Vox Political boss’s court joy is first step in new battle

Lawyers for the Labour Party have been sent away to think again after entirely failing to understand the allegations against them in a court battle – against me.

That’s right, This Writer has challenged the Labour Party over its decision to expel me from membership on charges relating to anti-Semitism, using a compromised disciplinary procedure that, I am alleging, breaches the terms of the party’s contract with its members.

My contention is that the party breached our contract by failing to follow its own disciplinary rules in investigating a complaint against me, by charging me with breaking a rule that did not exist at the time the complaint was made (let alone when I wrote the articles to which it related), and with two data protection breaches: passing information about me – including false information – to third parties and failing to honour a subject access request.

As I was making a money claim, I had to attach a value to the allegation. So I pointed out that my party membership had been suspended – and I had been denied permission to take part in any party activities – from the moment the disciplinary process against me was activated. As that process had been prejudiced against me, the outcome was wrong and I should not have been expelled. Therefore my party subscriptions for that period should be returned to me.

And I requested a declaration by the court that Labour had been wrong to expel me.

The party’s lawyers had failed to realise that a data protection breach can also constitute a breach of contract and had tried to say the part of my charge relating to them had not been properly made out. The judge disagreed.

To my joy, he explained that he had read the claim against Labour in exactly the way I had intended – and that it was Labour’s mistake to see it otherwise.

I think I’m right in saying we all agreed, though, that the online submission form run by HM Courts and Tribunals Service was not clear in its instructions and had failed to provide me with the information I needed, in order to provide the court – and the defendant – with the necessary information in the form it expected.

Labour had expected a charge, followed by itemised particulars, but the online form had not requested that – it had called for me to write the reasons for my claim, which I did in narrative form.

(I had expected to be contacted again with instructions on how to provide a properly made-out charge sheet, but this had not happened, hence the confusion).

The judge kindly decided that this was not the fault of either myself or the defendant.

But he said it would be unfair to try the case there and then – not only because Labour had not properly grasped the issues but because there was only an hour’s time left to do so, and there was far too much evidence to consider.

So he adjourned the case, to allow me to prepare a charge sheet, with particulars, and for Labour to draft a new response, and possibly to gather evidence and witness statements.

He also pointed out that this case has implications that go far beyond a small money claim.

If the court finds against the Labour Party, it can only harm that organisation’s reputation.

And think what may happen if the court declares that the party wrongly expelled a member charged with offences relating to anti-Semitism!

On hearing this, the party’s advocate asked for the case to be transferred to the next level of civil court proceedings – the ‘fast track’, in which the costs to the parties are much higher. The judge told me I would have to pay £7,000-£10,000 over the course of only a few months.

But he had already offered us the opportunity to change track and we had both turned it down (Labour in the knowledge of what a finding against it would mean), so he ruled against Labour’s request. He said the reputational damage to Labour would arise from a finding against it, not from the remedy.

The judge also expressed surprise that no members of the press were present at the hearing in Bristol Civil Justice Centre yesterday.

Well, I’ll give them ample warning before the next hearing.

Have YOU donated to my crowdfunding appeal, raising funds to fight false libel claims by TV celebrities who should know better? These court cases cost a lot of money so every penny will help ensure that wealth doesn’t beat justice.

https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/mike-sivier-libel-fight/


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13 Comments

  1. Baboshka February 4, 2020 at 2:45 pm - Reply

    Best of luck Mike, kicking you out is their loss,

    • Mike Sivier February 4, 2020 at 4:34 pm - Reply

      Very kind of you to say so!

  2. Jan Brooker February 4, 2020 at 4:16 pm - Reply

    I got my charges yesterday: AS and racism [worded with caveats]:
    Mr Brooker (the Respondent) has engaged in conduct prejudicial and / or grossly detrimental
    to the Party in breach of Chapter 2 Clause I.8 of the Labour Party Rule Book 2019 by engaging in conduct online which:
    a. may reasonably be seen to demonstrate hostility or prejudice based on race, religion or belief; and / or
    b. may reasonably be seen to involve antisemitic actions, stereotypes and sentiments;
    and / or
    c. undermines the Party’s ability to campaign against racism.

    NOT SURE LP membership is important enough to me to fight what is in effect a Star Chamber. Can’t afford legal assistance. They’ve had my defence. Little Momentum [I’m a paid-up member also] sniches acting as trainee Stasi members.

    3 forbidden words: Palestine, Tony G, a well-known sax player.

    • Mike Sivier February 4, 2020 at 4:36 pm - Reply

      When did you commit the alleged offences?

      • Jan Brooker February 4, 2020 at 4:59 pm - Reply

        Posts on my fb page. One about the blowing up of Palestinian housing on Palestinian land, 2 mentioning Tony G[reenstein] , 2 mentioning a certain sax-player. I couild PM the info if interested. Came from a Momentum trainee-Stasi member! p.s. I am also an M member!

      • Jan Brooker February 4, 2020 at 5:02 pm - Reply

        Looks like May and June last year.

        • Mike Sivier February 4, 2020 at 11:37 pm - Reply

          Oh. They’ll have the rule for the right date, then.

  3. eatonheli 13 February 5, 2020 at 10:11 pm - Reply

    Are the wording of the disciplinary rules within the remit of the NEC to approve or should it be annual conference

  4. Sean O'Donoghue February 6, 2020 at 6:42 pm - Reply

    Mike, could you let me know when you are back in court…I could go along to cheer you on.

    • Mike Sivier February 7, 2020 at 7:14 am - Reply

      I’ll publicise the next one in good time, once I know when it will be.

  5. Ron Soak February 8, 2020 at 2:13 pm - Reply

    Mike,

    This nonsense also works the other way given the experience I’ve encountered over two years. With complaints involving breaches of both rules and legislation conveniently lost, and not dealt with properly and subsequently dismissed to protect pre-chosen candidates for PPC selections.

    Whilst spurious related complaints the other way are fast tracked through the system and processed.

    The whole system and procedure is corrupt because the rules, constitution and values are manipulated and gerrymandered for sectional/sectarian political advantage.

    Here’s a taster:

    https://richardosley.com/2019/11/08/election-daily-it-has-broken-my-heart/

    Note the named source (first paragraph under the photograph) of this complaint who is married to the head of compliance.

    Note also that the source of that complaint (details available on request) applied for the PPC in two Northern constituencies one of which (their first preference) they stood down the day before the hustings which in practical terms provided a better chance of selection for a pre-chosen applicant with serious complaints against them which were not permitted to be brought before the membership.

    If you require any further details or think they may be useful as supporting evidence of the lack of efficacy in the system and procedures please get in touch.

    • eatonheli 13 February 8, 2020 at 9:57 pm - Reply

      That comment in the journal does not seem to contain much by way of fact. Just a lot of generalities

  6. xpressanny February 8, 2020 at 4:33 pm - Reply

    How utterly appalling is all this. I am so sorry Mike – you seem to be fighting them on two fronts. Labour UK is utterly disgusting and NEC appears to have its own club of thugs.

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