Margaret Hodge lawyers up

[Popchyk]

And posts the whole shebang on Twitter.

twitter.com/margarethodge/status/1021369803129401344

I thought that this deserved a thread of its own. Seems like it will run and run.

Sounds like Labour have totally screwed up sending a letter. You'd think that given the amount of complaints about Labour members, they could at least manage that. But no.

Labour seem to have contravened their own rules by not citing what the allegation actually is, nor how the alleged incident breached their rules. And which rules were allegedly breached.

The letter then goes on to threaten her about further disciplinary action if she repeats "the allegation above". And of course there is no allegation above.

I particularly liked the "The haste in which you sent your letter is reflected in the sloppiness of its contents, which defies recognised standards of due process relating to investigations" from the lawyers.

Look out Jezza.

Margaret Hodge is not taking this lying down.

Margaret Hodge - Is she the one that ran the Rottweiler sub-committee ???

(as opposed to Margaret Becket that goes on caravan holidays?? I get the two mixed up when they talk about them on the radio)

Margaret Hodge - Is she the one that ran the Rottweiler sub-committee ???

She chaired the Public Accounts Committee for a while, which is one of the most powerful Parliamentary committees, with wide ranging powers regarding who they can call to give evidence

That letter though.... Labour want to run the country and they can't even run a disciplinary hearing

I'm not a fan of Margaret Hodge but compared to how much I'm not a fan of Corbyn I have to support her.

The letter from the Labour Party is Stalinist in tone. The response from Mishcon de Reya is brilliant (and handily could be adapted for use by anyone else getting a similar letter)

Yeah, I'll be filing the Mishcon de Reya letter.

I despise Margaret Hodge. The manner in which she has been reinvented is staggering. Google 'Margaret Hodge childrens homes Islington' to see what she is really like. Her lack of action has been directly responsible for so much pain and suffering.

Even despicable people can be right on occasion. And even despicable people deserve a proper disciplinary investigation following due process. And no despicable people deserve to be subjected to antisemitic abuse

The letter from the Labour Party is Stalinist in tone.

It absolutely is.

Labour has become the party of denunciation. It's taken the usual factionalism to a whole new level.

'The letter from the Labour Party is Stalinist in tone.'

Yes, spot on

@pastabest do you have any footage of the Dan Hodges/Venice Allen interview.

Fermats

The MP who said his wife and daughter had been threatened with rape after he spoke out against antisemitism was John Mann.

ICJump

No but the transcript is available. gendertrender.wordpress.com/2018/03/08/actual-transcript-official-labour-party-interrogation-of-a-feminist-member/

I've had dealings with DH previously however, so feel able to speculate how it went.

Thanks. Yes, John Mann. (I have the most terrible memory for names. I'd put it down to middle age, but in fact I've always been terrible with names.)

I thought the form of the letter was very telling. "We're calling you for a disciplinary hearing for something unspecified which we've already made our minds up about, and if you do that thing again (whatever it is) we'll really get you."

It reminds me of the Jennifer James interview transcripts as well - another occasion where the men in charge had clearly already made their minds up and were interested only in exacting retribution on the woman who dares to step out of line.

I note that, once again, “Mr Corbyn’s door is always open”. Remind me where we’ve heard that one before? It never is, of course, because he’s only too happy to put his Momentum heavies onto Labour women, and spare himself the trouble of dealing with dissenters and wrong-thinkers.

Say what you want about the Labour Party but they absolutely excel when it comes to cock-ups. So entertaining.

I agree.

They have no self awareness do they? The party are under intense scutiny for being “anti semite”, May complaints have been made and nothing much done. Yet they decide to take action 12 hours after MH is supposed to have said something.

Don’t they see how this makes them look?!

This is what happens when you don’t have a Malcom Tucker

Oh good the Labour Party have returned to the days of witch hunts. Who the fuck are women supposed to vote for in this political landscape?

The Labour Party who only tolerate women who do what they're told? The Tories who are purposefully hurting low income women and mothers through ideologically driven cuts? The Lib Dems who want to promote prostitution as a career choice in school and lower the age to appear in porn to 16? Or perhaps the Greens who have decided we're non-men?

Gee what a choice! Unless one of these parties stop being total misogynistic cockwombles soon it's going to have to be a protest vote. Is the Monster Raving Loonies still going?

Stalinist also sprang to my mind when I read Labour's letter. And denunciation. It's like the Cultural Revolution in the LP at the moment. I am very frightened of them actually getting into power. The far left frightens me as much as the far right.

I don't really care about MH tbh - but I do care about anti-semitism and misogyny and I do care that the opposition party has such a problem with it. There really is something about "You insulted our Great Leader" here, isn't there?

The Labour Party who only tolerate women who do what they're told? The Tories who are purposefully hurting low income women and mothers through ideologically driven cuts? The Lib Dems who want to promote prostitution as a career choice in school and lower the age to appear in porn to 16? Or perhaps the Greens who have decided we're non-men?

This is where we are. In 2018.

I despise Margaret Hodge. The manner in which she has been reinvented is staggering. Google 'Margaret Hodge childrens homes Islington' to see what she is really like. Her lack of action has been directly responsible for so much pain and suffering.

You would also see Corbyn's name come up, with information about how he not only failed to act when begged for help but also spoke out in parliament against the inquiry.

Looks like Labour leaders are keen to drop this quickly if Hodge admits that she "misunderstood" or "misinterpreted" the new antisemitism code at Labour.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/25/mcdonnell-calls-for-swift-end-to-margaret-hodge-disciplinary-action

Can't see her going for it since she's said in public that her opinion remains the same.

Regardless of Margaret Hodges character and the substance, or lack of, behind the ‘allegations’, that letter and the accompanying media briefing is a damning insight into the running of the Labour Party.

Popchyk that article does not improve my opinion of this mess. “The poor little women misunderstood what us men was saying, if she apologises then we will magnanimously overlook her hysterical indiscretion”.

Just get lost the both of ye. McDonnell and Corbyn.

Always McDonnell who is clearing up the mess. He's the shadow chancellor and should be speaking out now about the mess that is Brexit.

Limp biscuits the pair of them. I say this as a life long Labour supporter who no longer feels enfranchised despite the 100th anniversary of women of a certain age getting the vote.

Little has changed.

That certain age was 30 and the woman had to be married.

Obviously this is no longer the case but how many of you on this forum feel like 'women of a certain age'?

The Labour Party who only tolerate women who do what they're told? The Tories who are purposefully hurting low income women and mothers through ideologically driven cuts? The Lib Dems who want to promote prostitution as a career choice in school and lower the age to appear in porn to 16? Or perhaps the Greens who have decided we're non-men?

You forgot the Women’s Equality Party. But let’s not even go there.