Dear all
It is time to talk about the elephant in the room - Labour Party suspensions. Around 8,000 people according to some. There may be many reasons some members are still suspended from the Labour Party, stuck in limbo, but a lack of useful, pertinent information to those affected is just one cruel aspect of this sorry state of affairs. Legal concerns and matters may be part of the problem but we members are just ordinary folk. We are not in it for the money, the power and the glory. We have our own life stresses and strains. When we opt to commit to a political party we deserve some respect. People join for many reasons and yes some do so mischievously. But the majority join the party to show support and pay for the privilege. In some cases they work their socks off trying to get the Labour Party message out and representatives elected. If they then respond angrily on social media using a word that the party machine has suddenly decided is off limits, such as TRAITOR, do they deserve suspension? When the party has trawled back over time following anonymous complaints regarding party members the affected member is scuppered. But as previously stated if you feel a person has betrayed you or broken a promise TRAITOR is a very fitting word. Those MPs who vowed to support Mr Corbyn when he was elected September 12, 2015, but did anything but, fit that category to perfection. But as #LabourPartyPurge2 drags on tempers are fraying and people are resigning - enough is enough and who can blame them for quitting. A sensible way forward would be an amnesty of sorts. The abuse timer reset, as after all in many cases it was simply angry debate and not abuse. That would allow a date to work from. No more trawling back over social media just a clean slate and new era following your re-election in 2016. Allowing the current situation to drag on is destructive. It means people listen to Chinese whispers and gossip. That results in more anger and the downward spiral circle continues to whirl out of control. It is not rocket science. It makes some conclude the party is still split, that a further leadership challenge could follow and it provides the mainstream media with ammunition all making Labour's electability a distant dream. For the sake of us all we need to hit the restart button. With so many factions working against each other little wonder people are 'speaking with their feet' and resigning. Who will respond to this open letter? Will anything change for the better in 2016? Or is the Labour Party just too big for its boots now. Party suspensions need putting to bed. Time to move on and work toward election success with all hands to the pumps. Note: The writer is not suspended. But she has Labour values which means she cares about those that are. Do you Mr McNicol?
Good Morning comrades. Well today is the day. The mainstream media including BBC rolling news is in Labour Party leadership election overdrive. The result of the election will be announced around 11.45am Saturday and though political pundits are declaring a win for Jeremy Corbyn hours earlier "it aint over till the fat lady sings." We remember recent poll predictions regarding the 2015 General Election and this year's EU referendum and remain cautious. The mainstream media are ignoring #LabourPurge2 which has removed thousands from the vote; add to this reportedly thousands of eligible voters who never received ballot papers after trying till they were blue in the face to get them issued; add to this those who would have liked a vote in the election but were excluded when an eligibility timeline of January 2016 was implemented and the vote is expected to be closer than last year. Don't expect to see or hear mainstream reports today that include Labour Party shenanigans that may have mainly hit Jeremy Corbyn supporters. But though cautious this Labour Party member remains hopeful. I do not believe Jeremy Corbyn is unelectable; I do not believe that if Corbyn is unelectable the challenger Owen Smith, an apparent physical clone of many other politicians, is somehow electable. If, and it is a big IF, Owen Smith wins I expect his time as party leader may be brief. The silly, damaging and nasty "chicken coup" has been about removing Jeremy who refused to simply roll over and quit when over-paid politicians and fat cat donors wanted a return to the "same old politics." But enough - later we will update this brief post and complete the headline "And the Labour leadership election winner is...." and hopefully it will be with the name Jeremy Corbyn. And the winner is JEREMY CORBYN well done all. "674,006 eligible voters. 506,438 votes cast. Spoiled votes 1,042 Jeremy Corbyn - 313,209 Owen Smith -193,229" Opinion: We are two-days away from the Labour leadership election result but the smear-a-day campaign trundles on. Thursday it is David Miliband. The mainstream media are running with the story that David Miliband has written a stinging article condemning Jeremy Corbyn as unelectable. Yes that old chestnust that drip feeds into the minds of some and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is gathering pace like a round robin as the media run with various versions of the story. It strikes me as odd that ordinary working people struggling with all that life throws at them are being suspended from the Labour Party for using angry words on social media but people like David Miliband, and my MP Alan Johnson, are allowed a free rein to attack and undermine us all in the mainstream media. Labour MPs on the right of the party such as Wes Streeting are tweeting it is worth reading Miliband's article but one man on social media hits the nail on the head. "Aaron Bastani Twitter › AaronBastani "David Miliband earns £425,000 as head of refugee charity International Rescue ibt.uk/A6RUR?utm_sou… he ain't fighting no by-elections!" In other words those who think he may be about to step back into British politics for real are deluded but it does not stop him sticking the knife in. Little wonder David Miliband like other Labour fat cats Peter Mandelson, Tony Blair, Ed Balls, Alastair Campbell et al do not want real Labour politics with Jeremy Corbyn in pole position. Is it really because voters will not go for Corbyn or that THEY do not want such politics? David Miliband was expected to be elected leader of the Labour Party back in 2010 but he lost out to his younger brother Ed. "David Wright Miliband (born 15 July 1965) is a British Labour Party politician, charity chief executive and public policy analyst who was the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs from 2007 to 2010 and MP for South Shields from 2001 to 2013." David said he would not serve in Ed's shadow cabinet as he did not want the two brother's to be compared and presumably Ed somehow undermined. He left politics in 2013 triggering a by-election and moved on to pastures new. He took up the posts of President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee in New York City. But he has always been in the mix and in some people's eyes remains a natural successor to Tony Blair.
The BBC reports ""The main charge against Jeremy Corbyn is not just that his strategy is undesirable because it makes the party unelectable. That is only half the story. "The real issue is that his strategy makes the party unelectable because it is in many aspects undesirable" but undesirable for whom we wonder? Voting closed Wednesday at high noon but the right-wing of the Labour Party appears to have no intention of embracing the leadership election winner if it is Jeremy Corbyn. They continue to call Corbyn supporters hard-left and themselves moderates or centrists but who are they trying to kid? Though political pundits are predicting a win for Mr Corbyn remember such poll predictions have been wrong before. With a large number of eligible voters removed it could be a tight result. First it was a ridiculously early date for eligibility, then it was changes to the cost of being an affiliated supporter, then it was people removed in many cases for silly or non-existent comments on social media, it moved on to those who heaven forbid may have supported another political party in the past and possibly finally tens of thousands who did not receive ballot papers in time. Was the latter incompetence or foul play? Look at those ruled out of voting for any of the above reasons and you tend to find Jeremy Corbyn supporters. This has led to most people drawing to the conclusion that a fix is on. Whether it will be enough to return Owen Smith as party leader is doubtful but stranger things have happened and are continuing to happen. And as always you need to follow the money trail. Opinion: Sunday Eoin on Twitter has gone for "Andy Burnham manages to fight a leadership campaign last summer without abusing Corbyn or his supporters. Why can't Owen Smith so the same?" and he has nailed it once again.
This blogger attended an Andy Burnham event in Hull in the summer of 2015 and an Owen Smith one in 2016. They were both held at the same venue and both organised at least in part by East Hull Labour MP Karl Turner. In 2015 former deputy Prime Minister and local MP John Prescott played host. He added some humour to the event and veteran politics at one point saying he would have preferred the meeting included others standing for election and he mentioned Jeremy Corbyn in particular. That mention was as a positive and it was the only time the other leadership hopefuls were "in the room." The Owen Smith event was a very different affair. For one thing Alan Johnson West Hull MP attended but Prescott did not. In 2015 Mr Johnson threw his political support behind Yvette Cooper although his CLP failed to agree on a nomination. There were also less people at the Smith event. The question and answer session was similar to last year but those who asked some questions were labelled, probably correctly, Corbynistas. One man who seemed to be a Corbyn supporter wanted to ask in depth questions about the NHS but was told by some including Mr Johnson to sit down. To be fair time was limited and the event did overrun as Mr Smith was late. Last year I was a novice at events. I was inspired by Mr Burnham who seemed the best candidate for the job of party leader. For me Jeremy Corbyn was too old and I say that as one of his contemporaries. So I voted Burnham last year but accepted the democratic result and have supported Mr Corbyn who has in my eyes proved himself more than worthy over and over again. I also attended a Corbyn rally in Hull this summer and was more than impressed; finding the right word is not easy. The rally was fun, informative, entertaining, inspiring and more. And challenger Owen Smith was not "in the room." Corbyn has held many of his rallies outdoors to keep costs down and to accommodate the huge number of people attending. The Owen Smith event was ticketed. In order to attend you had to apply online giving an email address. But it did not take long for Corbyn to be "in the room" thanks to Mr Smith. One giggle for Smith supporters was a dig at Jeremy commenting he was "perhaps making jam" when he was not available. And sadly that was not the only dig. If Mr Corbyn wins the leadership election, and I seriously hope he does, he will have done so by fair means. If Mr Smith wins will he have been helped along by an unfair and biased purge of Labour Party members and attacking Mr Corbyn time and time again? From someone else who went to an Owen Smith rally http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/your-voice/so-i-went-to-an-owen-smith-event-in-halifax http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/british-political-scene/from-an-unelectable-jeremy-corbyn-rally-in-hull Nice work if you can get it and you can get it if you try. The words of that classic song seem to fit this story well. The Labour Party is advertising two jobs working for our party's dreadfully named Compliance Unit. This unit makes sure party members are not signing up for all the wrong reasons but as the Labour party leadership election 2016 rolls on it appears to have turned against some long standing party members. The level of party suspensions, reasons and people targeted has all the hallmarks of a McCarthy type witchhunt. So what price spying on party members, trawling their social media accounts, deciding what words could lead to suspension, inflicting emotional pain on those wrongly suspended and pulling Labour into a cesspit along the way? Role: Compliance Officer – Investigations x2 The labour Party is in a good financial position right now. This in part has to be down to a surge in membership and paid supporters. Those suspended or removed from the party by the Compliance Unit will be out of pocket. Fees will not be refunded. So will people purged from Labour be paying the salaries of those suspending them from the party? Those who claim Jeremy Corbyn is unelectable need a lesson in reality and the real world. A summer of purging party members and supporters, orchestrated shadow cabinet resignations and vitrolic articles written by some Labour MPs and shared in the mainstream media hammer home the message that Labour may be unelectable not Mr Corbyn. What price spying on members? £34,061.77 plus expenses. Will you be applying or would spying on comrades be a step too far? http://www.labour.org.uk/pages/current-vacancies oOp-ed: The Daily Mail often referred to as the Daily Fail is up to its usual tricks spinning a story for maximum exposure and negative impact; negative to Jeremy Corbyn, his supporters, party members and by association the Labour Party. It relates to wealthy Labour Party donor and one time 'wannabe' MP Michael Foster. Michael Foster has, finally, been suspended from the Labour Party after a series of Labour Party supporters and members have been purged from the party, depriving them of a leadership vote; until this weekend Foster has been sitting pretty. Many of those purged are Jeremy Corbyn supporters and most have been excluded for silly comments on social media. Few have actually crossed the red line of decency and abuse. Even fewer have been reported by the mainstream media but Mr Foster is headline news Sunday. MPs have been posting abusive comments for some time, perhaps acting as a red rag to a bull and drawing people in before Labour's dreadfully named Compliance Unit moves in suspending people. Little wonder there was an angry response to Foster's earlier Daily Mail piece likening a Corbyn rally in Cornwall and its audience to a 'circus' and 'stormtroopers'. Sunday as he is suspended Foster claims the Mail added the word 'Nazi' to their piece but he does not fool me. "In the article he wrote: "To me, respect for the rule of law is fundamental to a democracy. Once political parties believe they are above the law it ends with all opposition silenced, whether it is my grandparents in Dachau, or the Left in Erdogan's Turkey rounded up and held uncharged in prison. "The courts decided that the rules as they stand allowed it. This decision advantaged Corbyn and his Sturm Abteilung (stormtroopers)." If the alleged addition of the word "Nazi" bothered him he could have distanced himself from the Mail but today we have his party suspension featured in the Fail with the ridiculous title "Jeremy Corbyn reignites race row engulfing Labour as he launches vicious act of revenge and purges top Jewish donor who criticised his regime." What a nice inflammatory title. You may never read the story or the background but you may assess Corbyn as the dictator of a regime, decide that somehow Foster's suspension is to do with "race", that peace loving Jeremy is vicious and the party is "engulfed in a race row." What rubbish but damaging reporting. It is pure Daily Mail bunkum from start to finish but even the headline will drip feed into the minds of some. Other publications have gone for titles such as "Labour donor Michael Foster suspended from party over 'Nazi stormtroopers' article" and "Labour suspends donor for 'Corbyn team Nazi comparison." The Mail and Mr Foster apear to have a working relationship as it was their weekend publication that fully removed the lid off this real can of worms. But Mr Foster has been a vocal opponent of Jeremy Corbyn from day one. Corbyn was elected party leader September 12, 2015, and at an event a couple of weeks later Mr Foster was making waves and headlines: A Labour supporter who heckled Jeremy Corbyn at a Labour Friends of Israel reception has explained his reasons for shouting at the party leader. The fact Mr Foster is Jewish should be irrelevant but that report in the Jewish Chronicle stressed his religious faith. Mr Corbyn's refusal to say the word Israel in response to Foster's childish demands highlights the measure of the man; Jeremy has backbone and does not resort to personal attacks or game play. Fast forward to July and Foster dragged the party through the courts as he fought to prevent Corbyn being automatically on the leadership election ballot. But how could there be a leadership challenge if the incumbent leader was excluded from the election? The PLP plotters knew they could keep Corbyn off the ballot if he neded nominations but they also knew he stood a fair chance of being re-elected if he was allowed to stand. The National Executive of Labour voted to allow Jeremy an automatic right to be on the ballot by a majority vote. But Foster was not happy with party democracy when it did not suit his aims and dragged the party through the courts: Michael Foster, whose family has given £400,000 to the Labour Party, said he was concerned over the "apparent manipulation" of party rules by the ruling body, the National Executive Committee (NEC). So what does wealthy Mr Foster care if the Labour party is being ripped apart and ordinary working people left out in the cold? Will he really care if Labour fails to win elections or splits? Draw your own conclusions. http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/146195/labour-donor-explains-why-he-heckled-jeremy-corbyn-israel-event http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/14/labour-donor-to-mount-legal-challenge-over-leadership-ballot http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/labour-donor-michael-foster-suspended-8811755 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37329153 http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/british-political-scene/jeremy-corbyns-day-in-court http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3783399/Jeremy-Corbyn-reignites-race-row-engulfing-Labour-launches-vicious-act-revenge-purges-Jewish-donor-criticised-regime.html Opinion: British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, Labour, is generally thought to be the man responsible for coining the phrase "a week is a long time in politics."
So if a week is a long time what is a year? Monday September 12, 2016, marks the one year anniversary of Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party leadership. On Saturday September 12, 2015, I was awake early and waiting for the result of the Labour Party leadership election which had followed that year's Labour General Election defeat and Ed Miliband's resignation. I had followed the leadership race and done a little phone banking for my preferred candidate Andy Burnham. Yes in 2015 I believed Andy was the party's best hope. As a northerner Jeremy Corbyn had by and large passed me by. I attended a local event for Andy Burnham organised by Karl Turner MP with John Prescott acting as host. Prescott opened the event remarking that he had hoped other candidates including Jeremy Corbyn could have been included but other local MPs never supported Corbyn. The event sealed the deal for me. I did not look further. Both Liz Kendal and Yvette Cooper held no appeal for me. They were just too wishy washy and right of centre politics. I say the above as a female. I say this next bit as an older person; for me Jeremy Corbyn seemed too old. I had said this to some and been shot down in flames but it was simple; aged a couple of years younger than Jeremy I was judging him as a contemporary. I have since changed my view. So we switched on the TV and were waiting for the result when our elderly dog Jessie, became very ill very quickly. She had come to us as a leggy nine-month-old abandoned dog that had been rescued around 14 years earlier. Her previous owners had mistreated her then moved home and left her tied to a tree in the garden of their former home. By the time she was rescued she was skinny and in relatively poor health. So after a few weeks with a local dog rescue service she came to us on a temporary foster basis. Yes TEMPORARY! Hubby could never part with her and she was a much loved part of our family for many years bringing laughter and joy. A friendly dog she had one of those smiley faces. By September 12, 2015, she was almost blind, had a few lumps and bumps and was tiring easily. She was spending more time snuggled in her bed but still seemed happy. We had spoken to the vet and agreed TLC was the best course of action. But on the morning of September 12 her back legs gave way under her and she was laid spreadeagled in the garden as rain fell. Although a big dog Hubby managed to carry her into the kitchen where I had laid her bed. We rang the vet having decided it was time. I sat on the floor with Jess talking to her and stroking her. The female vet and her assistant arrived and as soon as Jess heard someone at the door she got up and made it along the kitchen wagging her tail. But she collapsed again. We managed to carry her into the kitchen and the vet prepared to put Jess to sleep. As I sat with her talking reassuring words Jess smiled serenely and passed peacefully into the next world. In the front room the TV was ringing out that Jeremy Corbyn was elected but I could not have cared less. If you have ever had to euthanise one of your beloved pets you will understand. We were heartbroken and that included our other little rescue dog who had been with us a few years. It took weeks to settle him down and even get him to leave the house by the front door the vet had used. So Monday it is Jeremy Corbyn's one-year anniversary as party leader but a sad day for us as we remember and still miss our Jessie. Corbyn faced a tough year as plotters in the party began working on ways to undermine him and remove him as party leader even before he was elected. He has showed strength of character time and time again. He is all those things a Labour Party leader should be. He is compassionate, inspiring, entertaining, thoughtful, measured, on the left of the political spectrum and unlike the rest of us he does not do personal. When Tory PM Theresa May calls him a laughing stock to his face it is like water off a duck's back. When former Tory PM David Cameron told him to "go" he ignored the abuse. If Mr Corbyn is so unelectable, and making Labour unelectable too, why do so many Tories, like smug-faced Philip Hammond sat alongside May and looking for all the world like Nasty Mr Burns in the Simpsons, laugh in Corbyn's face and attack him? In 2016 my leadership vote went to Jeremy Corbyn. This year on September 24, barring any personal tragedies or disasters, I will be watching the TV as Corbyn is reelected and if he is I will be jumping for joy. And I will not be the only person celebrating. Steven Hemmings
August 31, 2016 Iain McNicol General Secretary Labour Party Labour Central, Kings Manor Newcastle, NE1 6PA Dear Iain McNicol: It is with great sadness that I write this letter, I take no pleasure in having to point out to the wider public, outside the Labour party, the tragic and pitiful state the Labour party has descended into under your stewardship. When the current state of affairs is made known to the public at large the Labour party will become a laughing stock, and that is heart breaking for all true supporters of the socialist ideals of the Labour party. Above all else the Labour party, as an organization for social justice, has to lead by example and remember that the most important components of that organization are its members. They are the lifeblood of our party, and as such should be treated with the utmost respect. If we as a party cannot demonstrate that our organization is run in a democratic manor, that is beyond reproach, we will have no moral authority to govern this country, and we will never be taken seriously by the electorate. This purge of Jeremy Corbyn voters that is currently going on under your stewardship is nothing short of a disgrace. Over 100 years of Labour party values are being flushed down the toilet, and you are the one pulling the chain. Any decent Labour member or supporter, whether they support Jeremy Corbyn or Owen Smith, will be disgusted and appalled in equal measure at this crass and openly partisan rigging of the ballot. Most members probably don’t realize what is going on because of lack of reporting in the main stream media. The following arbitrary rule that you have set up specifically for this election is wrong on so many levels. “No abuse of any kind by members or supporters shall be tolerated. All eligible members and supporters must conduct themselves in a calm and polite manner and be respectful to each other at all times. Any racist, abusive or foul language or behaviour at meetings, on social media or in any other context will be dealt with according to the Rules and procedures of the Labour Party.”
This flagrant abuse of the democratic principle of free and fair elections has no place in a democratic society, and certainly no place in the Labour party. Examples of high profile Owen Smith supporters who have not been suspended are:
Compare this with the 100 000+ Corbyn supporters already purged from the Labour party and unable to vote for comments such as “I F”””ing love the Foo Fighters” on twitter, or in my case no information provided as to what I was supposed to have said. There are now only two courses of action open to you Mr McNicol, to allow you to retain some semblance of self respect and dignity, and more importantly, reestablish the Labour party’s credibility. The first is to suspend Owen Smith from the Labour party and thus withdraw his nomination to stand in this leadership election; or secondly rescind all suspensions made in this purge of Labour party members (excluding those suspended for racial abuse) from voting, and issue ballot papers forthwith. Sincerely, Steven Hemmings Member and supporter of the Labour party’s reputation http://stevenhemmings.com/labour-purge/
Do we count for nothing?
This is the tale of a retired psychiatric nurse, male, who has been a Labour Party member and supporter for the last 35 years. He is being denied a Labour leadership vote as around the time ballot papers started being sent out he was suspended from the Labour Party. He stands accused of wrongdoing on Twitter but has no idea what he has done. Many of us tweet foolishly in the heat of the moment or even carelessly retweet for another as tit for tat. But if you are a Labour Party member someone somewhere may by spying on you and it could result in suspension from the party. Wealthy party donors and MPs appear to be excluded from those rules however. The man at the heart of this story decided to fight his suspension by following legal procedures. Part of that is using the Data Protection Act to request what information pertaining to him the Labour Party holds . The image above is the form he received following that request but he will have to pay a £10 admin fee for the privilege of seeing his information. Note also it could take 40 days for any information to be released. In other words he will not be voting in the 2016 leadership election whether he is exonerated or not. It is standard procedure to apply an admin fee but this is the Labour Party which makes it different, or it should do. To many of Labour's core traditional supporters party membership fees are an expense; the £10 admin fee is another expense. As a long standing party member he has supported the party financially for many years but suddenly now he is a nobody. As the Labour Party continues to implode who would trust them with a vote? Are the coupsters already establishing their new party in case Corbyn wins and simply playing as a wrecking ball for now? We will update on our friend's case and in time be posting his own report of his Labour Party battle https://andrewgodsell.wordpress.com/2016/09/02/labour-hq-say-suspensions-not-being-investigated-until-after-leadership-ballot/ For those still waiting for ballots for the Labour Leadership contest, I have just been told the following:
-I have just been reissued with an email and postal ballot today-Fri 2nd September as I have still not received one as of 12pm. I rang 0345 092 22 99, pressed option 5, then option 2. -I was told I should receive my email ballot by Tuesday (6th Sep) or Wed (7th Sep). I should receive my postal ballot by a week from the date of request-in my case, Fri 9th Sep. -The man I spoke to was very helpful, but was NOT aware of circulating rumours of 102,000 eligible people still not receiving their ballots. He did think it was "bizarre" and "strange" what is going on, though. -The Cut off for asking for a ballot to be re-issued is: POSTAL BALLOTS (Just Full Members): Wed 7th September EMAIL BALLOTS (Everyone else INCLUDING Full Members): Wed 14th September -The man advised me to NOT wait until 14th September though if you still have not received the original ballot(s), or the re-issued ballot(s). HE SAID GET IN CONTACT SOONER. Also, he said if people vote via email and postal ballot, they take whichever is received first. The same goes if you suddenly receive the original ballot(s) AND the re-issued one(s). They will only accept one vote (obviously and rightly so!). -PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CONTACT THEM ASAP -IF it is true that 102,000 eligible voters have not received their ballots, this is VERY worrying. If you add this to the 160,000 Full Members not allowed to vote, and approx 55,000 Registered Supporters not allowed to vote, that means a total of approx 317,000 people!!! That would be HALF of all the approx 640,000 Members/Supporters/Affiliates etc who thought they had a vote. -I'm sure the Electoral Services must have some explanation; maybe they are waiting for information from the Labour HQ? Who knows. But it does seem odd, IF and I say IF the Electoral Services, who deal with the General Election ballots that number at least 8 times the amount for this Labour Leadership election, are struggling, for whatever reason, to get these ballots out. What is going on? Many Thanks to Adam Samuels Op-ed: "Assem Allam is an Egyptian-born British businessman, based since 1968 in the East Riding of Yorkshire. He is the owner of Allam Marine, an industrial generator manufacturer, and owner of Premier League club Hull City Wikipedia."
He is a very wealthy man and lives in a wealthy suburb of Kingston-upon-Hull, Kirkella. Thursday evening he appeared on Yorkshire television's regional news but the story was nothing new. In an interview Allam confirmed he is certain that the Labour Party will split if Jeremy Corbyn wins the 2016 party leadership election. He also said he is prepared to fund a new political party by investing millions and has already spoken with senior Labour politicians. Was one of those MPs Hull Hessle and West's Alan Johnson? Or does he mean the old new Labour guard and the likes of Peter Mandleson, Tony Blair and a couple of well-known spin doctors? Allam surely has more pressing business sorting out Hull City football club's ongoing issues? In 2014 he threatened to sell the football club if he was not allowed to officially change the club's name; his plans failed and his big money merchandising ideas were put on hold. More recently he has threatened to sell Hull City football club more than once; manager Steve Bruce left the club following a row this summer. Perhaps Mr Allam thinks he can buy and manage a political party to suit like a football club? He has donated more than £500,000 to the Labour Party helping fund the gap left by falling Union donations. Jeremy Corbyn was elected Labour Party leader September 12, 2016, and we posted the following report six days later, September 18. Mr Allam was already publicly talking about funding another political party and pulling the plug on Corbyn, the party, its members and its traditional voters. So it is September 18, 2015: "Assem Allam is a local businessman, originally from Egypt. He is owner of the local Football League Championship team, Hull City. This week Allam has been in the news following the election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour party. Often business and the big money it makes do not go hand in hand with the Labour party, a political party of socialist origins. But in this case it does, or rather it did; multi-millionaire Allam has been one of Labour's top donors but that could be about to change. He is not happy that Corbyn was elected party leader but it was a democratic election when all is said and done. Whether Corbyn fans would have supported the party had one of the other candidates won the leadership election is not known; probably not in some cases but that is immaterial. Corbyn is party leader and we all have to work with what we have and that means giving the people's choice a fair chance. As always Mr Allam is prepared to put his money where his mouth is and has said he will fund Labour MP's who want to break away from the party and either form a new more left of centre party of even swing over and join the Liberal Democrats. New Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron believes his party could be onto a winner following Corbyn's victory. He has hinted at conversations with disenfranchised Labour MPs who may make the jump to the Lib Dems. Division has been done before though and it did not work. A so-called 'gang of four' split to form the Social Democratic party in 1981. Four senior Labour Party 'moderates' broke to form the SDP; they were Roy Jenkins, David Owen, Bill Rodgers and Shirley Williams. They also believed that Labour had become too left-wing for its own good much like some Corbyn doubters in September 2015. For the two general elections that followed they joined forces in an alliance with the Liberal Party and in 1988 formed the Social and Liberal Democrats. The Liberal Democrats were formed in the late 80's. All the breakaway from Labour achieved was to help the Tories and Thatcher to political success, rip apart Labour and setback Labour's political success for years. Surely current Labour party representatives should take a lesson from history? Labour must know that 'together we are stronger' as after all the right-wing live by a very different adage 'divide and conquer'? The gang of four proved they were not worthy Labour party representatives when they caused a huge rift for their own ends. So let those not worthy in 2015 go their own way but do not let them try to con you that it is for the good of all. Mr Allam is used to getting his own way for a price. He has already been defeated in his quest to change the name of Hull City to the Tigers which is the team’s nickname locally. Allam wants the change as he believes it will bring financial success by way of marketing. He may be right that "rebranding the club is the only way to bring in new investment from overseas" but the FA and fans do not agree. With the help of people power Hull City remains Hull City. Can people power save Labour from his attack? Opinion: I voted for Andy Burnham in the leadership race. I am happy he was man enough to accept a job in the cabinet and respect the vote. Corbyn is party leader and unless he does something dreadful he has my support. Does he have yours?" July 2016 as the pathetic Labour coup rumbled on the Canary has reported on Assem Allam Also July 2016 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/05/top-labour-donor-offers-rebels-millions-to-defect-and-start-new/ And here we are September 1, 2016, and Allam is back in the news with the same old song. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3738698/Hull-City-staff-clean-Allam-graffiti-KCOM-Stadium-walls-ahead-Premier-League-return-protests-against-ownership-grows.html http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/eileen-kersey/time-for-labour-to-get-behind-jeremy-corbyn Opinion: Sunday August 21, at 6pm, supporters of Jeremy Corbyn will gather in London for what is expected to be the biggest rally of his 2016 leadership election campaign so far. Ballot papers start to be sent out Monday but Mr Corbyn and his team have further rallies around the country scheduled. Presumably leadership contender Owen Smith will be in a similar position. Corbyn is far from the underdog in this race but those trying to remove him as party leader certainly have some big guns on their side. Blair's former old new Labour spin doctor was in the mainstream media Saturday spewing more bile in the direction of Corbyn supporters. Later Saturday with a flurry and fanfare ITV news announced that in a couple of hours they would be reporting on a new convert to Camp Smith. It was reminiscent of Angela Eagle and those announcements that there would be an announcement that then failed to materialise as the MPs scheduled resignations continued and the so-called chicken coup played out. Saturday it was done in the finest, phoniest spin doctor style. It had no class, honesty or credibility but was the usual style over substance. When the name was announced later it was something of a damp squib to me. It is London's Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan. Perhaps it will impress Labour voters in London but I doubt it will raise an eyebrow North of Watford or further afield. To be honest I thought he was already well entrenched in Camp Smith. He certainly tried to put distance between himself and the party leader Jeremy Corbyn during his London mayoral campaign. He is far from a man of the people even though he likes to refer back to his Dad who was a bus driver. Of course this year's orchestrated chicken coup has its roots back in 2015 before Khan became London Mayor; it probably dates back to the date Corbyn was put on the ballot. Well maybe not that far back as MPs such as Alan Johnson thought Corbyn's leadership bid was hilarious and called him the joker in the pack. But once they realised Jeremy could win all bets were of. So Saturday it is Khan; last Sunday it was Michael Foster writing abusively in the Mail; and what will Sunday bring? Who knows but the best advice is ignore the hype. Khan's damning piece in the Observer will be republished here and there for maximum negative impact ahead of Sunday's rally and voting. If you are in London Sunday enjoy the Corbyn rally. Let London tell Khan what they think of the Labour leader. Rally: Join Jeremy Corbyn in London is a ticketed event. Apply following this link "We will be joined by Jeremy Corbyn, trade unionists and community activists from across the country. This will be a coming together to show support for Jeremy’s vision to rebuild and transform Britain." WHEN August 21, 2016 at 6pm - 8pm WHERE Ruach City Church 197 199 Kilburn High Rd London NW6 7HY United Kingdom Previously Khan said he was neutral on the leadership race 2016.
But Saturday Murdoch's Sky News has posted a report titled "London Mayor Sadiq Khan Calls On Labour To Ditch Jeremy Corbyn." That begins "London's Mayor Sadiq Khan has called on fellow party members to replace Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. In an article in The Observer, Mr Khan warns that the Labour Party "cannot go on like this," urging party members to ditch Mr Corbyn in next month's leadership election. The popular London Mayor, who until now has been tight lipped over who he is backing for party leader, announced his support for Mr Corbyn's rival, Owen Smith. In the damning article, Mr Khan accuses the Labour leader of failing to "win the trust and respect of the British people," saying his lack of leadership had become clear during the EU referendum." More work on that self fulfilling prophecy from Khan and his gang. Days ahead of the EU Referendum Khan was a guest at media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s exclusive drinks bash alongside the likes of Jerry Hall, Bob Geldof and Bill Wyman. Also in June he was up close and personal to members of the Royal Family at Wimbledon. He may be your idea of a Labour politician but he certainly is not mine. Sadiq Khan shares platform with extremist David Cameron Open letter to Sadiq Khan What ever will Corbyn say? Sadiq Khan attends Rupert Murdoch’s summer party Op-ed: That tangled web they continue to weave; the one that they seem to think voters, party members and supporters will simply forget about come a General Election is spinning out of control. That well known fan of the Tory Party the Daily Telegraph, or as it is affectionately called at times The Torygraph, has a report Saturday titled "Thousands of Labour supporters could be expelled from party over anti-Semitism and abuse allegations." It claims the NEC committee responsible is looking at 6,000 allegations of abuse and or anti-Semetism. One presumably is wealthy Labour Party donor and one time parliamentary Labour Party candidate Michael Foster. He caused outrage with an article published in the mainstream media last weekend that likened Corbyn supporters to Nazi Stormtroopers. But the Telegraph story appears in some ways incorrectly titled as it continues to roll and moves on to other allegations: Tory MP Andrew Bridgen revealed he had been approached by Labour MPs as part of an attempt to secure an early general election to “get rid of Jeremy Corbyn” as the party’s leadership contest continues. Some double-dealing and two-faced Labour MPs continue to leak information to the mainstream media. The mainstream media fills in the gaps with fiction and fantasy citing anonymous sources. But if these MPs were loyal to the Labour Party there would be no information leaks. Those damning leaks are a huge problem for the Labour Party: Documents seen by The Telegraph reveal that almost 5,850 people have been reported to the party’s executive in total, more than 3,000 of them for allegations of abuse, with the rest accused of anti-Semitic behaviour and of supporting other political parties – banned under Labour’s rules. So are these documents widely available for us all to view?
If not how did the Telepgraph get hold of them? Are people named? Is the Telegraph able to identify those accused? We need to bear in mind that it is a nicely crafted propaganda piece with few real facts. It includes old news about Jess Philips though does not name her. But the conclusion is that when or if Mr Corbyn is re-elected party leader there is much work to do not least ousting those who only show loyalty to pay masters and themselves. [The Telegraph is getting its money's worth Saturday - http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/georgie-harrison/former-blair-spin-doctor-uses-the-telegraph-to-undermine-corbyn] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/20/thousands-of-labour-supporters-could-be-expelled-from-party-over/ Op-ed: Friday evening Jeremy Corbyn was in Sheffield for an open air rally.
Wet weather did not dampen the event or the spirit of those taking part. The crowds turned out for Corbyn but the five local MPs did not. That is pretty much the same story as here in Hull. Here our three local Labour MPs were noticeable by their absence at a huge Corbyn rally in late July. The Daily Mirror covered the Sheffield event. Their report titled "Hero worship for Jeremy Corbyn as thousands turn up at Sheffield rally" begins with "A spot of drizzle wasn't enough to put off the people of the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire." Presumably that sells papers these days. Hero worship? Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire? A quick check and I see the report is penned by Mikey Smith a political reporter at the Mirror. I have discovered lately that I can easily spot this guy's work especially when it refers to Corbyn. So enough of that and we will share the following from Jo Riches Corbyn's local campaign manager who posted this on social media Friday evening "On way home from an exhilarating couple of days in Sheffield. Awesome events with wonderful people - huge thanks to all at Momentum Sheffield, the Trades Council, Unite the Union, our speakers and everyone who did so much in a short space of time. The rally was easy organisationally compared to the Ken Loach film - but I know all the efforts have paid off. Proud to be part of Team Corbyn. It was wonderful being a Regional Organiser last year but feel so much closer as part of the team in the whole campaign this year. Brilliant support as ever from Marshajane, James and Yannis." Scout aroumd online for images and footage from people at the rally. Social media is bound to have plenty to share. You can then make up your own mind whether it was a good event or not. If you like what you see Mr Corbyn is in Harrogate Saturday and there are more events scheduled. Labour supporter Eric Potts watched the Birmingham Labour hustings Thursday August 18 and has shared his opinion:
I wanted a little time to reflect before posting on last night's Hustings. 1. I thought Jeremy was, and looked, very tired. That's an observation, not a criticism. He has every right to be tired, given the punishing schedule he is having to maintain. It is a crime that he is being put through all this, especially as each session covers virtually the same ground and is, largely, a huge waste of time and resources. Even so, he still came across as the man to trust, the man who has given and will give everything for the good of humanity. 2. Owen Smith says lots of the right things, but this just makes him seem untrustworthy since he was saying virtually none of these things before the contest. His flash presentation and empty rhetoric will only win over those whose approach is as shallow as his to begin with. 3. Who does Owen think he is kidding on Brexit? Apart from a personal and unproven allegation against Jeremy - which Jeremy sensibly ignored - he pretends that he can reverse the referendum, or ignore it. No one is more passionately pro-EU than me; I desperately wish the result had been different. But it wasn't and we have no choice but to live with it. Owen pretends that he knows what's best for all those "stupid" people who voted for Brexit. In truth, he is treating them and democracy with contempt and that contempt will rebound on him. 4. Jeremy is attacked for not "being there" and speaking out on specific occasions. Now, this is an attack that might cause damage, and it needs to be dealt with. The simple truth is that, to Smith's and the media's chagrin, Jeremy is not and has no intention of acting Presidentially, of hogging all the limelight. He allows, instead, his Shadow Cabinet their own time in the sun, letting them speak out without always trying to draw all attention back to him. After all, it was Owen Smith who was Shadow Pensions Secretary: so if anyone was going to attack on IDS's resignation, it should have been Smith! Jeremy will not play the media game. That is why they hate him. That is why we love him. 5. That said, there have been a number of occasions when Jeremy and the team's response could have been better and sharper, without selling the pass. We need his advisers to think on their feet more quickly, to understand how things are likely to play out in the media, and to help prepare a response which remains principled but which will deflect or at least minimise unfair criticism. All that said, Jeremy still marches on to victory. I hope, too, that there are people already preparing for what happens then, working out how to bring more of the PLP on board, and how to respond if Paul Mason proves right and all this turns out to be just a skirmish before the real war begins. http://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2016/aug/15/the-parallels-between-jeremy-corbyn-and-michael-foot-are-almost-all-false |
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