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 Cllr Emina Ibrahim on
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Yes I do know that Justin - the likelihood of me sitting on the panel is zero to none but would still not be appropriate for me to make public comment. I got my opportunity to express my view at Labour group and that's where it stays
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Permalink Reply by Justin Hinchcliffe on
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Perhaps you should never say anything in public? Just share your views, if you have any, at Labour Group meetings behind closed doors? What a splendid idea!
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I think you never saying anything in public would be pretty splendid too Justin. Though I must say your letter to the residents of Hornsey Wood Green must have gone down a treat with Clive though Grant Shapps wasn't amused was he :)
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Thanks Zena, I signed with the following note:
I heard Cllr. Bull speak, as I was waiting to speak. There was nothing improper in what Gideon Bull said.
This is a trumped-up charge more suitable for Putin's Russia.
N.B. I disagree with the last clause in the petition that reads, " … [councillors] need to be able to speak out against injustices without fear of disproportionate reprisals". Feeble!
IMO, the qualification "disproportionate" is wrong and it should read simply, "… without fear of reprisals".
C D Carter (Councillor)
2016—01—29
LONDONApart from the depravity of the suspension of Councillor Bull—this is a PR miss-step that also reflects poor judgement.
Though attention is drawn from around the world to the attack on free speech in a corner of North London, it's unlikely to be discussed at Cannes in March by the Council's top representatives.
The twitter fighting between Comrades (reported here) looks to me to be genuinely uncomradely.
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I NOTE that—late this afternoon—the international petition topped 30,000 signatures (thirty thousand). It deserves to be taken seriously.
I have tried to bring this to the attention of the Labour Party nationally. It may be due to those efforts that the local Labour Party blocked me from following their Twitter account or viewing their Tweets.
In their efforts at damage limitation, they've blocked at least one other person who tried to publicise the plight of democratically elected Councillor Gideon Bull.
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Very true. It was on topic, coherent, legible and served a purpose :)
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Permalink Reply by Antoinette on
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Are we talking about your letter encouraging voters not to vote for your own party? I've lost track...
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THIS is how The Ham & High Broadway covered the story yesterday:
Suspended for opposing cuts to vulnerable adults services
High-quality downloadable PDF of page 3, below.
To view: Click; To download (Mac) Control-click; (PC) Right-click:
- Attachments:
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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This is not about " comradeship " it's suppression of free speech and an abrogation of democracy.
I'm surprised that nobody has yet mentioned Orwell, but here's a taster from Wiki on 1984 -
" .........public manipulation, dictated by a political system euphemistically named English Socialism (or Ingsoc in the government's invented language, Newspeak) under the control of a privileged elite of the Inner Party, that persecutes individualism and independent thinking as "thoughtcrime".[3]
The tyranny is epitomised by Big Brother, the Party leader who enjoys an intense cult of personality but who may not even exist. The Party "seeks power entirely for its own sake. It is not interested in the good of others; it is interested solely in power ."
Sound familiar ?
Councillor Bull committed thoughtcrime and is now a ( temporary, we hope ) unperson.
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John, yes. There is an important principle at stake here.
One doesn't even to agree with what Cllr. Bull said (though many will), in order to be disturbed at his being punished for speaking out in the Council Chamber, on a matter of genuine public interest.
To paraphrase Voltaire, I might not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
Whipping in these circumstances is an offence against Western values.
The Councillor is owed an apology.
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