A tale of two MPs nears its end
It was the worst of times; it was the worst of times.
For far too long Chris Williamson has been suspended.
For far too long Keith Vaz has perpetrated a series of acts that have done the party no service whatsoever.
Both these situations come to head at the NEC on Wednesday.
In brief - for the history is well known ( see LRC NEC statement of 21 October) * - Chris was suspended in February, reinstated in June then resuspended.
Chris challenged this re-suspension in Court but before the matter got there the Party imposed a second suspension.
The Court ruled the re-imposition of the first suspension unlawful.
In part this was because it played fast and loose with the rulebook and in part because of the role of Keith Vaz.
The Judge said the Labour Party acted unfairly and there was no proper reasoning for reopening the case.
Keith Vaz had said he was under the influence of medicine when he voted to reinstate Chris, which the judge clearly found a pathetic falsehood.
Separately, Vaz has been suspended from Parliament and lost the whip for a very serious breach of standards involving drugs.
On Wednesday the party’s NEC has to decide on the candidates for Derby North and Leicester East.
It is as plain as a pikestaff that the September suspension of Chris Williamson followed when it was realised the re-imposition of the first suspension would not cut mustard. Given that that re-impostion is now null and void – in law it did not happen – the second suspension must in our opinion be treated as the fruit of a poisoned tree – a bureaucratic backstop that cannot be allowed to stand.
Therefore Chris Williamson should be allowed to stand as the Labour Party candidate in Derby North.
Given the flagrant and manifestly serious matter that led to his suspension from Parliament, Keith Vaz should not be candidate in Leicester East.
As a matter of both some importance and evident urgency, party members should email Jennie Formby** as General Secretary and Jim Kennedy*** as Chair of the Organisation Sub-Committee to urge that Chris Williamson be allowed to stand as candidate in Derby North.
· https://labourrep.com/blog/2019/10/11/court-rules-in-williamsons-favour-but-party-plays-dirty
· Jim.Kennedy@unitetheunion.org
