Statement from Jewish Voice for Labour, Labour Representation Committee and Red Labour – regarding all recent suspensions
A week ago we were celebrating the reinstatement of NEC candidate Jo Bird after a huge campaign of support across the party. Many CLPs had continued to nominate her despite the action against her and hundreds of individual members had protested by supporting petitions or sending individual letters.
Even then, we regretted that a second NEC candidate, Mo Azam was not reinstated. We continued to argue that Jo’s suspension should not have happened in the first place and to demand, as Jo herself does, fairness and natural justice in complaints.
Since then there have been further outrageous attacks on these principles.
NEC candidate Graham Durham has been suspended. One of his supposed ‘crimes’ is calling the Chief Rabbi a Tory. In what world does an irrefutable fact end up on a charge sheet in our party?
NEC BAME candidate Keith Hussein we understand is also under administrative suspension.
Possibly the most pernicious case is that of West Ham’s Mehmood Mizra, who has by far the greatest number of CLP nominations for the BAME seat at 75, as well as backing from the transport union TSSA.
Mehmood is the leading left candidate running for the BAME position and the timing of this suspension is deeply suspicious, particularly taken in the context of other recent suspensions and with just two days before ballot papers are due to go out to members on Monday. This can be seen as a deliberate attempt to undermine democracy within the party. Already thousands of members have put Mehmood’s name on the ballot paper and may now be denied the opportunity to vote for him.
The Telegraph carried an article on Friday February 21 attacking Mehmood. It alleges that a complaint against him was made last October for sharing a cartoon which “depicted a sticker with the words “anti-Semitism” being placed across the mouth of a man who has a “free Palestine” band around his head....” More than shades of 1984??
Five left candidates for the NEC have therefore had action taken against them. Four will not currently be on the ballots when they are sent out on Monday. As with the previous suspensions of Cllr Jo Bird and Mo Azam, we stand firm against any attempts to silence left-wing campaigners. Following a campaign Jo was re-instated. Suspension is an extreme measure and the party must explain why they have taken these actions prior to an investigation.
Graham Durham’s CLP, Brent Central, unanimously passed a motion at their GM about his case expressing concern about the use of administrative suspensions against members who have received sufficient support to get through to the next stage in internal Labour Party elections.
We have adapted it below to take up the further cases of Keith Hussein and Mehmood Mizra:
“This GC has been concerned at the recent spate of administrative suspensions from the Labour Party.
Candidates for the forthcoming NEC elections and parliamentary selections seemed to have been targeted which has meant that CLPs and unions who nominated these candidates were de facto disenfranchised. We were however pleased that Jo Bird, for example was "reinstated" and is back on the ballot paper.
Now it seems the same method of administrative suspension has been used again, against Graham Durham, who was on the ballot for NEC CLP place and against Mehmood Mizra and Keith Hussein who were on the ballot for the BAME NEC place.
This seems to happen to members once they have achieved enough support to be on the ballot. Labour Party elections should be as democratic as possible. Removing candidates in this way smacks of totalitarian regimes who deal with "opponents" in this way rather than letting the electorate decide.
This GC wants there to be a fair and transparent election of NEC members and parliamentary candidates. The timing of these suspensions gives us cause for concern. We ask the NEC to address these issues as quickly as possible and call for NEC elections to be halted until all candidates under suspension have been investigated or had their suspensions lifted.
We urge comrades to:
pass such motions in whatever Labour movement forums they can
send messages of support to all the suspended candidates
sign petitions in their support including the follow-up open letter originally created in response to the suspensions of Jo Bird and Mo Azam Please sign the follow-up letter here.
share this joint statement widely
look out for other solidarity actions you can support as they are publicised
Briefin
