Letter to Sam Mathews about Glyn Secker’s suspension
This letter, signed by over a hundred Labour Party members, was sent to Sam Mathews, Head of Disputes, before Glyn Secker’s suspension was rescinded. Congratulations to those who got it together and endorsed it at short notice.
Sam Matthews
Disputes Committee
The Labour Party
Labour Central, Kings Manor
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 6PA
Dear Mr Matthews,
Re: The suspension of Glyn Secker
It is with some shock that we note the suspension of the above-named member of the Labour Party. Glyn Secker is a long-time Jewish activist, Executive Committee member and Director of Jews for Justice for Palestinians, Captain of the Jewish Boat to Gaza in 2009 and Secretary of the Jewish Voice for Labour.
This suspension, like others before it, is a flagrant breach of the rules of natural justice, which require, inter alia,
- that where a person’s rights and interests may be adversely affected by a decision-maker, that person be allowed an adequate opportunity to present his/her case before any steps are taken against such accused person
- that the person being complained against is advised of the allegations in as much detail as possibleand given theopportunity to reply to the allegations, including knowledge of the source of the allegations
- that the decision-maker give the accused party both the opportunity to prepare and present evidenceand to respond to arguments presented by the opposite side.
- that a decision be based upon logical proof and/or tangible and objectively assessed evidence, not merely on speculation, random accusation or suspicion.
It would appear to us that this suspension, like several before it, does not accord with any of these basic tenets of fairness and justice. Mere allegations from unknown sources that Mr Secker “may” have breached party rules and “may” have made anti-Semitic comments do not satisfy the rules of proof or evidence. In a court of law, they would not even constitute a prima facie case. In fact, were this an accusation of criminal activity, authorities would not even be able to hold or question Mr. Secker on such vague grounds.
Yet, with nothing more than baseless accusations from faceless accusers, Mr. Secker, like several members of the party before him, has been deprived of exercising any aspect of his membership i.e. punished without evidence, hearing or opportunity for defence. Mr. Secker should be allowed to remain in full membership until allegations against him are proved in line with the rules of natural justice. Without adherence to these rules, the suspension of Mr. Secker, and those before him such as Jackie Walker, amounts to nothing more or less that a lynching by a kangaroo court – a witch-hunt.
It is this kind of behaviour by the party, punishment by suspension of anyone accused regardless of the evidence, which brings the party into disrepute. It makes a laughing stock of the party that anyone who takes against a member or his political position on any issue can simply toss around accusations of anti-Semitism.
What if we were to accuse someone of racism? Of being xenophobic? Of Islamaphobia? Would the party then react in this same way i.e. the knee-jerk response of suspension? We think not. Accusations of anti-Semitism have been flying around – there for anyone who is so minded to use and abuse. Not only does this flurry of baseless accusations in itself bring the party into disrepute, it also presents the danger that crying wolf so often will lead to real cases of anti-Semitism being missed.
As ordinary party members, we are losing confidence in the party’s ability and willingness to robustly defend its members and itself against those who seek to destroy it with baseless accusations by cowards who will not face those they accuse. Thus, we are calling for the suspension of Mr Secker and all others in the same situation to be lifted forthwith until they are presented with a full opportunity to defend themselves in accordance with the rules of natural justice.
Yours in the struggle against injustice,
- Shereen Pandit, Chipping Barnet CLP
- Carol Ackroyd, Leabridge Branch, Hackney North CLP
- Nilofer Alaud Din, Hendon CLP
- Ruth Appleton, JVL, JSG, Santé Refugee Mental Health Access Project, Holborn & St Pancras CLP
- Labina Basit, Uxbridge & South Ruislip CLP
- Linda Benjamin, Chipping Barnet CLP
- Joseph Black, Hampstead & Kilburn CLP
- Pamela Blakelock, Dulwich & West Norwood CLP
- Alice Bondi, Alston Moor Branch, Penrith and the Border CLP
- Ches Chesney, Berwick-upon-Tweed CLP
- Dr Fouad Choudhary, Ilford South CLP
- Ron Cohen, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Sylvia Cohen, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Mike Cushman, Streatham CLP
- Anne Davies, Ilford South CLP
- Mary Davies, Chipping Barnet CLP
- Ivor Dembina, Vauxhall ward Deputy Chair, Vauxhall CLP
- Colm Doherty, Finchley and Golders Green CLP
- Bridget Dunne, Hampstead & Kilburn CLP
- Ros Edwards, Brighton Pavilion CLP
- David Epstein, Kenilworth & Southam CLP
- Debbie Epstein, Cambridge CLP
- Janette Evans, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Ian Ferrie, Hampstead & Kilburn CLP
- Jean Fitzpatrick, Ealing Southall CLP
- Nigel Fountain, Holborn & St Pancras CLP L1343038
- Philip Foxe, Enfield Southgate CLP
- Danny Friedman, GC delegate, Dulwich & West Norwood CLP
- Debbie Friedman, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Nasrollah Ghazi, Hendon CLP
- Murray Glickman, Ilford South CLP
- Sam Grove, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Cathie Hammond, Hampstead & Kilburn CLP
- John Heaney, Dulwich & West Norwood CLP
- Fran Heron, St Pancras & Somers Town Labour Party
- David Hillman, Oxford East CLP
- Owen Holland, Bloomsbury & King’s Cross Labour party branch
- Riva Joffe, Cantelowes Ward, Holborn & St Pancras CLP
- Lara Johnson, Bracknell CLP
- Rodney Kay-Keizman, Wimbledon CLP
- Sean Kelleher, Hendon CLP
- Deborah Knight, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Agnes Kory, Hampstead and Kilburn CLP
- Richard Kuper, Highgate Branch, Holborn & St Pancras CLP
- Bahir Laattoe, Chipping Barnet CLP
- Zora Laattoe, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Pam Laurance, Brent Central CLP
- Leah Levane, Hastings & Rye CLP
- Fred Leplat, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Liz Lindsay, Brent Central
- Rebecca Lissak, Bristol East CLP
- Marie Lynam, Hampstead & Kilburn CLP.
- Dorothy Macedo, Worthing West CLP
- Moshé Machover Hampstead & Kilburn CLP
- Dr Alan Maddison, Houghton & Sunderland South CLP
- Jenny Manson, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Jessica Manson, Runnymede & Weybridge CLP
- Stephen Marks, vice-chair Oxford District Labour Party [in personal capacity]
- Vicky Marks, Hackney North & Stoke Newington CLP
- Keith Martin, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Jon Meyer, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Angie Mindel Nottingham East CLP
- Marilyn Moore Ilford South CLP
- Tom Muddiman, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Mica Nava, Islington North CLP
- Cristina Navarrete, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Pablo Navarrete, Ealing Central & Acton
- Roberto Navarrete, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Diana Neslen, Ilford South CLP
- Dr Ray Newton, NE Herts CLP
- Firinne Ni Chreachain, Hendon CLP
- Colin O Driscoll, Co-Chair Labour International CLP
- Surinder Pahl Ilford South CLP
- Geoff Palmer, Chipping Barnet CLP
- Wendy Patterson, Newark CLP
- Monica Radman, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Roland Rance, Walthamstow CLP
- Frances Rifkin, Holborn & St. Pancras CLP
- Ian Saville, Brent Central CLP
- Linda Sayle, Holborn & St Pancras CLP
- Paul Scott, Hampstead & Kilburn CLP
- Amanda Sebestyen, Camden Town with Primrose Hill GC delegate, Holborn & St Pancras CLP
- Tom Selwyn, Camden Town & Primrose Hill Ward, Holborn & St Pancras CLP
- Annabelle Sreberny, Islington North CLP
- George Shaw, EFLP Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Sue Shaw, Henley CLP
- Dorothy Smith, Welwyn Hatfield
- Heidi Robinson-Smith-Hunter, Ilford South CLP
- Carlos Soto, Finchley & Golders Green CLP.
- Jonathan Steele, Kings Cross branch of Holborn & St Pancras CLP
- Ruth Steele, Kings Cross branch of Holborn & St Pancras CLP
- Carole Symons Hendon CLP
- Chantal Rose Symons, Lewes CLP
- Inbar Tamari, Walthamstow CLP
- Anna Tapsell, Dulwich & West Norwood CLP
- Max Tasker, Clwyd West CLP
- Wendy Taylor, Ilford South CLP
- Karen Thomas, Tottenham CLP
- Tom Trainer, Hornsey & Wood Green CLP
- Mohiul Uddin Ilford South CLP
- Jamil Versi, Political Education Officer, Hendon CLP
- Tirza Waisel, Woodhouse branch Co-Chair, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
- Hugh Wallis, Dulwich & West Norwood CLP
- Ivan Wels, Nottingham East CLP
- Barbara White Ilford South CLP
- Yael Witkon, Finchley & Golders Green CLP
Great letter
If any proof were needed that Iain McNicol and Sam Matthews are guilty not only of abuse of process, but of personally abusive behaviour, here it is. Insinuating that someone is antisemitic without the slightest evidence, sanctioning them on that basis. and then withdrawing the sanction five days later without withdrawing the insinuation or apologising, is grossly offensive. Both of them should be formally accused of abusive behaviour, so that they can be suspended pending an inquiry into their conduct.
Moreover there is a case to be made that the accusations against Glyn Secker, Moshe Machover, and other prominent Jewish critics of Israel amount to institutional anti-semitism. While many non-Jewish members of the Labour party have been falsely accused of anti-semitism it is clear that one of the main reasons for this is a purely opportunist attempt by the right of the LP to weaken Corbyn’s support base, rather than resulting from any genuine concern for Jews or even for Israel. On the other hand the front groups and proxies for the Israeli government who are inextricably allied with these LP opportunists, specially target Jewish critics of Israel with mendacious and scurrilous allegations, because they regard them as particularly dangerous for Israel’s totalitarian propaganda, which seeks to identify the Israeli government as the representative of all Jewish people. The disproportionate number of Jewish activists targeted by McNicol and company on the basis of anonymous accusations is readily accounted for by the influence of this Israel lobby. In effect such Jewish activists are being told they are anti-semitic because they are supposedly SELF-HATING JEWS: in other words they do not identify with the zionist colonial project. However stereotyping Jews by their political allegiance is itself anti-semitic, just as stereotyping any ethnic group by political beliefs is racist.