Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Councillor Gideon Bull Suspended
Below is the email sent to party members. His crime? He asked questions about the risk to old people if the Haven Day Centre closes.
Democracy is officially dead in Haringey.
Dear redacted
Re: Suspension (removal of the whip) of Councillor Gideon Bull
Please see below emails (verbatim) from the Chief Whip of the Haringey Labour Group regarding the suspension of Councillor Gideon Bull.
I am conscious that the Tottenham CLP has many new members and there maybe confusion about what this means. By way of a brief explanation and foresee questions you may have:
- The CLP only deals with the disciplinary of members if the case they have been accused of is in regards to their membership of the Labour party.
- All Councillors belong to a Labour Group (as well as a CLP), in Haringey they belong to the ‘Haringey Labour Group’ as Councillors are borough-wide based on the geographical boundaries of Haringey Council. (i.e. there is no such thing as a Tottenham Labour Group as Tottenham is a Parliamentary Constituency boundary not a Local Council Boundary).
- If a Councillor is subject to disciplinary based on their role as a Councillor (not as a member of the party), then the case is dealt with by the [Haringey] Labour Group.
- The Labour Group can impose action on the membership of Councillors to the Labour Group and not his Labour Party membership.
- As Councillor Gideon Bull’s case is about his role as a Councillor it has been dealt with by the Haringey Labour Group.
- Councillor Gideon Bull’s suspension is a suspension from the Haringey Labour Group and not from the Labour Party. Gideon still remains a full member of the Labour Party.
- A suspension from the Labour Group means he is still a Councillor for the London Borough of Haringey as he has been elected to serve for 4 years.
- The technical term for this action is called the “removal of the whip”.
- The ability to remove Councillors from their role is covered by the Local Government Act and Representation of the People Act which has specific rules when Councillors can be removed from their role as Councillors.
- The decision to ‘remove the whip’ (suspend) is not an action that can be taken by one person, it is subject to a vote by the whole of the Haringey Labour Group. In this case the vote concluded to suspend Councillor Gideon Bull.
- The local MPs, the Assembly Member and MEPs have no vote and no decision making powers over the removal of a whip of a Labour Councillor.
As Gideon is still a full member of the Labour Party, he remains the Vice Chair of the Tottenham CLP and Secretary of the White Hart Lane Labour branch.
Councillor Gideon Bull has the right to appeal the decision to London Regional Board. If Councillor Gideon Bull decides to appeal and is successful then the suspension is withdrawn and you will be informed.
I hope my attempt to explain has helped.
As this is a decision by the Haringey Labour Group and not by the Tottenham CLP, I cannot not respond to any questions about the decision and I am writing to you solely to share the information.
Regards
Seema Chandwani
CLP Secretary | TottenhamEmails from Liz McShane - Chief Whip of the Haringey Labour Group To Be Shared With Members.
(Please note there are two emails)Dear Seema
This is to formally notify you that the whip has been removed from Cllr Gideon Bull, following the Special Labour Group meeting on Thursday 21st January, where the Labour Group voted for the recommendation.
The period of suspension is for 3 months, from 21st January 2016 to the end of the day on 21st April 2016.
I have written to Cllr Bull to confirm this and to formally notify him of the terms of his suspension.
Regards
Liz
Second Email [Following Request for Reason]:
Dear Seema,
You can say it's because of Gideon’s intervention at the Cabinet meeting on 10th November, where he spoke out against an agreed group decision, that the Labour Group voted on a recommendation to withdraw the whip based on concerns about comradely behaviour and collective responsibility in accordance with the Party’s rules and our own group standing orders.
Regards
Liz
Link to the meeting http://www.haringey.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/191461 the relevant part is 1 hour and 22 minutes.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Antoinette on
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I'm not hiding my identity.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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Justin, you are being incredibly unfair. Most of us know next to nothing about the majority of people who post on this site.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Hinchcliffe on
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I really hope I am not being unfair, Michael. You are, of course, right to note that we know next to nothing about the majority of people who post on here. We do, at least, know many people's names. I wonder why she is so secretive? Most odd.
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Permalink Reply by HoL Site Admin on
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A reminder that there is no pressure on people to reveal personal details online, unless they have a particular interest to declare that is pertinent to the discussion e.g. a post holder in a political party, a councillor or an officer in the council. Forum users should not insist that others "reveal" themselves unless they have *good reason* to suspect that someone is not being clear about their identity and may be a sock puppet in which case they should contact Site Admin with the relevant information. Other users should not be accused of being 'secretive' etc since they are well within their rights to refuse to supply personal information on the net for all to see.
Please refer to House Rules section M for further details
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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This discussion thread has become unpleasant and is now verging on the personally abusive. Two former Tory candidates joining one another to attack Antoinette, a site member who - like many other people - chooses to post under her first name only.
Whatever Justin Hinchcliffe and Lydia Rivlin hope to achieve, it's hardly likely to model online civility. Never mind shedding light on what's happening with councillors Gideon Bull and Sheila Peacock.
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P.S. One thing that's happening is that in the last two hours 2000 people have added their names to an online petition to Cllr Liz McShane; demanding that the punishment of Gideon Bull ceases.
Interestingly the latest names include people from Austria; Ireland; U.K.; Algeria; Finland; Croatia; WA (Washington); Belarus; and Portugal. So whatever the final outcome, Cllr Liz McShane is getting her fifteen-minutes-of-fame in places across the globe. And becoming more (in)famous by the hour minute.
Liz was only elected in May 2014 so she wasn't around when I cautioned my former colleagues about the impact of social media on the amplification of protest. And its persistence. Even when the clamour dies down, any misstep, silliness, and really stupid misjudgement like this, are stored, indexed and retrieved in seconds.
Perhaps that realisation will prompt a few Haringey Councillors to get up from their knees in front of Claire Kober and begin showing small signs of civic courage. We don't live in North Koberia.
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Judging from the behaviour of the Cheif Whip, it looks as though we do! Didn't you once turn the volume down when Lydia was speaking at an Area Forum? Or was it another councillor?
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That's total tosh. Chairs of Forums had no volume control. And Lydia doesn't need a microphone to make herself heard.
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Apologies, Alan. Thinking about it, I think it was the late Cllr Blanchard. Definitely some old geezer with a beard.
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"An old geezer with a beard" who is dead and isn't around to comment.
Cllr Ron Blanchard - who joked about his Huguenot minority status. Who was also one of the most gentle, genuine, courteous, likeable and principled Haringey councillors I ever met. His knowledge and thinking on green issues especially was decades ahead of his colleagues - including me of course.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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More courteous than a certain young geezer with a beard I can think of.
How many Conservative votes have you lost the party over the past years Justin ?
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Permalink Reply by Lydia R on
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"Two former Tory candidates joining one another to attack Antoinette"
I agree with you about Justin, Alan. I don't think his line is at all productive and I have rebuked him about it on this very thread. Therefore I don't see why you should lasso me into the same category. I did not question Antoinette's bona fides at all. Indeed it didn't even occur to me to do so. I took issue with her about her support of 'comradeliness', which I am entitled to do.
Just for the record, there has been no private conversation between Justin and me. There has been no 'joining' whatsoever. I disapprove most strongly of his behaviour in this case.
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