive committee (NEC) suggested Labour had lost more members, with just 382,000 fully paid-up.
The membership numbers in Dec21 (432,213) are roughly equal to the membership numbers in Nov19 (430,359).🤔.
Look at this garbage right wing gasping at straws propaganda from RAT ASS.
SteveH
17/08/2022 at 3:02 pm
The membership numbers in Dec21 (432,213) are roughly equal to the membership numbers in Nov19 (430,359).🤔.
Andrew – You might have had a point if the Nov19 figures hadn’t been published by Jeremy Corbyn’s team. Are you saying that they were lying.
SteveH 17/08/2022 at 3:02 pm :
At the @enoughisenough event, last night, at a ‘rammed’ Clapham Grand – queuing round the block – it was announced, from the stage, that 400,000 people had signed-up to the campaign, since it was launched, on the 08 August – ten days before.
The Labour Party might want to check their Membership figures, again, and continue checking them, on a weekly basis – before the phones go silent, and their computers are only good for playing games on.
Have you signed up, yet?
Just to be clear the last period of Blairite neoliberal entryist dominance resulted in 5 million lost votes – 2 million of these had been Labour voters under Kinnock. Two major unions disaffiliated – including the heroes of the Fire Brigade’s Union.
As early as 2004 even the Guardian noted Labour’s membership was the worst since the 1930s – ie at its lowest level in 70yrs
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2004/jul/27/uk.labour
Probably won’t be long until some Blairite idiot tries repeating the Alistair Campbell con-job, of rebranding this grassroots anger as ‘voter apathy’.
Pathetic, deceitful, yet in Blairite terms strategically, almost inevitable!
I think describing it as dishonesty is understating it George. What it is is just pure unadulterated evil at work.
And needless to say the fascist owned and controlled MSM have completely blanked the whole sordid, fraudulent episode. Had something like this happened when Jeremy was leader (in relation to a ‘moderate’) it would have been headline news of course!
The following is what I posted about the ‘admin error’ recently, and SHs ‘response’:
I wonder who it was that suddenly discovered the ‘admin error’, and discovered it five/six months after it was made, and just five days after Audrey confronted Starmer. What a coincidence, eh. And I wonder how they happened to come across it?
Yep, fascists at work, yet AGAIN! Just imagine it, a small group of the LP hierarchy sitting down together and contriving this. And needless to say, every single so-called journalist who conspired in the smear campaign against Jeremy KNOWS that they did, but they won’t have anything to say about it of course!
SH….. Allan – Or perhaps they were simply prompted to dig out the ‘paperwork’ by recent events.
Yep, SH trying to defend Starmer and his fascist Stasl Party yet again and their totally corrupt machinations.
https://skwawkbox.org/2022/07/30/exclusive-labour-expulsion-letter-proves-harpin-libelled-audrey-white-again/#comment-229369
Allan – ……..and that is supposed to prove what?
The very fact that you posted a ‘reply’ within THREE minutes says it ALL!
I wonder how many times someone has been expelled and they weren’t notified at the time due to an ‘admin error’?!! And SH pretends he believes such utter bollox!
Yeah, I wonder what the admln error was, and HOW it happened!
Allan – I would guess that someone failed to do their job properly. It happens, we are not all as infallible as you.
Well if thats true then would anyone want a leader of the Labour party to be in charge of the country especially as the problems facing UK PLC are cleary beyond the remit of a total incompetent like Starmer and his tory tribute ,band
ITs hobsons choice “a vote for the labour party and its just another clown pushing for power and nothing else.
Joseph, no just another clown but a fascist one, member of the trilateral comission.
The LP forgot to inform Audrey White of her expulsion for 6 months, but still found the time to inform Lee Harpin before informing her.
Priceless!! Take the LP to the cleaners, solidarity Audrey.
Given that a similar thing happened to Mike Sivier and the judge ruled that because hadn’t ‘authorised ‘ leaking his details to the press and they couldn’t find the person responsible, then the party could not be held accountable, I’d caution that.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/voxpoliticalonline.com/2020/11/24/shocking-verdict-in-mikes-court-case-against-labour-means-nobody-is-safe/amp/
Other than that….G’wed Audrey, girl….Give ’em what for 💥🤛
Toffe, the case of Mike Sivier was substantially different from Mike Sivier. As he already knew he was suspended from the Labour’s Party membership and the Mail online reported that Sivier was expelled. See link to ipso judgement
https://www.ipso.co.uk/rulings-and-resolution-statements/ruling/?id=02821-18
However, in the case of Audrey White, as far as she knew she wasn’t under investigation or suspended from Party’s membership.
Sorry Toffe I meant Mike case is different from Audrey.
Not in the manner of the data leak it isn’t.
Well lookit, wee fella?!
https://twitter.com/Trickyjabs/status/1559801241999478785
Labour party annual accounts for the year ended December 2021 have just been published on the Electoral Commission website:
Loss for the year = £5,205,000
Loss of members = 91,119
£100,000 and 1,750 members lost every single week, wow! Starmer’s bankrupting the party.
Looks like you haven’t got a leg to stand on now. 😏
So SOD OFF. 🖕🖕🖕🖕🖕
Well in George (And of course, @trickyjabs)
250 members doing the Frank Bough PER DAY, wee gobshite.
That’s TEN PER HOUR.
Or
ONE EVERY SIX MINUTES.
But keefs’ FAR more popular than Corbyn isn’t he?
WRONG.
AGAIN.
HELMET.
The end is nigh. The parasites have killed the host. Your goose is cooked. The horse has bolted….etc etc etc…
Satisfied? I’m not arsed. Labour hasn’t represented me…Well, for best part of most of me life. As soon as they got a decent skipper to steer the vessel, the first mate and most of the crew mutinied & deliberately steered the ship into the iceberg.
..And it looks like this time it’s the rats that’ll go down with the ship.
GOOD.
Labour! The dirty right wing vile lying cheating bastards collective.
It isn’t just the labour administration! all of this party is an utter fucking disgrace and is offensive in the minds of good willed people…
Cancel Direct Debit
Then if by chance there is a leadership challenge from someone half decent then you can pay off arrears and vote
The 100,000 figure is pure invention, they have no idea how many members they have left
The Unions have so much leverage now that it is beyond comprehension why PWC is not out on the street
Red Tories are in the wrong party
For the Love of God get rid of the fuckers
There is no one even remotely half decent and if there were they will be as usual be controlled by the rest of the right wing bastards that flooded Labour decades ago. Just leave the cesspit.
Doug, the figures only relate to last year: 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021.
We know for a fact that it was an stamped of members leaving the Party post October 2020, that haven’t been included in these figures.
Also the figures from 1st January 2022 till present aren’t included either. Plus, I am not going to be surprised on a further stamped of members leaving next month after Labour Conference.
In July 2022 figures reportedly shown to the party’s national executive committee (NEC) suggested Labour had lost more members, with just 382,000 fully paid-up.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-membership-loss-accounts-deficit-b2146691.html
Thanks for the link mrmoose66.It appears that in the first half of the year Labour has lost another 50K members.
I am not going to be surprised if by the end of the year the Labour Party has lost another 100K in membership and over £3 million in revenue.
It could force further redundancies in the Labour Party since I don’t believe LOTTO can call on the Trade Unions to cover the shortfall. No with Starmer’s refusal to strongly back the Trade Unions and at a time when the Trade Unions would be calling for more and more strikes in opposition to the cost of living crisis.Thus, the Trade Unions would need to divert as much funding as possible to their strike funds.
All things are possible, it’s just that some things are more possible than others
The Unions and Members are the Landlords of the party, if they choose to evict Red Tories then off they must trot
Doug, very apt last word.
Oh to be a member of the press pack when Starmer tells how he is going to transform the country’s finances
It doesn’t appear to be dated, but Tony Greenstein’s appraisal of Lee Harpin’s smear campaign against Audrey is worth checking out:
The Jewish Chronicle is Heavily Criticised by the Independent Press Standards Organisation for Lying about Audrey White and Refusing to either Retract the lies or Co-operate with an Investigation
‘Liar’ Lee Harpin, the JC’s Political Correspondent was Previously Arrested for his part in the Hacking Scandal at the Daily Mirror
https://tonygreenstein.com/2019/12/the-jewish-chronicle-is-heavily-criticised-by-the-independent-press-standards-organisation-for-lying-about-audrey-white-and-refusing-to-either-retract-the-lies-or-co-operate-with-an-investigation/
Allan – Early Dec19?
The article refers to something published ‘this week’ in the Jewish Chronicle on 04/12/19.
Would be interesting to find out if the Labour Party were still taking membership subs from her after they claimed she had been expelled.
What next ?
How many members will find they were actually expelled months ago and hadn’t been informed just before critical votes.
Iain – Would you regard the current NEC elections as critical?
Audrey White is invited, please, by Admin Grey Swans pension group to become the founder volunteer political admin of the greatest Women’s issues party in UK history, of the potential new Over 50s (saves all ages) party, by her esteemed good works.
Fully published manifesto on website owned as individual of Admin Grey Swans, so party is oven ready to register to run in election with Electoral Commission.
The first fully Suffragette Prime Minister in UK history, who is already a major women’s rights figure in our country.
www (dot) over50sparty (dot) org (dot) uk
GS – More lost deposits to come.
ps – Why not just post the link http://www.over50sparty.org.uk
Keefs’ record of lost deposits isn’t something to beat your chest about, ollies.
7 contested. 2 lost deposits. Given there’s 632 seats to be contested at the next general, if that was replicated keef’d lose his deposit (and spunk YOUR moolah) in about 200 seats.
Audrey’s expulsion letter was lost, it’s in the same place as Keef’s ten pledges.
Yes – I remember posting the time line for
Audreys suspension – but did not know that
she had not been TOLD of her suspension
for months. I only knew she had been
“suspended” for two years before the
Labour Party “remembered” this …Not
only that but the reason for the suspension
was wrongly attributed to antisemitism ..
Someone pointed out to me that there was an
established line of communication from
someone in the Labour Party to journalist(s) something a lot of people had known for
a long time.How stupid do they think we are-
and how BEAUTIFULLY her solicitor has
expressed this in the letter.
Really if they are going to act both
disgracefully and illegally – they ought not to
make it so obvious ..
Tut!
Stalin would be ashamed.
PS Regarding Labour support for workers
– did you hear Rob Rinder
have a go at Yvette Cooper on GMB this morning?
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/gmbs-rob-rinder-fiery-mp-27759788
You can’t imaging that they really did forget to tell Audrey White that she’d been expelled, can you?
Mind you, they did forget that they are supposed to be the opposition and that they are supposed to be the party of organised labour, so I suppose that collective Alzheimer’s might have set in.
What I should have said in my last post is
“Go to it Girl! Go to it Audrey!”
Well done for insisting they reinstate you –
to be a thorn in the flesh of Starmer and
Evans and the Right ..
Am wondering if they reinstate her – that will
act as a precedent for all the other
Labour Party members for something they did
years before it was prohibited ..?