The key task for Labour Party activists who want to oppose the summary suspension and expulsion of members which we have seen over the last few weeks is to demand an immediate review of all these cases, on the grounds of natural justice.
We also want the reinstatement of those who have been excluded simply for expressing left-wing and socialist views.
That broad political message is spelt out in a resolution from Broxtowe Labour Party to the upcoming Labour Party Conference:
“We believe that, however our rules change, we need to ensure they are carried out in a spirit consistent with a democratic culture. As the Chakrabarti report argues, ‘the Labour Party should seek to uphold the strongest principles of natural justice’, ‘due process’ and ‘proportionality’.
“Expulsion and suspensions should not be used as a factional weapon. Everyone should be properly informed of the charges against them in writing – not via the press! – and given a hearing before any penalty, and there should be a proper appeals system.
“Anyone willing to genuinely support Labour should be welcome, subject to our rules. Previous left-wing political activity should be of no relevance; neither should membership or support of particular organisations or currents.”
The Labour Party claims that only 3,107 people (as of 7 September) have been barred from voting in the leadership election. This seems lower than the volume of reports from members and activists. It also remains unclear how the cases for suspensions are being made, who is deciding on cases, and how any “evidence” is gathererd. Any suspension without due process is one too many — even that of Michael Foster, the millionaire Labour donor who used his wealth to challenge Corbyn’s right to be on the ballot in court, then branded Corbyn supporters as Sturm Abteilung (stormtroopers), no less.
While it may be tempting to see hypocritical right wingers suffer the same punishment as many Corbyn supporters, a tit-for-tat round of expulsions and suspensions would be negative and would damage our goal of an open, pluralist party.Nothing less than a complete review of the process is needed.
Over 1,000 Labour Party activists have now signed the Stop the Purge statement demanding that the Labour Party is an open regime where disagreements and political issues are discussed as they should be — by members, in organised debates, — and this debate is used to decide policy.
Free speech is fundamental
Pete Radcliff, Chair of Broxtowe CLP is one of a number of prominent left activists to be expelled from the Labour Party.
[My expulsion] follows an anonymous complaint about me to the Party.I don’t know what has led anyone to complain to the Party about me. I cannot believe that it comes from anyone in my constituency party, where inclusiveness and comradely respect is genuinely shown by all party members.I am told that I am expelled because I am an “active supporter of the AWL” .
I believe that this is not an attack solely on me as an individual. It is intended to disorganise my constituency party and demoralise its members. It is also part of a national witch hunt conducted by figures still powerful in the Party who are attempting to drive away the hundreds of thousands of new members who have moved it to the left.I have long advocated that our Party should be open to all who want to fight for a Labour victory. Free speech and free debate are fundamental to socialism. They are essential to anything claiming to be a socialist political party.
• Full statement here
Don’t leave the party
Pamela Fitzpatrick, a Labour councillor in Harrow, north London, was suspended from the Labour Party on 28 August with no reason provided. She has now been reinstated, but again with no reasons given, and no ballot to vote in the leadership election. She spoke at a Stop the Purge meeting in London on 7 September. This is an excerpt from her speech.
I was actually surprised how upset I was over it, and I didn’t think I would be. I’ve moaned about the Labour Party for so many years, but I have given a huge amount of my time to canvassing, getting people involved, encouraging others to get involved, whoever the leader was. I’ve argued internally, my politics are on the left, but I have accepted the collective decision because my background is in trade unionism as well. I have been a shop steward wherever I have worked.I have been quite a vocal supporter of Corbyn and I spoke with him at a rally in Ealing last year.
During the last leadership election I was one of the councillors that signed the pro-Corbyn letter. I rang the number on the letter and waited ages to speak to someone. I explained I had been suspended and asked why. They confirmed I had been suspended. I said I know that, but can you give me the reasons! They put me through to the Compliance Unit. Even the name itself is just horrific.
They wouldn′t give me the reasons over the phone. My case seemed to be about is a local person reporting my conduct at a meeting. I discovered subsequently that this person had made a complaint to the Chief Whip about me. That had been investigated and it was found there was no evidence, quite the opposite. The evidence suggested that the complaint was fabricated.
I want people to know what had happened to me. The response I′ve had has been amazing. In my day job I work in a law centre, with social security law, which is a very Kafkaesque area. However, even there, there are rules. There are procedures that have to be abided by.
This party, the Labour Party, is responsible for the Human Rights Act. The HRA brought into UK legislation the right to a fair hearing, and there are rules as to what constitutes a fair hearing. In employment law suspensions are last resort. They shouldn’t be the first. But we’re being suspended, thousands of us. Most commonly people′s suspensions or expulsions are for minor things.
If someone has been abusive or threatening, they should be suspended. I agree with that. But not because somebody uses a swearword or calls somebody a traitor.I don’t think this is just the Compliance Unit making work for themselves. It is an organised campaign to get the margins between Corbyn and Smith closer. I believe the Smith campaign have got people making complaints.
I am urging people not to leave the party even if Owen Smith wins, because it’s more than Corbyn. We must democratise the party. We must bring back some alternative to these Tory policies, whether they are in the guise of Labour or of the Conservative Party. If Owen Smith wins, we deal with why that has happened, whether that is through legal action, or through us collectively in our CLPs getting together and saying we have had enough and we are not putting up with this any more.
We have been denied natural justice
Philip Lewis is Health and Safety Officer for Camden Unison, and a Labour Party member in Hornsey and Wood Green. He spoke to Solidarity about his suspension.
Jeremy Corbyn led the opposition with Bernie Grant against the National Front in Haringey in 1977 and that is why I support him. He made sure Haringey was united, and that is what he is preaching today.
He is a decent man being treated as some sort of horror. All he is asking for is decent opportunities for the poor and disabled. He wants to look after the whole community. Our young people are being battered by fees in education and high rents.But the Labour Party now thinks I am not worthy of a vote. They have said there are allegations about a tweet which I now know was a retweet! They couldn’t even tell me what tweet it was when they suspended me and I’d have to go through 100,000 tweets to find them. I now know it is about three retweets that challenge the Blairites over the coup.
Even then, it remains an allegation.We need a campaign about all of us that have been suspended. We need to stop it from happening, I was suspended on the same day as Ronnie Draper. We have been denied our natural justice and human rights. This is nothing short of a witch hunt against those that don’t support the status quo.I had planned to stand for the Local Campaign Forum but I now can’t do that. My activities have been severely curtailed. It beggars belief that this is happening.
