Labour’s Boston Castle Ward has submitted a motion to the forthcoming Rotherham Constituency Labour Party:
“This Ward/CLP demands the reinstatement of Ken Livingstone, and that the unelected, unaccountable constitutional committee be scrapped forthwith.”
They bounced it through a Ward meeting, one where members were informed by email that no motions had been submitted – a very Derek Hatton & Militant tactic.
This is all in disregard for Britain’s most successful Muslim, the greatly admired Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan who said:
“Racism is racism – you can’t distinguish anti-Semitism from racism, it’s a form of racism. And if we are going to be zero-tolerant towards racism, Ken Livingstone has got to go.”
Interesting that the Ward didn’t pass a popular motion condemning Israeli policy and actions in repressing the Palestinian people. Nor Israeli and UK support for Saudi Arabia bombing and killing thousands of innocent non-combatants in the Yemen. We’d all support it.
Instead they form a Muslim/Momentum coalition to support a political “has been” with a track record of dodgy comments & actions, adjudged by many as anti-Semitic.
An example? In the 1980’s, as editor of the Labour Herald when it published an article alleging that Zionists prevented the rescue of European Jewry from the Holocaust, and a cartoon depicting Mr Menachem Begin, then Israel Prime Minister in Nazi uniform, standing on a heap of corpses and giving the Nazi salute over the heading “The Final Solution”.
There are more examples, over recent years ..so let us simply say “he has form” on anti-Semitism.
Then again, so do many in the UK Muslim community
Mehdi Hasan is an Al Jazeera journalist, writer for the New Statesman and winner of a British Muslim Awards for Services to the Media. In a 2013 he wrote
“……anti-Semitism isn’t just tolerated in some sections of the British Muslim community; it’s routine and commonplace…. It’s our dirty little secret. You could call it the banality of Muslim anti-Semitism.” https://goo.gl/JBb8df
Many more Muslim commentators accept that anti-Semitism is a feature of the British Muslim community, and at least one survey has confirmed it.
While Livingstone is the headline grabber, the Party refuses to acknowledge what many members know to be the case. The arrival of numerous Muslim members has noticeably increased issues of casual and active anti-Semitism within the Party.
Then there is Momentum, a group so desperate for power it emulates Socialist Workers Party in grabbing populist headlines, regardless of ethical politics, to grow their illusory power.
Wil Ewart
- The ignorance of BC Ward is illustrated by their saying the National Constitutional Committee is un elected…in fact it is elected at the Party’s Annual Conference by attending delegates, as per all major Party Policy Business.. https://goo.gl/Edd85U
Thanks Wil for this excellent piece. Pity more members of the labour party were not familiar with the rule book? To read/download your own copy, please click on image below. Rik
Rotherham Politics 
I am not a member of the Labour Party, their ignorance over CSE and then cover-up job saw to that.
I have no axe to grind basically.
Can someone tell me what happened in Aug 1933 and why speaking about it is wrong?
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I am a non attending member of Boston ward . You have the rule book and quoted it . You make no mention that the ward has broken any rules moving and discussing the motion so I assume they haven’t .
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Cliftonbird,
Actually I didn’t quote the rule book, I said that prior to the meeting “members were informed by email that no motions had been submitted.” It seems you and Rik misinterpreted this.
After a request last year for copy of the CLP/Ward Standing Orders, (National Rule Book isn’t so detailed) and a promise they would be circulated to all members, this was not done.
Historically most Chairs have ruled that Motions not submitted in time for inclusion on the Agenda, can only be taken if there is an emergency. Ken Livingstone, an emergency, really?
CLP don’t even know where to send the motion to, if it succeeds the’ll send it to the National Executive, something akin to a child posting a letter to Santa, but with less prospect of a reply.
The issues here are a group of people effectively disenfranchising other members, by deeming something so remote and irrelevant to the vast mass of the voting public, to be an emergency.
Is this the New Politics promised us by Jeremy Corbyn and Momentum?
Wil
PS Ken Livingstone is a Momentum member.
PPS If anyone (Paddy) is really interested in the view of the history propounded by Ken, they could take a look at https://goo.gl/uGxjdn
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Yes I understood you clearly .Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear . You did refer to the rulebook– ” The ignorance of BC Ward is illustrated by their saying the National Constitutional Committee is un elected…in fact it is elected at the Party’s Annual Conference by attending delegates, as per all major Party Policy Business.. https://goo.gl/Edd85U”.
My assumption was that the ward hadnt broken any rules in taking the motion or you would have jumped on it immediately. Sorry to be pedantic but I still do have all my marbles and I am able to follow simple posts such as yours and grasp their meaning .
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Cliftonbird… I will be as clear as possible..
There are two “rule” books:
1. Labour UK Rules govern election of members to the National Constitutional Committee, hence the inaccuracy of the BC Ward motion . There is a link on Riks site to the latest version of it.
2. There is additionally a separate, local rule book AKA “Standing orders”, governing organisation of the local CLP & Wards. This, despite requests and promises last year, has not yet been supplied to members. It is intended to protect members democratic rights…but conveniently seems to have gone missing..
However, the core of the issue is the old chestnut of a lack of internal democracy within Rotherham CLP, in that were told by the Ward executive in writing that there were to be no motions at the April meeting…then later discover that one was passed. Had I known its nature I for one would have attended that meeting.
As for your comment that had the Ward broken any rules I would have jumped on it immediately…what the hell do you think my article and other actions are about?
The reality is that with or without a rule book the motion will probably be taken at Thursdays meeting, because thats what the CLP Secretary wants to happen…but in the manner of doing this Momentum and the CLP executive have shown their contempt for the rights of any members who might want to dissent from their view.
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I give in – what the hell indeed. . just believe me I fully understand – . I may be a non attender these days but I was an active member for many years .and know all about rules and standing orders . It was before the Internet as well so when things didn’t go as we personally wanted them to we didn’t get a second bite of the cherry at the keyboard using a name that was an alias to have another go ( I assume Wil Ewart isn’t your name). though there were leaks we contained our internal politicking within the Labour party which perhaps you should do since only members who have a vote could affect the outcome.The internet is a great tool but in my opinion not for internal wrangling for all to see and join in.
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Wil Ewart might have at least quoted the motion in its entirety. The second part of the motion read, “This Ward/CLP also condemns the timing of the announcement of the decision of the NCC, which coincided with the launch of Labour’s local election campaign and will cause electoral damage to the Labour Party”.
The motion was carried unanimously.
In my opinion Will Ewart’s post has a troubling sub-text – He proclaims that, “The arrival of numerous Muslim members has noticeably increased issues of casual and active anti-Semitism within the Party” and he goes on to suggest that the Boston Castle Branch has formed a Muslim/Momentum coalition.
The person widely believed to hide behind the Wil Ewart username has a bit of a knack of antagonising Muslim members.
The OP title seems to accuse the Boston Castle Branch of anti-semitism; presumably for expressing dissatisfaction at Ken Livingstone’s suspension. This seems curious, particularly in view of the fact that senior Labour figures and political commentators were keen to tell us that Livingstone had not been suspended for anti-semitism but for bringing the party into disrepute.
The motion was passed democratically and is at least as legitimate an expression of collective view as the open letter signed by 100 Labour MPs criticising the NCC for not expelling Ken Livingstone.
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Robin,
you confuse the term unanimous with the term democratic; they aren’t the same thing.
Lynch mobs choose their victims unanimously, every decision made by the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NAZI’s) was officially unanimous, but are they democratic?
The Labour Party, CLPs and Wards have rules to ensure that all members who choose to have a fair opportunity to get involved, vote on motions & issues….AND …to prevent small groups taking dominant control without regard to the full membership…Entyrism is the term.
At BC Ward these rules were abused. Motions that aren’t on a meeting Agenda have to be deemed an Emergency by the Chair. Certainly, you don’t email all members to say there are no motions, then allow one. Judicial review would kick that out in an instant
Can anyone really deem this motion an Emergency? No one is in danger of dying, no cataclysms on the horizon. There are no new disciplinary procedures there to be influenced, indeed there isn’t even a process by which the motion can be considered until, perhaps the Conference in September.
Let me put it simply…Ken Livingstone was first suspended in April 2016, why wasn’t a motion presented then or at any other time in the intervening 12 month?
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Well done Boston ward.
Pity most politicians of all parties give little or no attention to the ongoing Israeli treatment and actions towards Gaza.
Possibly that most are members of and get support from the influential friends of Israel group.
Agree a seperate motion condemning Israeli policy and actions in repressing the Palestinian people. Nor Israeli and UK support for Saudi Arabia bombing and killing thousands of innocent non-combatants in the Yemen should have been done years ago. Although the UK and west profit directly from the arms trade.
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I’m more interested in facts than sweeping smears.
“…most politicians of all parties….” So that would be at least 326 MPs.
“possibly that most …get support from the influential friends of Israel group.” So that would be at least 164 MPs.
So, can you name them (after all, they would have had to register such an interest)?
Is this financial support or something else? (after all, any £ would have to be registered)
Or is your allegation just a perpetuation of the Zionist conspiracy view of the world?
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Do your own homework janet.
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Being frank Ged, the motion supporting Ken Livingstone is happening because he is a Momentum supporter and they are looking after their own. It fits into their mind set that everyone in the world is trying to do them down…and a belief that attacks on Livingstone are proxy attacks on them and Corbyn.
They totally ignore the fact the Livingstones comments were gratuitous, and that it was him who started the whole farce.
The reality is that Livingstones comments, the resulting furore and Momentums silly motions to defend him actually detract and lead away us away from the real issues of oppression by a right wing Israeli government.
Livingstones political ineptitude and appearance of anti-Semitism upsets many Jewish socialists who are equally outraged at the actions of the current Israeli government https://goo.gl/SXNDtV
It allows that government to scream anti-Semitism as a a smokescreen for their activities.
Finally, it makes the Labour party appear self obsessed, disunited and irrelevant.
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‘ it makes the Labour party self obsessed, disunited and irrelevant.’
Fixed that for you.
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All this froth when the reality is that while ever Corbyn is in charge Labour will never win a general election so we can all sit back and breathe a sigh of relief that Labour will be out of power for generations, keep up the good work Momentum.
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Ha ha , I’ve been reading your posts with interest , your emotive hate is clear , and I guess to some extent especially within Rotherham can be justified , as I should know myself with my own experiences in Rotherham .
But your twisting and turning of the facts is astonishing ridiculous to read .
It’s clear you’ve got a personal agenda to divide people and communities through your opinions , but they’re only opinions !
People who generally hate everything around them usually hate themselves ! Did you used to be a labour member and became dis-illusioned ? Very much like myself !
And if so what political persuasion are you connected too now ?
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I knew I didn’t like this form of communication , it’s not exactly accessible and I think I’ve ended up responding to my own questions ha ha but I do feel this rothpol is biased by a negative opinion where in places it’s truth but definitely twisted , but to serve who ? And whose platform ?
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