Dear Jennie
I have had many conversations with a lot of members, who are supportive of my personal decision to write to you as a matter of urgency, since I believe steps taken to date in respect of serious allegations are not sufficient.
Election of a Labour Government in 2017 would have saved and improved lives, now and in the future. Among many other things, a Labour Government would have:
ended austerity policies, that particularly attack low income and vulnerable people;
set about rebuilding our public services, such as the NHS, weakened by a decade of underfunding and privatisation, which would have made the UK far better prepared for the current pandemic; and,
taken real and meaningful action on the climate emergency.
Notwithstanding, and irrespective of, how “the Report” on “The work of the Labour
Party’s Governance and Legal Unit in relation to antisemitism, 2014 – 2019″ was put into the public domain, it is there now; it is a matter of profound regret that no action
appears to have been taken against Labour Party members and employees who are credibly alleged to have actively worked against the election of a Labour Government – against saving lives – or to have made sexist, racist, misogynistic, disablist or other hate statements.
Immediate action needs to be taken to restore faith of members and the public that the Party:
takes seriously hate speech;
will not tolerate the gross misconduct of people acting against the goals of our elected officials and members, in which they invest money and huge amounts of effort; and,
is committed to fairness and even handedness.
I am quite certain that, if similarly credible allegations were made against any of our members, they would be immediately suspended by the Party, pending investigation.
I therefore call upon the Labour Party to:
immediately now suspend from membership and /or employment by the Party the tiny proportion of staffers and members identified in the Report as behaving in this way pending investigation;
inclusion of the Report, suitably redacted, in the Party’s evidence to the EHRC;
ensure the investigation into the contents of the unredacted Report is
independent and rapid;
ensure the investigation into the contents of the unredacted Report includes
examination of hate speech, acts of hate, gross misconduct and potential
financial fraud;
that the findings of the investigation into the contents of the unredacted
Report are acted upon promptly and decisively.
I very much support the Statement issued by the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs.
In closing, I want to make clear I fully support you, personally. As line manager you were perfectly entitled to access, or authorise access, to emails and any other information you thought pertinent. You have been, and are being, treated abominably when all you have done is to seek to protect and advance the interests of the Labour Party and the people it represents.
In solidarity.