Labour Suspension Appeal Process
After several frustrating days, I have finally got hold of the official appeal process for members wishing to challenge their suspension. I was suspended on the evening of Wednesday August 24. The appeal process was circulated to members of the NEC on the evening of Friday August 26 – the start of a three day weekend, during which the party office has been closed to telephone calls.
To: NEC members
From: General Secretary
Membership and Supporter validation
As you will undoubtedly have noticed, suspension letters started landing with members yesterday.
If members or supporters who have received a notification would like more information on the evidence seen by the panel, from today they can call 0345 092 2299 and a team in Newcastle will be able to help them. There is no right of appeal for registered or affiliate supporters, but if members wish to appeal they can make this in writing to appeals@labour.org.uk
Below is a standard form of words you may wish to use with members who contact you directly if you find it helpful.
Yours sincerely,
Iain
Dear XXXX,
Thank you for contacting me regarding your recent administrative suspension from the Labour Party.
The procedural rules for the leadership election state that: No abuse of any kind by members or supporters shall be tolerated. All eligible members and supporters must conduct themselves in a calm and polite manner and be respectful to each other at all times. Behaviour including, but not limited to, racist, abusive or foul language, abuse against women, homophobia or anti-Semitism at meetings, on social media or in any other context will be dealt with according to the rules and procedures of the Labour Party.
Allegations of breaches to this rule have, in all cases, been referred to a panel of the National Executive Committee to make a decision on whether further action needs to be taken. Where appropriate, such as in cases of abuse, this includes the power to revoke the voting rights of members and supporters in the Leadership Election. The NEC panel’s decision to revoke voting rights is not contingent on the outcome of any future investigation.
In your case, the panel of the National Executive Committee have decided that the evidence provided is enough to take further action. If you would like more information on the evidence used to make this decision, please call the Labour Party’s national office on 0345 092 2299.
I have today forwarded the appeal email I sent on August 25 to the address mentioned in the NEC note. Tomorrow I will telephone the party office – I expect a long time waiting in a queue.
Today is the sixth day of my suspension from the party. I continue to exchange and information with other party members, as we collectively battle against the purge.
My series of Blog posts on the subject have been viewed by more than 4,000 people in 5 days, and I remain committed to post here on a daily basis, outlining the fight against a process which mostly appears designed by a clique at party headquarters to deny members, and registered supporter applicants, the opportunity to vote for Jeremy Corbyn in the leadership election.
andrewgodsell 
Thank you, Andrew.
I am concerned the PLP and NEC will rue the days when they saw lift to introduce McCarthyism into a socialist organisation.
where is my vote!!
Reblogged this on No Time to Think and commented:
Very important information for anyone suspended from the Labour Party during the leadership election process.
I assume that John Mann and Michael Foster have been suspended?
Doubt it, NcNicol andJohanna’I’l cry if zi want too’ Baxter will be shielding them…
Hi! Sorry to hear you & others are going through this! Keep on keeping on! Here some brainstorm thoughts on LABOUR PURGE! Members need to be careful with what info they give away at present on social media! How allegations may be being made and how one can make one’s own complaints if one is abused. Best wishes and all strength to you. See post on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=161809850924298&set=a.109258976179386.1073741828.100012858517542&type=3&theater
Where is my vote? ‘
It is in the Labour tradition of unity and kindness that this information has been shared.
A lot of people have been unable to find out any information or how to Appeal. Those that have are finding an unresponsive stone-wall. I doubt this dabacle will be resolved before the election.
I am astounded that disenfranchisement, on a whim, is permissible and possible.
How were certain people, especially those who, for whatever reason, are not using their full names, “identified”?
I understand fake accounts were set up to goad people into entrapment. There are some accounts that impersonate members with a slight variation e.g if you are xXx they call themselves XxX. They block you so you can ‘t see what they are doing. Be astute! The truth will out eventually.
Allegedly some CLP officials have also played a key role in this quagmire. If you have ever challenged their conduct I’m sure a suspension came your way.
While I concede there may be a handful of people who may have expressed themselves in a robust manner it must have been a two way exchange. To penalise one and not the other is mesmerising.
Is criticism synonymous wth abuse? Mind you from what I understand even personal taste in music is cause for suspension.
This is a very sad situation, I hope the truth will set a vast majority free eventually.
It does seem that being an automaton is preferred to honesty and candour at the moment.
You are not alone. Stay strong. “Winners never quit”.
I am forwarding a copy of my reply to the letter of suspension I received on Saturday, Sep 17th.
Dear Mr McNichol
Re my suspension from the Labour Party.
I have been a Labour supporter since the age of 25, having been brought up Tory. I joined the Labour Party and was active in it until Tony Blair got rid of Clause 4, after which time I felt unable to be a member. However I continued to vote Labour and have at no time suggested to other people they should vote for any other Party.
The day after Election the 2015, I rejoined the Party, because I knew the result had been based on lies and disinformation, and I was especially concerned that the Labour Party had not spoken up when they were wrongly accused of being responsible for the 2009 crash. I was disappointed that the Labour Party members continued to allow themselves to be wrongfully accused of being responsible for the crash -the Governor of the Bank of England himself, expressed astonishment that they did not complain at the wrongful accusations -the crash was caused, as he said, by bankers and financiers.
After several phone calls, and an email, when I was repeatedly assured there was no reason for the delay in my ballot, I received a ballot and voted on Wednesday 14th September. Today, I received not only a notice of suspension, but a postal ballot urging me to vote on line!! I am accused of an unacceptable tweet on June 29th.
I do not abuse my fellow tweeters, even if they abuse me. I exercise my right of free speech to criticise politicians -we are, after all, supposed to be a democracy. I have expressed approval for Caroline Lucas, of the Green Party and for Mhairi Black of the SNP, both of whose agendas are in line with those of the Labour Party. But I have never suggested anyone should vote for any Party, other than for Labour. The tweet you have taken exception to was of a Canary article about the origins of the coup, the contents of which I think are very serious indeed and need to be circulated, until disproved.
Please provide all the information you are holding on me and explain exactly which unelected members of the public you have trawling through Social Media in order to purge those you wish to disenfranchise. (Some of these have chosen to brag about their activities on Twitter). Holding on to details of activities of members and trawling SM are against the DPA 1998 and breach guidance by the ICO on unnecessary data. You are breaking the law and, I understand, have already been warned about Data Breaches.
It is not against the law to associate freely with ones’ peers and to make comments, providing they are not libellous. Even then, these comments may be in the public interest. Secret powers behind the scenes are definitely in the public interest.
I expect to hear from you soon, with an apology for denying me my vote and wrongly accusing me.
Yours sincerely
(Mrs) Daphne Miles.
PS I assume Owen Smith has been suspended for libellous comments about Jeremy Corbyn?
That’s good, thanks for sharing.
Hello Daphne, and thank you for sharing your appeal letter. It is terrible that Labour are excluding people on the basis of one or two comments on social media that are part of normal political debate. Sadly the real agenda is a desperate hunt by right wing at Labour HQ for Corbyn supporters that they can ban from the vote.
I have been suspended for alleged social media comments in June or July, but no letter sent until September 17th. No mention was made about how to appeal, which I believe should have been included. This email came from ‘Supporter applications’ , saying I would receive a reply about my application to Labour Party, no mention of the fact I am already a full member and no specific details, or discussion of how to appeal. I have submitted a data request, and informed of intention to appeal, and asked for the information about appeal process – but I have submitted an appeal anyway.
I am a full member. I have an administrative suspension. I submitted an SAR, appeal and requested evidence. I heard the first today after 25 days, promising they will send the SAR within 40 days, the evidence in 5 days, and that I cannot appeal for an administrative suspension, and could defend myself later. So my appeal is ignored.