The Death of Carl Sargeant was a direct consequence of how Labour treats those accused of disciplinary offences

I do not know, nor should I know, the details of the allegations made against Carl Sargeant, the former Welsh Cabinet Secretary.  What I do know is that when Carl took his own life, he also didn’t know the details.  According to the family, Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones gave more details to the BBC in an interview than he did to Carl Sargeant.

In the past two years Labour’s disciplinary process has been marked by a complete absence of fairness and transparency.  The rights of the accused have been trampled upon.  Jeremy Corbyn has now talked about pastoral care but this is two years too late.  When Iain McNicol, John Stolliday and their apparatchiks were busy trawling through thousands of social media posts in order to disenfranchise supporters of Jeremy Corbyn, the feelings of those suspended were completely and totally disregarded.

I have communicated with a number of people who were victims of McNicol’s purge who were extremely depressed.  People who had had decades of loyal membership disregarded in the effort by these crooks to find any scintilla of evidence to disqualify them.  We all know of the suspension of a fan of the Foo Fighters and Ronnie Draper of the Bakers Union.  The Compliance Unit has been a law unto itself. 

My own experience was of been suspended for remarks I was alleged to have made and being met with a blank refusal to even acknowledge correspondence when I wrote asking for details of these remarks.  It was only when I picked up The Telegraph and Times two weeks later that I learnt that I had been the target of the Israeli Embassy and its instruments in the Labour Party, the Jewish Labour Movement and Labour Friends of Israel.

The Chakrabarti Report of June 2016 recommended under Complaints Procedures that

The National Executive Committee of the Labour Party has accepted the Chakrabarti Report yet the Compliance Unit of John Stolliday and the Disputes Committee under Anne Black and Sam Matthews have consistently picked and chosen those bits of Chakrabarti  they liked and disregarded those parts which they disliked.

I am facing a hearing of the National Constitutional Committee and have been given 5 weeks notice after having been suspended for 20 weeks and 17 weeks after my Investigation Hearing. 

I have not been told the identity of any of my complainants even though the paw prints of Labour Friends of Israel and the Jewish Labour Movement are all over them.

Regardless of what the allegations were, Carl Sargeant had a right to know the details of what he was being accused of and those who had made the complaints.  He should have been given a chance to assess what the case was against him.  This is the right of every person who faces a trial in a court of law.  

It is unacceptable that the Disputes Committee and the Compliance Unit have driven a coach and horses through the Chakrabarti Report's recommendations.  The disregard of the rights of the accused have led directly to Carl Sargeant taking his life.  That, if nothing else, should emphasise their seriousness.

In the circumstances Sam Matthews who was dealing with the case should be immediately suspended as should his boss, Iain McNicol who approved his actions.  NEC member Anne Black, who for some reason is still on the Grassroots Left slate, should also be immediately suspended pending an investigation into her complete disregard of a fair and transparent procedure.

And next year Ann Black, who was responsible for the suspension of the Brighton & Hove and Wallasey Labour Parties should seek the approval of Labour First and Progress.  There is no way she is on the Left.

Tony Greenstein