Appeal against unfair expulsion
JVL Introduction
Anne Pissaridou has served as a sterling Labour Councillor. She has been supported by some JVL members through a period of cruel targeting by the Labour Party.
She needs to raise money for her appeal against expulsion for which she has very useful legal advice. See the crowdfunding appeal below.
This article was originally published by Crowdjustice on Mon 22 Aug 2022. Read the original here.
Appeal against unfair expulsion
I have been an active member of the Labour Party for over 50 years, holding a range of distinguished positions, including that of local Councillor. Nevertheless, the Party have just expelled me on the “balance of probabilities” that I have been a supporter of a (now) proscribed group since September 2018.
This is manifestly unjust, on several grounds:
The proscribed group was not even in existence in September 2018 so I cannot have joined it at that time
The only ‘evidence’ submitted is that the group in question has appeared on a defunct facebook page in my name that I thought I had closed and that I haven’t used since March 2021, over a year before the group was proscribed
In 2018 the facebook group existed under another name that has not been proscribed and only later changed its name to that of the proscribed group
I have no recollection of ever joining the original facebook group and so cannot be described as ‘possessing membership’ of it
The group was only proscribed in March 2022
There is no activity regarding the group on my current active facebook account nor any evidence linking me in any way to the proscribed group since it was created
I have informed them that I am not a supporter of this or any other proscribed group and therefore the allegation is inaccurate. They have ignored my statement and have not provided any evidence to indicate my support for that group.
I believe that the NEC approach is contrary to its duties of fairness as laid out in the LP Rule Book and is therefore in breach of contract and unlawful. Even the Leader of the Party stated on BBC R4 in November 2021, referring to MPs lobbying and second jobs: “Don’t penalise people now for doing things in the past that were allowed at the time” and that principle should apply equally here.
I consider this to be an outrageous breach of natural justice and I have submitted an appeal to have my membership reinstated.
To do this I need funds to pay for legal support. I hope that others will agree that it is worthwhile to challenge this decision and will donate to this crowdfunder if able to do so.
Thank You.
The same has just happened to me. Member since 1980 started a new Branch 1085 in a rural mining community and held numerous positions: Branch & GC. Served as a LP Councillor at 3 tiers of LG. Town District and County. Mayor of Deal 3 times plus as Deputy Mayor. Guilty of clicking “like” on some FB pages. National LP decided to proscribe retrospectively.
Anne is one of 4 Labour Councillors in Brighton & Hove who have either been expelled or forced out of the party.
As a result Labour lost its position as the largest group on the Council, thus handing over power to the Green Party who were the second largest.
However those running the witchhunt couldn’t care less what damage is done to the Labour Party as long as the left is extinguished.
Nick Childs the former deputy leader was also expelled a couple of weeks ago. Rather than challenging this legally Anne would be well advised to form, with the other former Labour councillors, an independent socialist group on the Council and stand as such in the next elections
I’ve donated a small amount – this made
me boil and should be stopped.
What do they mean by “on the balance
of probabilities?” Do they mean 51-49?
52-48?
More to the point do they understand
what probability is. Eg how would
you measure such a probability -a
formula – and if so what is it?
What is sure and certain is that they
certainly do not understand what
justice is.
It’s atrocious that the Labour Party treat people like this. I’ve just appealed against my expulsion on similarly unjust grounds. This use if retrospective proscription is disgusting. I hope she succeeds.
Why go back to a morally bamkrupt, corrupt, Blairite Labour Party?
In January I was served with a Notice of Investigation, stating that two years earlier I might have attended a group which since then has been proscribed. As a matter of principle, I offered a robust defence – acknowledging that I did indeed attend that meeting – and a month or so ago I was sent a notice informing me that the NEC concluded I did not do anything wrong…notice of investigation concluded.
It is unacceptable that the LP proscribes groups which should be parts of the broad church and that the LP dictates whether members can listen to various shades of left-wing movements.
My membership, which I used to pay annually, expired a month ago. I am in no hurry to renew it…far from it.
Margaret West
“What is sure and certain is that they certainly do not understand what
justice is.”
I agree with the basic point you make, but not with the above.
I believe they do know what justice is but have determined to ignore it or to operate under absolute self-delusion. The LP establishment’s agenda is aimed at ousting as many members on the left as possible, in a perverted policy of vicious vindictiveness more in the manner of N Korea. Stay or go?