Nick Brown, a seasoned Labour member of parliament and former head enforcer, has declared his departure from the party due to an ongoing internal disciplinary procedure that he believes has become “an absolute joke.”
In a passionate and extended correspondence, Brown stated that he would not seek reelection in the upcoming election, citing his age of 73 and 40 years in parliament as contributing factors.
He stated that this choice was made amidst an ongoing disciplinary process within the Labour party directed towards him. He believes, with advice, that this process is fundamentally flawed and unjustifiable, causing him to withdraw from it.
In 1983, Brown was elected as the MP for Newcastle upon Tyne East. He served as chief whip for all Labour leaders starting with Tony Blair. However, in September of last year, the Labour whip was revoked due to a complaint made against him through the party’s independent complaints process.
In a letter made public through Carter-Ruck legal firm, Brown stated that the undisclosed complaint came from a political adversary within the party and involved an alleged incident that occurred over 25 years ago.
He stated: “Just to clarify, the allegations made against me were and still are completely untrue, without any basis in truth. Not only were they never brought up in the past 25 years, they were never even suggested by that person or anyone else.”
Brown criticized Labour’s handling of the claims and the length of time it took, citing a lack of sufficient supporting evidence. He initially believed he could rely on the party’s disciplinary system.
He stated that the accusations against him were significant and it was crucial for them to be thoroughly investigated.
According to Brown, the procedure has been organized and carried out in a way that lacks necessary procedural fairness and evidential safeguards.
According to him, Labour declined to conduct an in-person disciplinary hearing and denied his lawyers the opportunity to directly cross-examine the accuser. He and his legal representatives believe the evidence to be lacking.
He expressed disappointment that fairness, legality, and justice were not upheld and it was evident that he would not receive a fair trial. He believed the entire process was a mockery.
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The individual mentioned that his legal advisors have informed him that due to the party’s refusal to follow standard safeguards and procedures for a quasi-judicial process, they are unable to assure him of a fair hearing.
He concluded by saying that it is concerning to see a potential future government handling serious matters in a similar manner to a poorly managed golf club.
A representative from the Labour party stated: “We take all complaints very seriously and have implemented an independent process for handling them in a fair and unbiased manner.”
Source: theguardian.com
