This blog post has been updated at the end of the original article with an email/legal threat sent to me this morning (Monday, Nov 4) by Takki Sulaiman, the head of communications at Tower Hamlets council.
Further update (Friday, November 8): A sentence has been deleted from the original article (see marks in red below). This follows a letter sent to me yesterday from the council’s chief executive’s directorate in the name of Interim Monitoring Officer Mark Norman. The full letter can be seen at the end of the first update to this post.
I was going to attend John Biggs’s mayor campaign fundraiser at Canary Wharf last Tuesday, but I couldn’t afford the £100 a head ticket price.
Apparently hundreds of others could.
There seems to have been a pretty impressive turnout by the Labour party, including several leading MPs.
Sadiq Khan, who wants to be London Mayor, was there, as was Margaret Hodge, Rushanara Ali, Jim Fitzpatrick, David Lammy, who also wants to be London Mayor, John Spellar and Stephen Timms.
I’d imagine he’s built up a good war-chest as a result; he does need it. [Following a letter from the council’s chief executive’s department, a sentence has been deleted here. Please see the second update to this post at the end of this article.]
John made reference to this issue in his speech at the dinner, a speech I’m told that went down well.
Lutfur is so full of crap when it comes to his One Tower Hamlets mantra that it’s easy to be cynical of other politicians when they talk about cross-community unity.
But having seen John at work fairly closely over the past few years, I’m fairly sure he’s sincere about it.
He sent me a copy of his speech, so here it is:
Thank you for coming this evening. It is humbling to see so many people here. I know you’ve mainly come to see me. But it’s also a sign of the drive our Party has to win back Tower Hamlets.
I’m proud to be leading that fight – not for me, but for the change we all know this community desperately needs.
We need to start a new chapter in the life of Tower Hamlets – one of the most vibrant and exciting places on the planet.
This is my home. I’ve seen it ebb and flow over the years, walking with giants in its proudest moments – falling well short of its potential at its lowest.
Today, Tower Hamlets is at a crossroads. Although there is great success and achievement, for too many this isn’t happening. The people are being neglected, divided and, unless they are favoured, left behind by the very Mayor who is meant to help them.
GAP
Tower Hamlets is a story of ambition and change going back to the roots of the East End. It’s a story of people travelling here, whether from half way round the world or, like parts of my family, the English countryside because they want to improve their lives and the lives of their families.
It’s a story of traditional communities flying the flag for and constantly, subtly, redefining our heritage, culture and values. It’s a story of new professionals, entrepreneurs, even bankers. All want to call our borough home.
The story of Tower Hamlets is about seizing opportunity, working together and realising potential.
Look at what is on our doorstep – the City, Canary Wharf, Tech City, the media and legal centre of the world, world beating medicine, the list is endless – our community should be using those opportunities. Many are. But for many this is not happening. A vital job for a modern council is to make people more powerful. We can do that.
Whether it’s SMEs or global giants, I know how much good business can do for the borough. Take where we sit tonight, Canary Wharf. This isn’t an island shut off from the rest of the borough. It’s part of our borough, our community. When I win I want to work with business, not for token gestures or pet projects but developing proper partnerships that benefit everyone. The best way to get jobs for local people is to work with business but Lutfur Rahman refuses unless it involves a photo-opportunity, and he doesn’t care about the detail.
Instead of making the most of the opportunities in Tower Hamlets he fails at every chance he has.
Take the Olympics – the golden example. We were at the centre of the world’s biggest festival. Yet what did Tower Hamlets get? Not a single Olympic event. No marathon. No lasting jobs. No homes. No vision.
But maybe that’s not fair – let’s not forget one achievement – the current mayor did get a VIP pass and tickets to the best events.
The world on our doorstep just waiting to be invited in and Lutfur Rahman still fails. To tweak a phrase I heard at the Labour Party Conference, Tower Hamlets can do better than this!
The problem is he believes it’s not his fault. Always someone else’s problem, always someone else’s fault. It’s wicked business, the evil Government, the McCarthyite Labour Party.
The best excuse came recently when his Cabinet suggested that families shouldn’t complain about the late night raves he packs into Victoria Park because it was their fault for choosing to live there. He just doesn’t get it!
He says people in Tower Hamlets are victims. We’re not, we’re passionate fighters.
GAP
I know we can win next year. But let’s not kid ourselves – the challenge facing us is significant.
I and my great team of councillors and soon to be announced candidates will be working every second we have to win back control in 2014 but we do need your help. Running elections on this scale is not cheap. And our opposition is mysteriously well financed.
We on the other hand rely on you, our friends and members. Tonight’s proceeds will go towards vital materials and another new organiser to help us get our message out there, to show people they have a chance to get the borough moving forward again, not missing every chance we get for another 4 years.
Tonight I have a new pledge – I’m told you need one. It’s about stopping that cult of personality that’s more at home in North Korea than East London.
There will be some urgent cuts:
No Mayoral mug shots plastered across the borough.
No more abuse of East End Life.
No more luxury mayoral Mercedes.
No more wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds on mayoral ‘advisors’.
And sadly no more driver to do the all important mayoral laundry.
Joking aside, this is an important point and an important election. It’s about the future of our borough and our people.
Whether kids go to good schools.
Whether there are jobs for them when they leave
Whether homes are affordable and the streets safe.
A community with confidence and a sense of its place.
As Mayor I’ll work to make smart choices informed by the Labour values of fairness, equality and social justice. That’s why it’s so important to elect a Labour Mayor here in Tower Hamlets.
This is no time to waste money – it’s a time to take important decisions that will help hard working people. That’s why I’ve already pledged to scrap zero hour contracts in the borough and why Tower Hamlets Labour campaigning has forced the Council to blacklist the blacklisters, not working with companies who blacklist workers.
Tower Hamlets is the home of Cable Street and not one but two labour party leaders. It’s a melting pot and an economic powerhouse. The richest and poorest of places. It deserves better.
The future story of Tower Hamlets is about seizing opportunity, working together and realising potential.
The Future story of Tower Hamlets is about One East End – working together to build a better future.
Thank you
A bit different in tone to Lutfur, wouldn’t you agree?
UPDATE, Monday November 4
Takki Sulaiman, the council’s head of communications, sent me this email this morning:
I am writing to express concern about a line in the blog post dated Sunday 3rd November entitled: John Biggs’s speech at Labour gala dinner fundraiser.
“I’d imagine he’s built up a good war-chest as a result; he does need it given the way Lutfur Rahman has been raiding the grants budgets to fund his campaign.”
On reading the second phrase of the above a reader of your blog could easily conclude that funds from the Council’s Voluntary Sector Grants programme were being used to directly fund a campaign.
This would of course be illegal and is not possible as council spending is subject to numerous statutory rules and processes plus the check and balance of audit and inspection.
Given this, could I ask that you remove this phrase so as to avoid any potential damage to Mayor Rahman’s reputation.
It is quite possible that this phrase is libellous.
Please let me know your intended course of action.
I’ve let him know that it’s pretty clear I don’t mean there’s been a direct bank transfer from the council’s budget to his campaign account (if I had evidence of that, I think I’d have headlined this post slightly differently…). I’m also fairly sure that this blog has made clear over the years that I think Lutfur is exploiting the grants system to buy votes for his political ends.
It’s lucky that most of my readers have the ability to understand the figurative meaning of words and phrases; most readers are intelligent to spot the subtle differences.
The last person to threaten to sue me in similar circumstances was deputy mayor Ohid Ahmed.
I did think Takki understood the use of language better than Ohid…
SECOND UPDATE – November 8, 2013.
Please see the following links containing a letter from Mark Norman, the interim monitoring officer for Tower Hamlets council’s chief executive’s department.
Trial by Jeory 
This is very amusing. You cannot help but wonder if the Labour Party are really that ignorant about what goes on in Labour run Newham. Both Lutfur and Robin Wales run their respective boroughs like private fiefdoms; there is very little difference between the two.
So, is it safe to assume pressure will be put on Sir Robin to do away with pointless £40k pa advisors, £400k self promotion propaganda events and frivolous multimillion pound “investments” that appear to benefit no-one other than the wealthy owners of a major football club? I think not.
Well, paragraph 1 was a statement of fact made during a robust political debate. “it seems to me”, “it seems”, “I suspect”, it think”, “I believe” added will obliterate concerns. An in situ apology for omitting the expression of the writer’s personal belief is appropriate.
Paragraph 2 is wrong because there is nothing in paragraph 1 relating to “directly”. It can be argued that spending appeared to be done in such as way that particular sections of the Mayor’s ethnic community appear to some observers to be primary beneficiaries of the borough’s public funds. Similar to what the Yanks call “Pork Barrel spending”.
LBTH has opened-up the possibility of the Mayor “indirectly” funding with public dosh campaigns which might improve the public’s perception of the Mayor. Perhaps LBTH would like to clarify the issue and assure us the Mayor would never ever indirectly fund a campaign.
Paragraph 3 is sheer unadulterated bollocks and should never be taken seriously. Informed observers know “corruption is endemic in local government” and is usually never detected, or it it is, quickly concealed, to avoid embarrassing publicity. Take note I am referring to all English local government not specifically to the LBTH. By the way instead of “illegal” unlawful” should be used.
To the writer of paragraph 3, I say “Get Real”. Since when has the law ever stopped corruption or de facto politically motivated distribution of public funds happening, before the event, in local government ?
No one, not even the ghastly LBTH and its entourage, can ever stop the public making conclusions based upon the information in their possession. Just remember to make it clear to others, it is your opinion.
Curious Cat.
I’ve never voted Labour in my life, but will do this time if it helps get rid of Mayor Rahman. I’ve seen the morale of council workers fall massively under his leadership. We need a borough where decisions are made based on what is the right thing to do rather than for political reasons.
Tonight saw the Borough firework display move to Weaver’s Fields. Was this a political decision? Of course it was. So those voting for him don’t have to travel to Vicky Park to enjoy themselves.
Very True! I am not a historical Labour voter but will definitely vote for John Biggs as he is the only realistic chance of getting rid of the car crash leadership of Lutfur Rahman.
I am also aware that there are some very decent people within the Labour party in Tower Hamlets who genuinely want to make a difference in the borough.
You may not care for what labour stand for but they are a immeasurably better than the lutfur Rahman “political” party.
The time for apathy is over. Lets get rid of this awful excuse for a mayor.
John Biggs will fail next year’s election miserably. He is a yesterday’s man. Labour needed a fresh new face. They got an old donkey. Lutfur is very popular among the Bangladeshis. Let’s face it – it is only them who come out to vote. The white folk ain’t interested.
Such a defeatest comment and probablythe reason why so many don’t bother to vote.
It is not a time for what if’s or wishing there was a different candidate. John Biggs is what we have and is the only realistic hope of getting rid of Lutfur Rahman.
Its time the “white folk” put the beer can down, put on some clothes that aren’t pajama’s and placed the vote that the freedom of this country offers them!!
JP, r u gonna get the white folk to vote? Good luck if u can get them to put down their beer.
To Stephen Manwaring
Many a true word is said in jest !
If one wants the whities, the lazies, the lethargic, the disinterested and the dissatisfied Bangladeshis to vote, one MUST give them something really appealing to vote for.
No great appeal = NO VOTE
Curious Cat
Yes i do plan to get the “White Folk” to vote (although they may still be holding their beer given the chance!). In fact I plan on getting people of all backgrounds to vote.
Call me old fashioned but i believe that we are very priviledged in this nation with the Democracy we have and that you can’t sit around complaining if you aren’t prepared to get out and vote!
This could be a game changing vote in a borough that historically has had a very loud voice. I am excited to be a part of that!!
GET THE VOTE OUT!
corrected
=> JP
Dead easy to write from the warmth of your home or office but much harder to do in reality. Get them to vote – who for – Lutfur ?
Just what will these alleged non-voters be voting for ?
No you’re not old fashioned. You’re just living in a different world. True English democracy just does not exist:-
*** especially not in local government
*** especially not in a local authority area when 50% or more have difficulties with basic English comprehension
*** especially not in a local authority where 20% or more can not read, write and speak elementary English
*** especially not in a local authority area where some voters are persuaded to obtain postal votes which are completed by others or under the strict instructions of others
That may be your vision of democracy. It sure ain’t mine.
Curious Cat.
Previously JP!
Curious Cat…..you have said democracy doesn’t exist and then just listed a load of problems in our area and this country. Democracy doesn’t equal no problems it just means a freedom to vote. It also doesn’t mean that who you vote for will get in or that the government will make all decisions the way that you would! It does mean that you get to place your vote and the majority winner will be in authority. At that point we have to do our best to influence those in power but we certainly don’t elect leaders for them to then do everything that we ask. Leadership is about making decisions that are ugly and often unpopular but doing it anyway.
And for the record i am not just sitting in the comfort of my own home or office, i am getting out there and talking to real people, meeting councillors and beginning, piece by piece to raise awareness of a very important vote.
In this borough, at this time, we don’t need cynics, we need people who are prepared to step up and as you say….offer something appealling to vote for!!
Also……just a side note….i voted against an elected mayor as it is an awful way of running local government but that is what we have and so we must make the most of it. I will vote John Biggs but if he wins and abuses the power he has, i will be one of the first to start complaining. Whoever gets in power has a huge amount of responsibility and must be held to account by local residents.
=> TH Voters
Well, what is local Democracy ??????
* Its the council giving away free-of-charge your name and address to commercial companies etc.
* usually for most folk, the council selling to commercial companies and anyone else your name and address
* an unequal election contest not always ‘free’ or ‘fair’ which excludes educated people making significant contributions to the local community – yes some ‘proper’ and ‘decent’ folk are banned from local elections despite paying taxes including Council Tax
* encouraging and permitting illiterate thumb-signing people to vote
* denying voters the opportunity to decide on £200K council salaries, senior council staff appointments or to question them about their failures
* when things go badly wrong at the local council denying the public the right to an independent enquiry held in public – thus lots of cover-ups happen
* being unable to ‘de-elect’ bad, corrupt, incompetent and useless councillors and mayors (I’m thinking of the one in Toronto)
* allowing Council Tax to be used to promote the electoral interests of ruling politicians (Pickles plans to tackle this)
Having the ‘awareness’ makes one keen for urgently needed improvements and real public accountability. Don’t forget councillors are not God. They are just ordinary and usually boring folk.
The greater the public’s awareness of the LBTH cesspit the greater the public cynicism. Cynics are an inevitable by-product of the badly performing LBTH..
The incumbent mayor has to retire. Whether John Biggs will replace him is debatable. If John Biggs wins lets all hope he will govern for the benefit of the borough’s residents and not for the benefit of the Labour Party.
Just how will or can the public achieve that commendable desire …. or is it more wishful thinking than genuine reality ?
Curious Cat.
Curious Cat – I think we are on the same side here and perhaps there is a role in raising awareness of the upcoming election for both the cynic and those that will push a more positive message.
I fully agree with all your comments on the current state of the local council. It really is a mess and “corrupt” is probably too nice a word to describe what is happening.
I am also very aware that councillors are just normal people in roles that carry lots of responsibility and that for many of them they will fall short of the expectations put upon them, but i choose to ‘hope’……that the right person will get elected and that they will surround themselves with people who have a genuine interest in local needs and not just party politics or there own personal agenda.
I am totally disgusted by the way the council authority and power has been abused in the last 3.5 – 4 years and have decided that rather than just complain about it i will start doing something about it.
Dear Ted,
It has been a while since I have found reason to post upon your blog. Having read your latest piece, I would like to present an open question to both yourself, John Biggs, and your readers. I do hope that you shall pro-actively engage to respond here?
You quoted part of John’s speech as follows;
As Mayor I’ll work to make smart choices informed by the Labour values of fairness, equality and social justice.”
Clause 2.1.4.B of the Labour Party rulebook states;
““A member of the party who joins and/ or supports a political organisation other than an official Labour group or other unit of the party, or supports any candidate who stands against an official Labour candidate, or publicly declares their intent to stand against a Labour candidate, shall automatically be ineligible to be or remain a party member, subject to the provisions of part 6.1.2 of the disciplinary rules.”
Now I will not dwell upon as to whether I am guilty as charged as I did happen to be abroad during the alledged offences including election day! However, assuming I did breach the above rule, my question is simple, “Should ‘Labour values of fairness, equality and social justice’ extend to all members of the party’? I assume most will answer ‘YES’?
In that case, why was this same rule, in the spirit of ‘Labour values of fairness, equality and social justice’ not applied to others who clearly also beached this rule, for example, The Apprentices ‘Sir Alan Sugar’ and The Telegraph journalist ‘Dan Hodges’?
The Rulebook makes not discretion about any ‘if’s’ or ‘but’s’ here. if you breach Clause 2.1.4.B, you will be expelled from the party. Ted, you did not orignally take to fondly to my allegations of racial discrimination against the Labour Party. I invite yourself, John Biggs, Rushanara Ali MP, Jim FitzPatrick MP, and your readers to respond?
TAGS:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100154291/ken-livingstone-is-right-its-him-or-boris-johnson-thats-why-im-voting-boris
http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/apr/19/lord-sugar-tweets-ken-livingstone
I’d just get over it Shahed: you knew what you were doing when you jumped ship and you knew what the consequences would be.
Marc Francis stepped back from the brink for that exact same reason.
You haven’t got a leg to stand on.
You took Lutfur’s shilling – £13k pa, wasn’t it? – so moaning about injustice just diminishes you.
Hand back the £40k in allowances you’ve had from the taxpayer in all that time you’ve suffered at the hands of the rotters in the Labour party and we might start taking your complaints more seriously.
Sounds like you’re a bit worried you’re no longer a member.
Come on Ted, you completely ignored my question here? My question was not about whether I should, or should not have been expelled. My question was about what the Labour Party rulebook states.
Maybe I should further simplify? Should the Labour Party rulebook apply equally to every member?
I don’t think I did ignore it.
I was effectively saying: people don’t care.
People do actually care Ted, when they become a victim of discrimination, it should be cared about. That is why I Care. That is why systems in place such as constitutions, rulebooks etc. are imperative within any organisation. Otherwise such as in this case, why the need for a Labour Party Rulebook?
You have not ignored, but chosen not to offer a response to my actual question. “Should the rules be applied equally to all as per what it directs?”
But Shahed, you’re not a victim of discrimination. Labour might well be guilty of hypocrisy and double standards, and Lord Ahmed remember was a beneficiary of this when he openly campaigned for Lutfur in 2010, but that doesn’t make you the poor little victim you’re making yourself out to be.
I’d man up if I were you; stop moaning and regain some of that principal that used to make you a decent councillor.
I like Biggs, but he won’t win in Tower Hamlets by holding glitzy gala dinner in Canary Wharf. He needs to engage with actual voters in local community centers, school halls and mosques. Yes, mosques because that’s where the ‘active’ Tower Hamlets voters are. Not in Canary Wharf!
@imran Like any politician John Biggs needs funding to campaign and I don’t see how any fair minded person can object to him having a fund raising dinner. And John Biggs can often be seen in Wapping, either talking to people in the coffee shop or knocking on doors in the rain – even when there is not an election looming. I have a feeling people will vote for politicians they have met and talked to in the street. Because the ‘active Tower Hamlets voters’ are in the streets.
Im sure he is planning to hold these events at mosques and community centres nearer the time but firstly he needs financial backing and where better than Big fat cats of Canary Wharf
spelling properly corrected
Ted wrote:-
Obviously the “fund raiser” was not meant for ordinary members of the public.
Couldn’t you have copied your august betters, also known as MPs, and put the admission cost on expenses?
Once again national political parties want to impose their national, and definitely parliamentary, agenda on local people.
Look at the Tower Hamlets saga. Labour were in power. Then a Labour clique high-jacked power and implementing typical Labour Party ideas started using public funds to entrench their political control. Now a good Labour Party (I’ll accept Ted’s word) man wants the Labour Party to boot-out the wrong, and some say renegade, ex-Labour Party incumbent and his buddies.
It would be nice if national political parties kept to national, parliamentary, matters and left LOCAL government to non-political local residents.
Pragmatically in Tower Hamlets there is only one realistic alternative to the Lutfur Bangladeshi Party. Its Labour. Tories and Lib Dims haven’t a chance. Its certainly not going to be easy, especially when scarce public funds flow so abundantly and frivolously towards, it seems to me, the Mayor’s re-election efforts.
Curious Cat.
Labour taught the likes of Lutfer everything they know.Why do you think Labour Labour would be any better than Islamic Labour? Don’t be surprised when Labour plays the race card again.
The centre pages of East End Life this week is an election leaflet with the words “Vote Lutfur” omitted. No need for him to hold a fund raising dinner – the council tax pays for his propaganda!
Ted
Do refer the shyster and appointer of Sharon Shoesmith, Mr Takki Sulaiman, to the response in the case of Arkell v. Pressdram. What you put up here is nothing to do with Lutfur’s paid hirelings who spend £3 million a year illegitimately and borderline-legally promoting Lutfur as the personification of the borough of Tower Hamlets – Lutfur the bringer of all things good, slayers of all things bad, particularly if you read East End Life.
As for Biggs, his speech like so much of his campaign is pure waffle and drivel. It is summed up by the precis of his latest leaflet here: http://www.electionleaflets.org/leaflets/7674/
Ooh, a better future for everyone, I ask for your trust, we need honest responsible leadership, etc etc.
I think it was the late Woy Jenkins who coined “Jenkins’ law” – a political statement is meaningless if the opposite of it would be absurd.
Read Biggs’ speech and his election leaflet and put the word “not” into every paragraph. Imagine if the leaflet said “I want to build a worse future for our borough, I ask you not to trust me, we need dishonest irresponsible leadership”.
The whole thing is absurd which means the original is flim flam and waffle. Much like Wannabe-Two Jobs Biggs.
on what evidence are people making the assumption that Lutfur only works for the Bangladeshi community? His skin colour? Why can a white man represent everyone but a Bangladeshi man can’t? Some genetic defect?
=> Shumi
Could the answer to your question be, His Excellency does not donate public cash to non-Bangladeshi interests and endeavours ?
Curious Cat
If you have evidence of this why have you not taken this further? Why would people not make an official complaint about discrimination? Why bitch about very serious mishandling of money by a senior politician anonymously on a blog? doesn’t seem right. Please make a complaint if what you say is true.
Just because I never benefit from any of the wonderful, public financed, donations so generously disbursed by his Excellency I don’t have a legal challenge on the basis of discrimination.
Please let us know the details, facts and figures here so the electorate can make an informed choice at the ballots. Or complain to your councillor about these alleged discrepancies.
=> Shumi
Why not, since you appear to have a void in your life, itemise for all of us the Mayor’s spending including grants and donations and the recipients’ ethnic groups.
I’d be jolly interested in reading your report.
Curious Cat.
I’m not the one making the allegations. It’s not up to me to prove someone else’s allegations. If you can’t back up a statement you shouldn’t make it.
=> Shumi
Obviously you lacked what many call a ‘proper’ education. Who educated you, not the LBTH ? 🙂
There is a clear distinction between a statement of fact and a suggestion.
I wrote …..
As we write, or used to, in mathematics Q.E.D.
Happy Christmas,
Curious Cat
On the evidence of having worked within the borough for five years, and bearing witness to the depressing and poisonous legacy of this little man. A better understanding is needed by some of this rich and vibrant community, that was and always will the East End, to the exception of no singular race religion or creed.
I am sure there are many Bangladeshi men, and women, who would be capable of being Mayor of Tower Hamlets and representing everyone. It’s just that the incumbent doesn’t and makes no pretence of doing so.
Whether it’s having an exclusively Bangladeshi cabinet, or pouring millions of pounds of grant money into Bengali-only and Muslim-only organisations, or having Alibor Choudhury call the IFE “a progressive organisation”, with Lutfur and his chums it is all about the 30% of Tower Hamlets who are Bangladeshi and sod the 70% who aren’t.
I am sure there must be Bangladeshis here who could do the job without the race-based exclusivity of Lutfur & Co.
One example of Lutfur’s bias is the “Faith Communities” initiative. Thinly disguised as “promoting community cohesion”, this is in fact a device for channeling vast sums of money to Lutfur’s favoured mosques.
I have no idea why Siralan wasn’t expelled from the Labour Party and it isn’t really a matter of that much concern. What is of concern, and I would like Cllr Shaid Ali to comment, is why Ken Livingstone wasn’t expelled when quite clearly he broke the rules in a very public and destructive way? Essentially he cost Labour the mayoral election.
I hope John Biggs does win because anything is better than the shambles we have now.
They expelled Ken once before but then they had to take him back again. they didn’t want to embarrass themselves twice. LOL.
But seriously though if the Party doesn’t even follow their own rules what exactly is the point of them? Sticking to rules no matter what is essential for building trust and if you are in the business of politics trust is the only capital you should be focusing on.
=> Shumi
You obviously never attended school in England ? If you did, it must have been a strange school because children learn:-
When the wind blows trees sway and flex. If they didn’t there is substantially more chance they will blown down. Among Human Beings this natural flexibility is called pragmatism. Real politics is the skilled art of rationally accepting reality not acting like bigoted inflexible morons.
History is littered with crimes against humanity caused by those expressing their inability or unwillingness to be flexible in the public’s best interest.
Don’t forget the people who were killed, or heartlessly left to die, in England because nincompoops ignored all chances to save their lives because of Health & Safety rules – the same inflexible rigidity you advocate..
Curious Cat.
My post was pretty clear I am talking about rules in political parties, if a rule doesn’t suit, it needs to be amended, not used discriminately against less powerful people.
=> Shumi
Agreed. Protect the weak but don’t stop there. Educate, enlighten, guide sensibly and empower the weak too.
Curious Cat
Not quite Shumi. He was expelled first time because he stood as an independent and was of course re-admitted when it was clear that he had a popular base across London before he threw it all away.
His support for Lutfur Rahman should have been enough to have had him expelled especially as he was very much a spent force and was on some kind of kamikazi mission. I can only think that he saw Rahman and the rump of Respect/IFE/ far left as some kind of base on which he could have rebuilt support for himself but it was too little too late.
Gilligan reported that he was laughed out of the NEC when he tried to have Rahman and co re-admitted to the party so it probably was his final shot. I always disliked him and it was interesting to see how he frittered away his power base that backed him through the GLC years and put him into the government of London twice.
He ended up a megalomaniac trying to posture on a global stage with London embassies around the world and trying to deals with Chavez for oil,
You should write to the Labour Party to let them know that this breach of their party policy occurred and action needs to be taken. etc. I think any and every person who breaks the rules should be expelled. end of story. If some are and others not it builds resentment in an organisation and does not foster cohesive spirit.
=> Shumi,
You are young, idealistic and naive too. The Labour Party, just like the other major national parties, is a mixture of back-stabbing bastards, fools, lunatics and worse. Admittedly it has some genuinely good people. I always liked Roy Hattersley but thought Major Denis Healey (formerly a member of the Communist Party) a fool. Then there is Harold Wilson and the MI5? plot to oust him for threatening national security.
Ed Balls is a nightmare. Lots of top (but not Millband the younger) are nasty people. Don’t forget Gordon Brown’s famous remark about the live-long loyal Labour supporter.
The Labour Party cares only when the Labour Party as an institution is threatened. Otherwise don’t hold your breath.
Shumi. When you say I should write to the Labour Party and tell them about Livingstone’s breach of the rules I am assuming you are being facetious and that the implication is that the Labour Party were unaware of Livingstone’s Tower Hamlets walkabout with Lutfur Rahman. It had of course been national and international news for several days.
The reason he survived is because of his control of the London Labour Party through the far left. The NEC as I have said laughed him out when he tried to get Rahman reinstated. He is very much yesterday’s man but leaves a trail of destruction behind him that will haunt the party nationally and society in London for many years.
Politics is a dirty game. I think we should put a cap of maximum two terms for politicians to serve. Such a shame the people who represent us so blatantly disregard rules they expect us to follow. Personally I don’t really care if a member of an organisation doesn’t follow the rules a 100%. It’s not a religion. but the organisation leaders should care, they get paid to care. Anyway I had a lot of respect for Livingstone until that tax thing. politicians should strive to be whiter than white otherwise stick to occupations more suited to shady behaviour.
Don’t know about Indian sub-continent which significantly affects LBTH politics, but English politics should be about Serving the Public and in that process making the public smile and feel proud to live in the local authority area. Simple, commendable and desirably but we never get it..
Instead we have the national political parties involved in vote-rigging (only a few cases ever get prosecuted), back-handers, corruption, using public funds to promote the electoral aspirations of their party (and often of their candidates). Added to this the vast army of Labour supporters who work in local government some of whom will deliberately obstruct the elected political administration, the sub-standard abilities of staff at all levels especially senior officials whose primary concern is receiving as much money and perks as possible.
No wonder there is a mess. There is no statutory regulator for English local government. The public’s only redress is fighting the council in the High Court – who has got the money to do that ?
The first step to cleaning-up the cesspit of local ;politics is to ban national ;political parties (meaning having parliamentary seats) being involved in local government. The second is to put all senior staff on a national database and issue them with annual Fit to Practice licenses. When top staff badly fail (as in tragic child abuse cases) the top staff get paid between £1/4 and £1/2 million retirement benefit by the generous council then, hey presto, the recently staff re-appear at another local authority doing the same job.
In LBTH there always seems to be a culture of but I suspect they have their eyes shut and their ears blocked.
Curious Cat.