By Greg Hadfield and Frank le Duc
The Labour Party has suspended the local branch party in one of its staunchest strongholds, the Brighton and Hove Independent and Brighton and Hove News can reveal.
It has also instigated “a consultation” on what threatens to be a fundamental restructuring of the 1,400-member Brighton and Hove District Labour Party “to ensure that the objectives for branches as set out in the Labour Party Rule Book are being met”.
The shock decision to suspend the Moulsecoomb and Bevendean branch – “pending an investigation” – has fuelled concerns that the city party’s ruling executive plans to marginalise even further the influence of grassroots members.
Malcolm Powers, the unelected regional director employed by the Labour Party, broke the news in an email seen by the Brighton and Hove Independent.
In the email to Robert Brown, chairman of the Moulsecoomb and Bevendean Branch Labour Party, Mr Powers said: “During the period of the suspension, the Moulsecoomb and Bevendean branch will not be able to meet or conduct any formal Labour Party business.”
Mr Powers did, however, assure members they could still campaign for the party.
His intervention was condemned as “an insult to democracy” by one well-informed Labour Party figure.
The party insider said: “This has been brewing ever since a single city party – to replace the three separate constituency parties – was formed more than two years ago.
“The executive committee is a law unto itself. They just want members to deliver leaflets, make phone calls, and raise funds – so that they and their friends, the so-called ‘super-activists’ can get on to the council. They’re not interested in discussing politics or listening to what rank-and-file members think. They are determined to trample party democracy into the ground.”
Grassroots members are particularly angry at the treatment of Councillor Leigh Farrow, the long-serving party member, who was suspended last month from the panel of approved candidates after a complaint that he swore during a private meeting with two fellow Labour councillors.
In the 10-minute pre-meeting immediately before the meeting of the Brighton and Hove City Council Housing Committee on Wednesday 18 June, Councillor Farrow – one of three Labour councillors in Moulsecoomb and Bevendean – swore at Councillor Chaun Wilson, the party’s housing spokesman, when she passed on voting instructions from Councillor Gill Mitchell, the Labour group whip.
Councillor Mitchell subsequently had Councillor Farrow removed from the Housing Committee, making him the only Labour councillor not to sit on any council committees. Previously, she had him removed from the Planning Committee, after strongly disputed allegations about his behaviour towards a council officer.
Councillor Farrow successfully appealed against a previous attempt to deselect him as a council candidate during his recovery from a double heart-bypass operation. Friends believe he is the long-suffering victim of “a witch-hunt”, with city party leaders wanting to instal a favoured candidate of their own.
The 59-year-old councillor is expected to attend a South East Regional Labour Party disciplinary hearing in the next couple of weeks, accompanied by a representative of his union, the GMB. He has until Monday 1 September to submit a deposition.
He has told friend that he accepts he “mis-spoke” and has offered his unreserved apologies for any offence caused.
Councillor Farrow, however, has rejected defamatory attempts to establish a “pattern of behaviour” and accusations that he failed to meet the requirements of the Labour Party’s “candidates’ contract”.
Labour is split from tip to toe, it’s executive is not responsible to its membership, whom it treats as little more than free labour and a source of money.
I have said many times that Labour members are decent people, it is the organisation that is rotten and out of control. Democracy is a distant land now in Labour.
It is time that Labour members in the city put tribalism aside and look at values. If you want to be part of a progressive, democratic movement that listens to its members, fights for services for the most vulnerable, wants to save our NHS, puts the environment at the forefront and takes on vested interests then join the Greens. Labour left these values behind long ago.
Labour is split from tip to toe, it’s executive is not responsible to its membership, whom it treats as little more than free labour and a source of money.
I have said many times that Labour members are decent people, it is the organisation that is rotten and out of control. Democracy is a distant land now in Labour.
It is time that Labour members in the city put tribalism aside and look at values. If you want to be part of a progressive, democratic movement that listens to its members, fights for services for the most vulnerable, wants to save our NHS, puts the environment at the forefront and takes on vested interests then join the Greens. Labour left these values behind long ago.
All politicians are an insult to democracy. They think only of themselves. This I know to be true after campaigning for the LibDems a few years back. They are all power hungry egomaniacs who do not care what happens to the people they are paid to represent. This sounds like typical democracy in action:’Vote for me, and shut up and do as I say ‘coz I’m now councillor and you lot can go and rot.’ None of them deserves a single vote, yet they always claim a mandate when on average less than a quarter of the population votes for any particular candidate.
Democracy is the most abused form of government ever devised by man. And the most pointless when you have a choice of crook 1 or crook 2 or crook 3. Which crook shall we choose at the next elections?
All politicians are an insult to democracy. They think only of themselves. This I know to be true after campaigning for the LibDems a few years back. They are all power hungry egomaniacs who do not care what happens to the people they are paid to represent. This sounds like typical democracy in action:’Vote for me, and shut up and do as I say ‘coz I’m now councillor and you lot can go and rot.’ None of them deserves a single vote, yet they always claim a mandate when on average less than a quarter of the population votes for any particular candidate.
Democracy is the most abused form of government ever devised by man. And the most pointless when you have a choice of crook 1 or crook 2 or crook 3. Which crook shall we choose at the next elections?
If you care about ‘grass roots’ and democracy – time to ditch Labour and Join UKIP.
If you care about ‘grass roots’ and democracy – time to ditch Labour and Join UKIP.
Time for some of these people to stand as Independents all of the Major Partys are showing their true Colours . I wonder if we will get a comment from Dr Lucas and Warren Morgan in the not too distant Future?
Time for some of these people to stand as Independents all of the Major Partys are showing their true Colours . I wonder if we will get a comment from Dr Lucas and Warren Morgan in the not too distant Future?
What is the matter with this country it’s BLOODY WILSON!!!
What is the matter with this country it’s BLOODY WILSON!!!