Batley and Spen: Labour shows contempt for Democracy

Batley and Spen: Labour shows contempt for Democracy

On the 10th October 2016, the Labour Party refused to attend a Husting event being organised by the Workers of England Union in the Batley and Spen by-election, stating the following reason:

 

There are several fringe parties and independents standing. We have no intention of sharing a platform with any such candidates, but instead call on people across Batley and Spen to stand together on 20th October and choose unity over division, hope over hatred.

 

Eddie Bone, President and Campaign Director for the Workers of England Union, an independent trade Union stated:

 

“The reason given for declining the Hustings shocked me because I believe the response given by this ‘representative of the Labour’ party rejects democracy. If the Labour party now rejects democracy because they think their opponents, who are fellow citizens, are either independent, not of the size of the Labour party or because they disagree with them then the question has to be asked, Have they become a fascist party?”

 

Eddie Bone continued “Democratic debate must always come first in ‘any election’ as it unites us all and silences hatred”.

 

The Workers of England Union is available for interviews

Please call 07980667732

 

The read the e-mail exchange below

 

Dear Paul

 

I thank you for replying to my e-mail, though it was disappointing to see that you have declined democratic debate.

The reasons you have given for declining the Hustings shocked me because I believe it to be the response of someone who believes in fascism not democracy. I can only urge you to step back from the precipice before it is too late. Democratic debate must always come first in ‘any election’ as it unites us all.

 

Please allow me to explain:

 

The main thrust of your comment is to essentially reject the democratic process as you state:-

 

There are several fringe parties and independents standing. We have no intention of sharing a platform with any such candidates, but instead call on people across Batley and Spen to stand together on 20th October and choose unity over division, hope over hatred.

 

Those words present to me as parallel to the simple definition of fascism given in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, it states that fascism is:

 

a way of organizing a society in which a government ruled by a dictator controls the lives of the people and in which people are not allowed to disagree with the government 

 

Although it is true to say you are ‘not a government’ it is also true that you want Tracy Brabin to ‘take a position of government’ over the Batley and Spen constituency and to eventually form a government. As such the definition applies.

 

You also want this to occur without any democratic debate as you say:-

 

 ‘There are several fringe parties and independents standing. We have no intention of sharing a platform with any such candidates’.

 

Essentially you are not prepared to engage with people who disagree with you. You have rejected open debate and ignored that a strong opposition is vital to a healthy democracy and unity.

Any democrat must surely agree that the first obligation of any prospective parliamentary candidate should be to honour open democratic debate with their opponents as it shows that democracy is alive and kicking. But it seems that this is not the case for you which means you surely believe in another form of government. (As stated, I believe Fascism comes to mind)

 

You ignore that Political Hustings are a bedrock of a cohesive integrated society as they show that the whole community have been given a chance to be involved in the political process and as such they unite over division and silence hatred.

 

To reject Political Hustings because you think your opponents are either independent, not of your political view or not of the size of the Labour party is truly disturbing.

 

Yours Sincerely

 

Eddie Bone

President and Campaign Director

Workers of England Union

 

 

—–Original Message—–
From: Paul Nicholson <paul_nicholson@labour.org.uk>
To: eddiejbone <eddiejbone@aol.co.uk>
CC: Bernie Keavy <bernie_keavy@labour.org.uk>; admin <admin@workersofengland.co.uk>
Sent: Mon, 10 Oct 2016 14:24
Subject: Re: Invite: Hustings meeting for Bately and Spen candidates

Dear Eddie,
Thank you for your email but I’m afraid we won’t be accepting your invitation. In such a short by-election campaign, our candidate’s diary is very busy with events and meetings with local people across the constituency.

 

As you’ll be aware, the unique and tragic circumstances of this by-election mean the other mainstream parties, including the Conservatives, Lib Dems, Greens and UKIP, decided not to field a candidate as a mark of respect to Jo Cox and her family. There are several fringe parties and independents standing. We have no intention of sharing a platform with any such candidates, but instead call on people across Batley and Spen to stand together on 20th October and choose unity over division, hope over hatred.

 

However, we would be happy to supply some words for your newsletter as you suggested. Would you be able to let me know when you need these words by and Bernie who is cc’d in will do his best to get something across to you from Tracy.

 

Best wishes

 

Paul

 

Paul Nicholson

Agent to Tracey Brabin

 

From: eddiejbone@aol.co.uk
Date: Saturday, 8 October 2016 at 11:31
To: eddiejbone@aol.co.uk“, Paul Nicholson, Bernie Keavy, “admin@workersofengland.co.uk
Subject: Re: Invite: Hustings meeting for Bately and Spen candidates

 

Dear Paul and Bernie

 

I have not received a reply to my invite yet and I would really appreciate one as Channel 4 and maybe the BBC are interested in covering the Hustings meeting.

It will be a chance for the local community to discuss issues that are relevant to them.

 

Kind regards

Eddie Bone

President and Campaign Director

Workers of England Union

www.workersofengland.co.uk

 

 

—–Original Message—–
From: eddiejbone <eddiejbone@aol.co.uk>
To: paul_nicholson <paul_nicholson@labour.org.uk>; Bernie_keavy <Bernie_keavy@labour.org.uk>; admin <admin@workersofengland.co.uk>; eddiejbone <eddiejbone@aol.co.uk>
Sent: Fri, 7 Oct 2016 15:08
Subject: Invite: Hustings meeting for Bately and Spen candidates

Dear Paul and Bernie

I have spoken to Lorraine today and she has given me your e-mail address.

Please find below the invite for Tracey. If the date and time are inconvenient just let me know and I can arrange another date and time that is more suitable.

Best

Eddie Bone

 

Dear Tracy

HUSTINGS MEETING FOR BATLEY AND SPEN CANDIDATES

 I am writing to invite you, as a candidate in the Batley and Spen By-election to take part in a hustings meeting on Sunday 16th October in Robertstown at 12pm.

 

The meeting is being arranged by the Trade Union, The Workers of England Union and we will also be inviting members of other local residents in the area to attend, as well as publicising the event across the constituency.

The plan is that each candidate will be allocated a few minutes (exact timing to be confirmed, depending on numbers present), to allow them to introduce themselves, explain their background and relevant experience and state their aims, if elected. Our General Secretary will then invite questions from the floor, to which each candidate will be invited to respond in turn. We would expect the question session to finish around 1.30pm.

 

We would also hope to include brief details of candidates notified to us in time in our October newsletter, which will be sent out to our members. To that end, I would be grateful if you could send me by email a brief outline of your background/experience/aims (no more than two or three sentences).

 

I hope that this will give you a good idea of the format of the event, but please do let me know if you have any questions. We hope that you will be able to attend on the 16th October, and I would be grateful if you would contact me as soon as possible to let me know.

 

Kind regards

Eddie Bone

President and Campaign Director

Workers of England Union

www.workersofengland.co.uk

Sent by email from the Labour Party, promoted by Iain McNicol on behalf of The Labour Party, both at Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QT Website: www.labour.org.uk to join or renew call 0345 092 2299.

 

 

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