Must watch to set context:
The work of the Labour Party’s Governance and Legal Unit in relation to antisemitism, 2014 – 2019
(PART 4 of condensed report, first draft)
Part 4 covers how staff actively worked to undermine Corbyn and keep the left from gaining any influence or control. It concludes with a sequence where senior staff discuss helping Tom Watson to leak confidential party documents.
The experience of staff at the leader’s office was that certain people at Labour HQ, the GLU and GSO were engaging in factional behaviour. They were being obstructive and had deliberately adopted a “go slow” attitude towards work. They would also frequently issue negative briefings about the Labour Party to the press and were ultimately engaged in a campaign to remove Corbyn as Labour leader and to ensure that the Labour Party did not succeed in elections while Corbyn was leader.
11 September 2015
John Stolliday discussed his moving into GLU with Tom Hamilton, Head of Briefing and Rebuttal…
John Stolliday: “Bit of a gear change but should be fun”
Tom Hamilton: “you’ll be JC’s enforcer”
John Stolliday: “er no – i’ll be on the barricades for the resistance”
12 August 2015
Sarah Brown & Jo Green talking about how they can avoid doing any work.
Jo Green: “i feel physically sick about JC.. also divided on what to do -on the one hand don’t want to just walk away, but on the other, how can i do my job?”
Sarah Brown: “yes, i feel the same”
Jo Green: “i think all of us must feel the same really. Paddy will just go, i know that.”
Sarah Brown: “but i also think, a) he won’t be here long, and if nobody good is left when that happens we will be in deep trouble b) if we stay, we might be able to have some positive influence.. yes Paddy will go but i pointed out to him that it might be a short period of time JC is here for so he might just do a work to rule type thing or take extended holiday”
18 August 2015
Danny Adilypour and Jim Harvey referring to the leadership as “complete nut-jobs” and talking about how they need to fight back..
Danny Adilypour: “We’re so fucking screwed”
Jim Harvey: “yes, i’m now leaning towards irrevocably fucked rather than just utterly fucked”
Danny Adilypour: “yup”
Jim Harvey: “SDP?”
Danny Adilypour: “Ha, nah we all have to stay and fight. It’s gonna be brutal and take forever, but it’s the only option”
14 September 2015
Stolliday and Press Officer Anna Wright speculate over how Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones might react if the leader’s office announced the Shadow Welsh Secretary without talking to him first..
Anna Wright: “if they annc Shad Welsh Secy before they speak, Carwyn is going to go on broadcast and slag JC”
John Stolliday: “good”
Anna Wright: “Yeah I hope it happens”
22 September 2015
Stolliday and Jo Green discussed the result of the Leadership election and Stolliday advises Green to try to get a redundancy payout without lifting a finger, rather than resign…
Jo Green: “this organisation is a fucking dying brand. We’re fucked”
John Stolliday: “We’ve already been fucked for the last 7 years. Not sure how much more I can take”
Jo Green: “yes indeed. i am praying for redundo next year. i think it’s likely. i’m not sure i can last until May though and my guess is they will happen next summer. we’ll see, hard to walk away from 11 years service. it’s basically a year salary.”
John Stolliday: “You’ll be entitled to a decent chunk. Worth staying for it even if it means coming into the office & doing nothing for a few months”
Jo Green: “i think that is quite likely.”
23 September 2015,
Days after Corbyn is elected leader, Stolliday and Kieren Walters (Broadcasting Manager / Head of Press & Broadcasting) talk about how they think Jeremy’s days are numbered..
Kieren Walters: “how long left do you reckon?”
John Stolliday: “for whom?”
Kieren Walters: “JC”
John Stolliday: “I think May elections will be the start of his downfall”
Kieren Walters: “yes, think so”
John Stolliday: “Hopefully new leader in place at conference 2016”
Kieren Walters: “or immediately after Christmas that is often when things kick off”
John Stolliday: “I reckon there will be some sort of plot post Xmas, but he will have enough support to limp on until we get wiped out in Wales & Scotland & local elections”
Kieren Walters: “good analysis I think”
John Stolliday: “We’ll see. My fear is the PLP are too bloody deferential and don’t take action”
15 September 2015
Jo Green and Sarah Waite discuss Corbyn’s election
Jo Green: “the more madness the quicker it ends”
Sarah Waite: “god what if it doesn’t, what if all this talk of members joining just goes on and everyone is like ok, well we must be doing ok. We need a POLL that says we’re like 20 points behind”
Jo Green: “yes but he will have a little honeymoon. Won’t last long”
15 September 2015
Dan Hogan encouraging Amy Fowler to join the “Labour First” mailing list..
Dan Hogan: “what’s your non-party email address?”
Amy Fowler: [provides her gmail address]
Dan Hogan: “are you on the Labour First mailing list?”
Amy Fowler: “no, but I should be”
Dan Hogan: [sends her a link to the “Labour First” sign-up page]
Amy Fowler: “Thanks”
Amy Fowler: “are you going to be a key contact in your clp?”
Dan Hogan: “yeah. i’ve also said i’ll help set up a group in Wandsworth once I’m out of OBG102”
Dan Hogan: “if you email him, drop my name in 🙂 ” – assumed reference to “Labour First” national organiser Luke Akehurst
Amy Fowler: “I will email him. Though I don’t know how much help I’ll ever be from my clp.”
In October 2015, Jo Green remarking on leaks to the press… “this place is like a sieve”. In January 2018, Disputes Officer Louise Withers-Green remarks that Hogan is “a leaky cauldron”.
8 October 2015
Simon Jackson and Jo Green discuss getting “rid” of Corbyn…
Simon Jackson: “i’m fairly settled now on the view that they have to get rid of him in the next couple of months or the trots will embed themselves. That means someone sacrificing themselves”
Jo Green: “it has to be done by next summer at the latest.”
Following the extremely successful December 2015 Oldham by-election, seen as Corbyn’s first “electoral test”, Katy Dillon and Lisa Forsyth couldn’t supress their disappointment…
Katy Dillon: “the result on thursday was bittersweet, could not believe it”
Lisa Forsyth: “It’s in spite of him tho. Hopfullly May will be the boot…”
Katy Dillon: “course it is but all his little disciples dont know that”
Lisa Forsyth: “Cos they are bats*t crazy.. Total nutters”
April 2016, following a meeting with Luke Akehurst, Francis Grove-White (Labour International Policy Officer) tells Jo Greening that it was “very encouraging to hear how organised they are regarding conference”
29 April 2016
Ben Murphy and Hollie Ridley discuss prospects of removing Corbyn being removed..
Ben Murphy: “I think he still has solid support in the membership – just have to hope bad performances and all of this weakens him”
Hollie Ridley: “and they all lapse there membership”
Ben Murphy: “aye”
13 June 2016
Greg Cook and Jo Greening discussing how to blame Corbyn if Remain lose the EU Referendum…
Jo Greening: “so greg, what the hell is going to happen in this referendum?!!!!”
Greg Cook: “I still think Remain will win”
Jo Greening: “phew”
Greg Cook: “But at least if not, Corbyn will clearly be seen to be responsible”
Jo Greening: “yes”
4 November 2016
Policy Officer Dan Hogan asks a colleague “how do we make the NPF Brexit session as difficult and unhelpful to McDonnell and Corbyn as possible?” and
27 February 2017
Patrick Heneghan, talking to Senior Staff in the SMT WhatsApp group, says he hopes the LibDems win the Manchester Gorton by-election.. “Just had discussion at strategy meeting. We will meet Steve and Andy next Monday – we are looking at all 3 in May but select in Gorton within 4 weeks. Katy will speak to you/Iain… From karie… They didn’t include us in the discussion… Well let’s hope the lib dems can do it”
28 February 2017
Senior staff including Iain McNicol discuss how to delay changing over to ‘One Member One Vote’ (OMOV) to maintain the advantage in their favour..
Iain McNicol: “How many student members do we have. Has a check been done on those to see how many are actually students.”
Patrick Heneghan: “Turns out the membership system only stores those who pay student rate. About 29k… Labour students not paying that rate are not tagged in membership system…Half labour students national cmte pay different rate… Balloting on that basis would not be robust… Potentially open to challenge… What a shame but they will need more time… They will write to you to ask for help in understanding how to sort this within membership system.. Ok”
Tracey Allen: “And what is his reply?”
Patrick Heneghan: “Whose reply?”
Iain McNicol: “Mine. That’s fine.”
Patrick Heneghan: “We can draft that too. But let’s not reply too fast.”
Tracey Allen: “I only meant in brief. Not actual draft… I understand we’re playing politics here but wondered what next stage of strategy is”
Patrick Heneghan: “We look at the issues… They appear to large to resolve this year… Ask party for a plan to change way system works… Delay omov”
Tracey Allen: “Delay. Procrastinate. John Mann did 2 years as Nols Chair in 80s to keep Trots at bay. Worked then”
6 March 2017
Emilie Oldknow talks to staff in the General Secretary’s Office about how she intends to make sure her allies have a majority on the Manchester Gorton selection panel and also how she plans to undermine the wishes of the Leader’s Office:
Julie Lawrence: “Em, do we need TW on officers?”
Tracey Allen: “I’ll go and spk to her”
Emilie Oldknow: “Yes. He’s coming. Lucy is sorting”
Julie Lawrence: “Fab”
Emilie Oldknow: “FYI Glenis isn’t going to remove RLB from panel so we will probably end up with 6…”
Emilie Oldknow: “Lucy thinks she will”
Julie Lawrence: “Largest panel ever ?”
Emilie Oldknow: “Yes. Which I think Ann will push against but let’s see where we get to”
Iain McNicol: “Hilarious”
Julie Lawrence: “Ann just told me she’s doing it”
Emilie Oldknow: “Yep… TW getting twitchy and Diana not on. Can we get on with this and Gorton?
Julie Lawrence: “Next item”
Emilie Oldknow: “We have to get on with this!!!… Tom needs to go… I’m literally hiding in my office On my own… Oh my god.. I’m dying!!!!
Patrick Heneghan: “What’s happening?”
Emilie Oldknow: “Trying to remove RLB.. Eeeeek… Say proposal to remove RLB… and that need to be voted on… Iain… Nancy should not speak!!!… John will need vote to remove RLB… He will push that… Iain – don’t take Katy… Nancy is a fucking idiot… Hahahaha… Oh my god. Tin hat time… I’m scared… Eeeeek”
Julie Lawrence: “Nancy spitting feathers”
13 April 2017
Senior staff talk about helping Tom Watson leak confidential Party documents.
Emilie Oldknow: “I think this needs to be cc’d to TW”
Patrick Heneghan: “He will leak it”
Emilie Oldknow: “In addition, the George S meeting wasn’t any worse than any of the other meetings we did”
Tracey Allen: “Oh awful – for her too. And just think you could be in Jamie’s with me and your team ?”
Emilie Oldknow: “He won’t leak it as it criticises Sion”
Tracey Allen: “Good”
Emilie Oldknow: ??
Patrick Heneghan: “I think we ask for meeting with tw and jc”
Julie Lawrence: “He can leak it after elections if its useful”
Patrick Heneghan: “Cover for tw to be ccd”
__________________________________________________________
STAFF LIST
Ali Moussavi (Economic Advisor in the Leader’s Office)
Amy Fowler (Fundraising)
Anna Hutchinson (Regional Director, Labour North West)
Anna Wright (Press Officer)
Ben Murphy (Local Government Officer)
Carol Linforth (Director of Conference and Events)
Claire-Frances Fuller (Head of Internal Governance)
Colette Collins-Walsh (Education Policy Officer)
Dan Hogan (Policy Communications Officer / Investigations Officer in GLU)
Danny Adilypour (Campaigns Manager in the Contact Creator, Targeting & Analysis Team)
Emilie Oldknow (Executive Director – Governance, Membership and Party Services)
Fiona Stanton (Regional Director, Labour North)
Francis Grove-White (Labour International Policy Officer)
Greg Cook (Head of Political Strategy)
Hollie Ridley (Training Development and Community Organising Manager / Election Strategy Manager / Head of Elections and Campaign Support / Director, Eastern Region)
Holly Snyman (Director – Human Resources)
Iain McNicol (General Secretary)
James McBride (staff at Labour’s Policy Unit leading on economy and business policy)
John Stolliday (Director, Governance and Legal)
Jo Green (Head of Broadcasting)
Jo Greening (Head of International Liaison)
Julie Lawrence (Director, GSO)
Karie Murphy (Chief of Staff, LOTO)
Katherine Buckingham (GLU staff)
Katy Dillon (Press Officer / Labour’s Broadcast Manager)
Kieren Walters (Broadcasting Manager / Head of Press & Broadcasting)
Laura Repton (Regional Administrator)
Lee Gingell (Membership Services and Correspondence)
Lisa Forsyth (Policy & Political Adviser, Leader’s Office)
Louise Withers-Green (GLU Disputes Officer)
Luke Akehurst (Former member of Labours NEC, Labour First Activist, currently Director at ‘We Believe in Israel’)
Mike Creighton (Director of Audit, Risk and Property)
Neil Fleming (Acting Head of Press and Broadcasting)
Patrick Heneghan (Executive Director – Elections, Campaigns and Organisation)
Sam Matthews (GLU’s Head of Disputes)
Sarah Brown (Press Officer)
Sarah Mulholland (PLP Secretary)
Sarah Waite (Education Policy Officer / Political Advisor to the Shadow Secretary of State for Education)
Seumas Milne (Executive Director – Strategy and Communication)
Simon Jackson (Director of Policy, Research and Messaging, Briefing and Rebuttal)
Simon Mills (Executive Director – Finance).
Teddy Ryan (Regional Organiser)
Tom Geldard (Director of Digital).
Tom Hamilton, Head of Briefing and Rebuttal
Tom Watson (Deputy Leader, Labour Party)
Tracey Allen (Manager, GSO)
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