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 | Tottenham

Emails 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 21^st January, where the Labour Group voted for the recommendation.

The period of suspension is for 3 months, from 21^st January 2016 to the end of the day on 21^st 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 10^th 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.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lydia R on February 2, 2016 at 16:04

Again, you've gone off the beam. Will you guys stop flailing round at irrelevances and concentrate on what is going on HERE and NOW in Haringey?

To remind you what we are talking about on this thread:

Gideon Bull. Committed thoughtcrime. Was suspended for doubleplusbad crimespeak. Is now an unperson in the eyes of The Party.

We can discuss other people we don't like at another time.

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on February 2, 2016 at 16:56

Agree Lydia. The subject of this thread is an big one and there's an important principle at stake: freedom of speech in a Council Chamber. Gideon Bull is not of my Party, but I recognise he is a duly democratically elected Councillor of this Borough, with a right to speak up for residents.

He was speaking, in a measured way, about a subject of wide, legitimate, public interest.

It is wrong—and even disgusting—that he should be punished for this. It is not hard to see that he's been treated in a shabby way.

This is not only about the leadership and whip: a (slender) majority of the Majority Group voted for Councillor Bull's suspension for three months: he is now not even allowed to argue his points in private.

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on February 4, 2016 at 7:46

Yes sorry Lydia. I was trying to bring the dear leader into it because the whip seemed to be taking a bit of flack for what is essentially the decision of the council leader because of the hold she has over the selections of her councillors.

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on February 2, 2016 at 9:24

Ham & High on-line article:

Campaign in support of suspended Haringey councillor goes viral

I note the petition has now garnered 36,500 signatures.

Someone needs to get a grip on this soon.

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on February 2, 2016 at 9:44

It's directed at the council and not the Labour Party. This is Journalism.

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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on February 2, 2016 at 10:01

John here's some more journalism,

The Tottenham Independent this morning:

Online petition demanding Labour reinstate Gideon Bull passes 35,00...

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Permalink Reply by Justin Hinchcliffe on February 2, 2016 at 10:23

Cllr McShane said: “As the Chief Whip, I put forward the recommendation to withdraw the whip for three months from Cllr Bull following his interventions at the public Cabinet meeting on November 10 2015 which I believe demonstrated uncomradely behaviour and a disregard for the principles of collective responsibility which all Group members are required to abide by.

“I intend to work closely with Cllr Bull throughout his suspension, to hopefully avoid situations like this occurring again in future.”

At national level, "collective responsibility" has always been the norm for Cabinet Members, not ordinary Members.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on February 2, 2016 at 10:48

It's campaigning for a cause, John. Or two in this case. And I'd guess that more people may have signed because they care about the services under attack than the principle of free expression. Though both are worth defending.

Besides, the Muswell Hill Colonial Administration and its hangers-on have blurred and perhaps forgotten the distinction between the Majority Party and, and Haringey Council as two separate bodies. (For example the "comms" team pumping out party propaganda.)

Doesn't the Kober regime begin to remind you of those old Soviet Union jokes? For instance about anyone being entirely free to say exactly what they think about comrade Stalin.
Once.

Having said which, I much enjoyed my whip-free status when I voted against appointing Mr Nick Walkley. If you remember I even got my own water jug in Council meetings and a separated desk in the corner by the door. Banished. Which was great because I could easily pop out for a coffee whenever there was someone boring on with nothing to say. Which in those days did include Cllr Gideon Bull. Who at the time wasn't yet ready to say what he really thought about the Dear Leader.