With enormous regret I have taken legal action

I first became concerned about the Liberal Democrats’ complaints system years ago. All political parties face challenges when handling internal disciplinary matters, but the systemic problems of the party’s complaints system have troubled me more and more.

Despite efforts by some colleagues and myself to raise these issues and obtain appropriate assurances, none have been forthcoming.

In March of this year, I received a sprawling, disorganised, ill-defined, lengthy complaint filed by a senior fellow-member of the party.

I indicated a few days ago that I was considering standing to be elected as the Federal President of the party, in the forthcoming Federal elections scheduled for this December. Nominations open on 12th September.

Eight days ago, on Friday 2nd September 2022, late in the day, I received notification from the party’s standards office that I was to be expelled, permanently, and would never be able to hold office again in or for the party.

I have never before been found guilty of any internal party complaint.

The panel ruling was factually inaccurate in important respects, at the end of a process which has been enormously time-consuming, but gave me little realistic chance of defending myself.

The systemic problems to which I have referred mean that, in my opinion, the panel was not independent. As the party’s procedures have recently been altered, an internal appeal route now exists on limited grounds, and not to the party’s Federal Appeals Panel, which has displayed admirable independence of mind, but to another panel similar to, and likely to be no more independent than, the first one.

To defend myself, discharge the elected mandate I received to represent ordinary members on the Federal Board and defend the rights of those party members who like me have had their political aspirations blighted by the misuse of the party’s processes, with enormous regret I have taken legal action.

I hope this will allow me to seek the nominations I require to be able to stand for election as Federal President of the party.

I do not yet know whether the party will challenge this action.

I seek fair and reasonable outcomes not only for myself, but also for the members of the party who count on it to conduct itself properly.

At this time, millions of potential Lib Dem voters are longing for an alternative to the present government. Transparency, decency, fair and reasonable behaviour should be the cornerstone of the party whose aims I passionately support, that I was proud to help found and have actively worked for as a volunteer ever since.

It has become increasingly clear to me that the Liberal Democrats have a problem. Therefore, the country has one too.

Like all party members, Jason Hunter was entitled to receive due respect & care. Why did he resign?

First published on Twitter on 31st August 2022

I mentioned cases where unproven allegations have been used to dash individuals’ political aspirations. One was Jason Hunter, amongst the most effective campaigners the pro-Remain campaign had. He was approved to apply for selection as a Lib Dem candidate for the European parliamentary elections of 23 May 2019.

As soon as this became known, a targeted public character assassination campaign began. You may have seen the online part. He reluctantly withdrew from the selection process.

In Sept 2020, I, then regional chair in the East of England, learned that he was in my region but had just left the party. I contacted him & he told me what had happened to him. It’s for him, not me, to share those details; suffice it to say that his voluntary resignation was connected with the harassment campaign.

In Jan 2021, I, newly elected as regional candidates chair, suddenly needed a candidate for Essex Police, Fire & Crime Commissioner. Essex Police Area has some 1.3m electors. It’s an ideal election for a person with good grasp of facts & figures, communication skills & big social media reach. The vacancy was duly advertised without success. So I thought of Jason Hunter & approached him. He was prepared to consider it. He’d have to rejoin & regain approved candidate status.

I expected an expedited assessment day as the election was soon. But it was not to be. A colleague shared with me, among others, certain personal data about Jason that HQ had kept. He complained to the Information Commissioner’s Office of a data breach by sharing his personal data.

Separately, an objection was made that he couldn’t apply for approval for at least a year. I disagreed & took the issue to the party’s internal Federal Appeals Panel. Their decision on 1 April confirming that the one-year rule no longer existed is published on the party’s main website.

Soon after all this, Jason’s main tormentor, a former Lib Dem council candidate, appeared in Chelmsford Crown Court charged with criminal harassment & in October last year submitted to a Crown Court restraint order. Other harassers received criminal & civil sanctions.

In Feb of this year Jason Hunter tweeted a letter from the ICO upholding his complaint of a data breach.

Like all party members, Jason Hunter was entitled to receive due respect & care. Why did he resign? Why was he not supported? Was his treatment respectful? Fair? In the party’s interests? There but for the grace of God goes any member, unless there is change.

I’ve kept my mind open & my phone on.

First published on Twitter, 29th August 2022

Here’s more about why I’m thinking of standing for election as Lib Dem Federal President, if no high-profile parliamentarian steps forward. I’m very WYSIWYG: I stand for the same things I was elected to the Federal Board for in 2019: loosening the Federal reins a little; good governance; fairness; treating members well. All of them. If we do that, they’ll be loyal & work hard & the party will be a happier organisation to be in, & more successful.

It exists to achieve its shared aims & objects, change Britain for the better, using political power won via the ballot box. It can choose to be a right, tight little party, focused on internal debates, but something bigger is needed to achieve the change we long for. I agree with the late Charles Kennedy on that.

Some unknown person claimed I was the “free speech candidate”. We don’t need a free speech candidate. We’re already keen supporters of the European Convention on Human Rights – including the right to free expression. Why is this even a thing? No, we need a good governance candidate. That’s me.

Since joining the Federal Board at New Year 2020 I’ve found that my view of the party as an organisation isn’t universally shared. To me it’s axiomatic that the party is a membership organisation. It’s based on a contract between each member & all the other members. Thus, it’s important to make its rules & procedures easily accessible to grassroots members, so everyone has the means of that knowledge.

There’s no mystery about the proper purpose of the complaints system: it’s for deciding disputes between members. It’s not for a few to control the many from the centre. Currently, the complaints system can be perceived as one tool for such control.

Another is information. Hoarding information for use as an HR instrument by a few at the centre is not, in my view, acceptable. If the party embraces the excellent aims of the GDPR laws, which put individuals in control of their own personal data, certain practices have to change.

As a directly-elected Board member I’ve kept my mind open & my phone on. I’ve become aware of cases where unproven allegations have been used to dash individuals’ political aspirations. I’m fundamentally opposed to it.

A rumour has reached me that I’m planning to stand for election

First posted on Twitter, 21st August 2022

A rumour has reached me that I’m planning to stand for election as Federal president of the Lib Dems this autumn as a ‘free speech’ candidate. After getting over the initial surprise, I’m struck that standing for the position is a good idea. We must have a contested election so that there’s a debate on organisational issues & members can choose the best way forward. If no high profile parliamentarian will stand, I will.

It matters enormously here, now, that the party be in the best shape it can for the campaigns ahead. Here, now, Britain’s in a multi-faceted crisis. The Conservative party millions used to turn to in times of doubt has ceased to exist: it’s been subverted into an extreme organisation that must be ousted. Many voters who are turning from the Conservatives aren’t comfortable with socialism but are more comfortable, indeed broadly aligned, with the progressive social liberalism I believe in.

To accomplish the party’s mission – reform via political power won via the ballot box – we’re compelled by the First Past the Post system to be inclusive: win the support of a broad range of people & communities. As Charles Kennedy said, credibility & a coherent philosophical basis for our agenda are essential, plus big picture thinking; you can be a right, tight little party or you can be a lot more ambitious & get much bigger.

We should respect one another’s legally protected philosophical beliefs & set out from our common ground to agree solutions on difficult policy issues. Internal culture wars only benefit our real adversaries, the extreme Right. If we’re united & cohesive, if all components of our party machine do their job smoothly & well, we can find ways to win a big wedge of Lib Dem seats in the next House of Commons, ousting the extremists from power.

Disinformation & lies, disruptors & agitators must be recognised & disarmed. If the Lib Dems would find those ways to win, respond appropriately to these circumstances, the disastrous course the country is on can be changed.

After 3 years on the party’s Federal Board I long to improve our governance, fairness, adherence to the law & treatment of members. As Federal president, head of the whole organisation, I’d seek to ensure that the whole worked well. I wouldn’t file internal complaints against individuals. I’d strive to push through reforms so that the complaints system was truly independent.

If we treat our members well they will be loyal & work hard. Many who have left us will return. My DMs and my mind are open and my phone is on. Contact me if you agree.