Open Letter To The Labour NEC: We Have No Confidence In Tom Watson As Deputy Leader Of The Labour Party

Watson’s Animal Farm

This is not the first time members have attempted to quell the divisionary tactics or the wanton abuse Tom Watson thinks he can wield while using the title and the position of deputy leader of the Labour Party. He is beginning to look more and more like a parody character of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Tom Watson obviously cast as the main protagonist Napoleon.

Watson seems to think Labour Party rules can be overturned, manipulated or just damn right ignored. He is walking roughshod over Labour Party policy and calling for a second referendum in all circumstances ignores the membership, the manifesto and the conference composite motion.

Labour Party democracy: We are reaching a point where members make policy not titled individuals.

There is basic principle and cornerstone of the Labour Party – that of democracy. Not only is it a point of pride, it is our very democratic values that gives us a clear distinction from other parties. By enabling that democratic power to come from its members we really do create a “government of the people, by the people, for the people” I accept this is synonymous with The Gettysburg Address but the very idea is universal, ‘a fairer just society’ where the people get to debate and decide the direction of a country in our interest and not the interest of a few or the lobbyists that haunt Westminster.

Even if members do agree with Watson and Starmer it is a matter of democracy and that is the very principle of our system, these things have to be debated and decided in a democratic process. It must be put to the ballot not adopted as policy just because someone said so!

One rule for them one rule for us!

Watson now wants Party rules to be ignored so that Blairite centrist like Alastair Campbell can remain within the Labour Party after he blatantly proclaimed voting for the Austerity facilitating Lib Dems in the EU elections. One must beg the question would Watson suggest an equal amnesty on the membership for breaking Party rules if that member voted for The Brexit Party or as unlikely as it seems even UKIP?

Rules are there to maintain Party discipline, they should not be discriminated or moved to make an unjust or prejudicial distinction in the treatment of different people, because that person clearly broke the rules not just by voting or supporting another Party but for publicly flaunting that fact on national TV. He was, therefore, undermining the Labour Party, not just on it’s Brexit Policy but the party as a political organisation.

Now we find on this journey to show preferential treatment – a treatment that would not be considered for a class member of the Labour Party – other Party elites jumping on board to back Campbell, or in this case one of their own, one of the Liberal metropolitan elite.
It is a crying shame these very same people have not shown the same solidarity with real socialists of the Labour movement, people like Chris Williamson, Jackie Walker, Marc Wadsworth and others.

If the Labour Party is seen to differentiate in the treatment of members, dependent on if they are Left, Right or centralist but more so Leave supporters or remainers, then truly this so-called broad-church no longer exists.

More preferential treatment for Campbell that a grassroots member would never get.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Baroness Chakrabarti said she hoped Mr Campbell and other Labour members who had expressed public support for other parties could “come forward and talk about their future intentions and the case can be reviewed”.

“Merely voting for another party is not in itself a grounds for exclusion or expulsion or anything like that and I want the large numbers of people who did that last week for heart-felt reasons to rest assured,” she said.

Baroness Chakrabarti also said: “Political parties have rules about people who support other parties, but I hope this case will be reviewed.”

How long can Watson run his Animal Farm

Back in February there was a On-Line petition to remove as Tom Watson Deputy Leader that we featured here at Labour Heartlands.The petition itself is still running Follow the LINK HERE

This was also followed by a model motion from members to remove Watson from the position of party deputy Leader.

Grassroots members calling for Watson to be removed.

The Left of the party are furious at this move by Watson, at a time of national crisis when no matter what your own personal opinion is on leaving the EU the Labour Party should stand in solidarity working in unionism to bring about the best result for the people of the UK, not forming internal divisions and groups.

The disappointment and anger by grassroots members as lead to this motion to remove Watson as deputy Leader. Please feel free to copy and paste. LINK HERE

Thousands of Labour members outraged at the behaviour of Labour deputy leader Tom Watson have signed an open letter to the party’s National Executive Committee to express their complete lack of confidence in Tom Watson.

Labour members who wish to add their signatures to the letter can do so: LINK HERE

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdVetBCbVJNk76Xqlu72lhLd43uXEX81mdPtA_ak_r_YiP3CA/viewform?fbzx=8129539885797291670

Today The SKWAWKBOX  shared an open letter that pulls no punches.

The letter pulls no punches, describing Watson as ‘shockingly unfit’ for his position as well as criticising him for ‘actively working against the current Leadership, the membership and the Party’, for briefing against the party and its staff to the media and for his ‘distracting and counter-productive little vanity projects’.

The letter goes on to attack Watson’s failure ” to have done a single tangible thing that has benefited Labour members or voters in his nearly 4 year tenure”, before closing by asking the NEC to demand Watson’s resignation:

Open Letter To The Labour NEC, We Have No Confidence In Tom Watson As Deputy Leader Of The Labour Party

We are Labour Party members who support the direction of travel for the Party.

We are greatly disappointed with the continuing conduct of Deputy Leader, Tom Watson who has repeatedly shown himself to be actively working against the current Leadership, the membership and the Party during his tenure.

From his derisory comments to the press regarding the party membership, to him mass blocking large segments on social media when he was elected to represent us.

From him briefing in the media against Party staff and Party policy, to showing an egregious misreading of the mood of Labour members and voters.

From his distracting and counter-productive little vanity projects that do not go anywhere, to his unmitigated inability to have done a single tangible thing that has benefited Labour members or voters in his nearly 4 year tenure.

We believe Tom Watson to be shockingly unfit to be Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

We therefore demand that the NEC make representation to Tom Watson to resign as Deputy Leader. If he feels he still has the support of the membership (which he doesn’t) then he should at the very least refresh his mandate.

The number of signatories is approaching 2,500, even before the letter has been much publicised.

Labour members who wish to add their signatures to the letter can do so here.

Neither Tom Watson’s parliamentary nor his constituency offices were taking calls when contacted for comment.

#tomwatson

#AlisterCampbell