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.

I grew up in the people's republic of Islington so had to suffer her for many years. Corbyn was one of the local MPs (along with Chris Smith). She is a self serving, nasty piece of work. I always liked and admired Corbyn (Islington North) and Smith (Islington South and Finsbury). Anyway thanks for restoring some semblance of order to your thread popchyk

RhythmStix - why don't you feel the same way about Corbyn who not only ignored victims who went to him for help but stood up in parliament to try to block the inquiry, as documented in Hansard?

It's just another case of a woman being castigated while a man gets off scot-free. There is little difference, if any, between them.

All the pretty Tom Harris made a similar point today about the attempt to deselect Kate Joey, pointing out the rank hypocrisy of going after her over Brexiteers, when Corbyn, McDonnell and their cronies voting record shows them to be followers of Benn's anti-EU stance.

It's not whether they're right or wrong (the attempt to brush Islington under the carpet was appalling): it's the rank hypocrisy of going after women MPs for behaviour Corbyn himself is implicated in.

Her behaviour was absolutely disgusting. I would have been disciplined if I had behaved that way in my work. More should be done about the other MPs similarly bringing the party into disrepute.

The MPs who have done the most to bring the Labour Party into disrepute are Corbyn and McDonnell.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/28/labour-antisemitism-code-ian-austin-mp-faces-suspension

A second MP has been warned.

Same shitty Kafkaesque slippery vague accusation letter as sent to Hodge I notice - "we're investigating you for something a bit vague but we might suspend you in the meantime if you do anything else we disapprove of.". Hope Austin does a c&p of the Mishcon de Reya letter.

It took the Labour Party two years to discipline Ken Livingstone for making anti-Semitic comments, but only two days to discipline Hodge for accusing The Dear Leader someone of being anti-Semitic

If the LP doesn't understand the optics of this, then they are even less fit to govern than I had previously thought

Well said womanformerlyknownaswoman . While it sounds like the letter was badly written there is another side to this. Sounds like the labour code is trying to avoid conflating anti-semitism and bigotry on the one hand from criticism of or opposition to Zionism or the actions of the State of Israel. And if that is so then I think that’s important.

The way that antisemitism hits the headlines compared to other issues is fascinating - not saying it is not important - but why do you think it is given so much more prominence than calls for investigation into the islamophobia in the Conservative party? -or indeed calls for misogyny to be given equal weight to transphobia, racism etc!

Disciplinary action has been dropped - and Margaret Hodge didn't express remorse for saying what she said.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-45085682

The way that antisemitism hits the headlines compared to other issues is fascinating - not saying it is not important - but why do you think it is given so much more prominence than calls for investigation into the islamophobia in the Conservative party? -or indeed calls for misogyny to be given equal weight to transphobia, racism etc!

Ooh ooh I know! Is it the Holocaust d'ya think?

What's with all this 'reinterpreting' guidelines/laws around antisemitism & women's rights that is happening at the same time as making crimes of 'transphobia' and 'Islamaphobia' so unavoidable they are turning into buzzwords?

Labour trying to save face by saying Hodge "expressed regret" and so they magnanimously decided to drop it.

Hodge posting the lawyers' no-nonsense response to that. Another zinger.

twitter.com/margarethodge/status/1026543294036111360

"It is clear that you were making the rules up as you went; and even in defeat you have sought to spin your final decision in a disingenuous and false manner".

I am not a Hodge fan either but it does really anger me when people behave as though she alone blocked action on child abuse in Islington. As Council leader she does bear the greatest responsibility, but the Labour Party both local and national is also culpable.

They have made it worse by lying about her apologising. It should have been dropped and they apologised to her.

It is perfectly possible to be pro-Palestinian rights without being anti-semitic

I agree. Very much on the side of Palestinian rights.

Ian Austin, MP for Dudley North also putting all his communications (including those from his lawyers) into his alleged misconduct out there on Twitter.

twitter.com/IanAustinMP/status/1026764303880396806

"It says the party is “prejudging the complaints” and "This process has been a farce and a disgrace. It has plainly been designed to silence our client for his legitimate, honestly-held criticisms of Mr Corbyn’s failure to address the scourge of antisemitism in the Labour Party”

Seems like Labour has made yet another cock-up in its investigations procedure.

I'm guessing they'll decide to drop it, like they did with Hodge. And try to get him out some other way.