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 Justin Hinchcliffe on
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True - and fair enough. It wasn't personal - I just wanted to know who I was corresponding with on this page.
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Thanks, Lydia. I withdraw and apologise for the part of my comment which "lassoo-ed" you in.
But you surely must see how it links to and serves to confirm Antoinette's thread about being "kinder and less judgmental online". And how failing to do this risks excluding and deterring people from commenting.
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Permalink Reply by Lydia R on
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I do tend to get judgmental when I see people putting the Tribe ahead of humanity. I was perfectly happy living a completely apolitical life right up until the time when I saw how Haringey Council had put the reputation of the Labour party ahead of Victoria Climbie. That's when I joined the Conservatives. Then I left the Conservatives and returned to politics only when I saw Haringey Labour putting its reputation ahead of Peter Connelly. The tribal characteristic of Haringey Labour is something I would like it to lose. My outrage at this tribalism is a characteristic which I hope always to retain.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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This has degenerated into a personal attack on Cllr McShane who I presume takes her orders directly from the dear leader. The is the person you should all be mad at. Her interference in 2013's selection process caused consternation among those who understood the implications at the time but now seems to be forgotten. Since then she has used the might of the council's bureaucracy to pursue a personal vendetta against a local union rep and supported a corrupt candidate for the London Mayoral nomination, presumably just to get the hell out of Haringey and into City Hall. Hello people!!! Helloooooo!!!! Anybody in there?
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Degenerated?
Like any other councillor, Liz McShane should take responsibility for thinking for herself. And making up her own mind as to whether (or not) Gideon Bull and Sheila Peacock had broken Party rules. Or just some dubious Kober-serving doctrine of collective responsibility. Or the vague charge of not being comradely.
John, suppose we bumped one another and went for a drink and a sandwich. Suppose you told me about some project you're planning which I considered risky and possibly damaging. Wouldn't it be "comradely" to tell you?
In my view, a Labour Chief Whip is not just the obedient and servile creature of the leader. Entrusted with the task of investigating Clls Peacock and Bull, it was open to Liz McShane to use her intelligence, life experience, and ethical judgement. Not simply flicking through the Party Rulebook for some hook on which to hang a guilty verdict. She could for example have said:Claire, I've met with both Bull and Peacock and I'm just as irritated and pissed-off as you are by how they behaved. But you know what? It'll never fly. Punishing them ain't gonna work. For one thing you risk making them martyrs. Worse still, you and I may look like North Korean control freaks.
There's another way. Now don't purse you lips and and look grumpy. Please bear with me and I'll explain.
Let's make a virtue out of a necessity. Do now what you should have done before. Thank them for taking the trouble to come to the Cabinet. Commend their commitment; and their passionate advocacy for their residents and for vulnerable groups. Say that such genuine open debate is one of the hallmarks of the Labour Party. One of the things which keeps it great. Then put the entire the blame on the nasty Tory Government. I mean the national one of course - not our local franchise here in Haringey.
Look, nothing will change. You have a huge majority. Your backbench councillors are queuing up to kiss your hand - or any other part of your anatomy you care to proffer. And the frontbenchers too are desperate to keep in your good books."
You don't agree? You won't rethink? Well, I'm really sorry to hear that. But that's the report I'm bringing to the Group.
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Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on
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So, Councillor McShane, will you learn for the next time from the words of wisdom Counsellor Stanton has tried to put into your mouth?
Meanwhile if Alan would take on the role of Aesop or Uncle Remus, I'm sure he'd find a fabulous fable lurking in this Haringey thicket or briar patch - Br'er Bull & the china Cabinet, Motha Peahen, Madam Kobra and her whupped-up Tar Baby Liz.
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Not Buster Merryfield? According to Wiki, he was first seen in "Strained Relations". Come to think of it, Cllr Bull does remind me of David Jason's character in the sitcom... #Satire
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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I see that the global petition (http://www.care2.com) now stands at more than 34,000.
The actions of the Majority Group are bringing the Council into disrepute as a whole and internationally. I hope the unwise and immoral decision to suspend Cllr. Bull will be rescinded as soon as possible, in order to limit the adverse publicity (as well as to restore justice).
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Who was this corrupt candidate? That is a very serious charge. Evidence?
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Wikipedia is your friend.
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Sorry, that just mentions an allegation. You stated that she is corrupt.
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I will state it again and again. Faux separation, no idea about household finances and yet very competent politician. Perhaps she stand a chance of being elected in the Duck Pond party now?
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