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 Michael Anderson on
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I think a good opposition is healthy, it keeps the party in power on their toes. In the past we have had opposition parties in Haringey, indeed a fair number of conservative councillors when I first moved here in 1983. My point is that referring to the electorate in pejorative terms is unlikely to bring about a change in their voting intentions.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Justin I think the canine reference was an infelicitous phrase, but I do agree with you about PR (proportional representation, not public relations!).
A pity more Conservatives don't agree. It may yet come in and if it does, it may come in local government first. One of the effects of PR might be to reduce the chilling effect on debate, of strident party discipline. i.e. in a similar way that some industries have high barriers to entry, the perceived barriers to enter and leave a party might lower.
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Justin, in the quest to entice voters who regularly vote Labour to think longer about their choice, in the long run it could prove more successful to liken them to decent folk, merely misguided, rather than "dogs returning … " etc.!
I could be wrong; in any event, proportional representation is still needed.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Well no doubt they all see what can be done with their selection meetings by the dear leader too so that helps keep them in line. Perhaps Sheila and Gideon have other reasons not to worry about that.
If only all those right-on people in the Warehouse district would join their local party and deselect the leader.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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John, if a councillor's chief aim and ambition for four years is to ensure his or her own re-election, nobody should give them a vote. Or even the steam from your piss.
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Permalink Reply by Justin Hinchcliffe on
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John, what makes you think that they are all Labour supporters? You should pigeonhole people. Many are Green (even now: thinking Corbyn is too red to be green!) and, one are two, are Conservative. One is a member, even.
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MATTHEW Smith's article for the Tottenham Independent, here.
It surely says something when members of three competing democratic political parties (all of whom have at least stood for public office) hold a similar view about the suspension of a Councillor-member of one of their parties.
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It's a fair article, Clive. One small correction, though: Labour, as far as I am aware, do not financially support councillors. Their salary, sorry "allowance", comes from the taxpayer. Is anyone aware of any Labour councillor going public to criticise such bizarre and Stalinist behaviour? Perhaps the Blairites of N10 are just using this communicative councillor in a 'revenge' attack for Corbyn purging moderates for having the audacity to oppose him? This is surely the time to usher in a "new kind of politics"? People are also once again asking, "Where's Lammy"?
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Permalink Reply by Lydia R on
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I have frequently had a good deal of fun pointing out the poor construction and sloppy thinking which seems to be the house style of the Labour group (apart from Alan Stanton of course, who has crazy ideas of politics but can at least put a sentence together to state his case with elegance) but even by Labour group standards, the above set of rules is a turd in a manure heap.
- 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.
What???? “deals with the disciplinary of members”???
What the blue blazes is a “disciplinary”?
"accused of is in regards” (wazzat?)
To top that, “members” (plural) are accused of “the case” (singular--only one for all of them?) and in any event, how can you be accused of a case, for Gawd’s sake?
Let’s not go into the displaced “only”, it would take too much time and effort for not much result.
- The Labour Group can impose action on the membership of Councillors to the Labour Group and not his Labour Party membership.
This makes such little sense, I can’t even begin to work out what it is supposed to mean, but I do notice a rogue “his” in there, which appears to have no connection with anything else and refers back to no designated person.
This drivel is so appallingly incoherent it almost seems deliberate. After all, when something is incomprehensible it then becomes quite simple to interpret it in almost any way, according to the convenience and inclinations of whoever is in charge.
Good Grief! No wonder people like this vote for muddle-headed fantasists like Corbyn.
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I agree, Justin that the phrasing could be a little clearer. But to me, at least, saying that Gideon Bull "will not receive financial or political backing from Labour" means that while the Party whip is withdrawn he would not be backed by the Party politically. And that he has no call on Party funds. The Party does financially support some members with its own funds. For example if they're elected to attend a Party Conference. It pays for room hire e.g. for meetings.
Rather stupidly, the Koberlings seem to have ignored the fact that Gideon is one of the most assiduous fundraisers in the local Party - with his Quiz nights and singing. Perhaps if he'd signed up "members" who don't live in Tottenham Constituency or even in Haringey - instead of speaking out to defend services for local people - they might not have been so concerned about rule-breaking.Lydia, thanks for your compliment on my style. Though as Bill Shakespeare said, we're all turds in the manure of history. (One of his forebears wrote similar things.)
When you join the Labour Party, I will try to explain its rules to you.
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Thanks for the offer Alan, but when I join the Labour Party I reckon you won't have time for me -- seeing as you will be busy supervising the flying pigs at work on all those castles in the air.
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Lydia, put away your marking pen. Ithaki calls.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uok_CWwIWAo
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