Ethics and Standards (14/11/13)
Here's another report from the Sunday Mail which seems to confirm that - for the moment at least - the newspaper has fallen out of love with the Scottish Labour Party.
No wonder, is all I can say, although I would add that the job of Police Scotland is to look into allegations of criminal wrongdoing - which is quite different from upholding standards of ethical behaviour within the trade unions and/or the Labour Party.
Labour's former campaign boss accused of breaking party rules in Falkirk
MP Tom Watson allegedly gave permission to local officials to accept payments in cash from new members.
No wonder, is all I can say, although I would add that the job of Police Scotland is to look into allegations of criminal wrongdoing - which is quite different from upholding standards of ethical behaviour within the trade unions and/or the Labour Party.
Labour's former campaign boss accused of breaking party rules in Falkirk
MP Tom Watson allegedly gave permission to local officials to accept payments in cash from new members.
Tom Watson with Ed Miliband - Iain Findlay BPMSTF
LABOUR'S former campaigns chief was yesterday accused of breaking party rules by approving new members in Falkirk who had paid with cash.
It’s claimed Tom Watson – who resigned in July – got involved to ensure the money was accepted after concerns were raised by local officials.
The membership fees arrived during alleged attempts by Unite to pack the constituency party to ensure the selection of their preferred candidate.
The trade union were accused earlier this year of recruiting 100 new members to back Karie Murphy in the race to stand at the general election after Falkirk MP Eric Joyce steps down.
Murphy runs Watson’s office and is also a Unite official close to the union’s leader Len McCluskey.
According to one Labour source yesterday, they received a bundle of membership forms in an envelope containing cash payments.
The source added: “Right there, you have a problem because it is against normal Labour Party procedures to pay subscriptions in cash. There has to be a cheque or bank transfer, so as to leave a paper trail.”
But according to the source, Watson allegedly helped force through the applications.
The source said: “It turned out that someone in party HQ had indeed queried the Falkirk applications. At this point, Tom Watson is alleged to have intervened to ensure that the applications were processed.”
A Labour probe into vote-rigging in Falkirk was carried out in the summer.
Days after its findings were handed to Ed Miliband, Watson quit as election supremo and deputy chairman.
The report has never been made public but Miliband is under mounting pressure to reopen the inquiry after the Grangemouth dispute thrust the controversy back into the spotlight.
Unite’s threatened industrial action in support of shop steward Stevie Deans allowed owners Ineos to confront the union and demand cuts in workers’ pay and conditions to save the plant.
Deans, who was chairman of the Falkirk party, has been linked to the recruitment of new members to support Murphy. Some were apparently signed up by family members without their knowledge or consent and their fees paid with cash.
Watson was unavailable for comment last night.
Unite insist they did nothing wrong. A spokesman said last night: “Labour found we have not broken any rules and Police Scotland ruled that we did not break any laws.”
LABOUR'S former campaigns chief was yesterday accused of breaking party rules by approving new members in Falkirk who had paid with cash.
It’s claimed Tom Watson – who resigned in July – got involved to ensure the money was accepted after concerns were raised by local officials.
The membership fees arrived during alleged attempts by Unite to pack the constituency party to ensure the selection of their preferred candidate.
The trade union were accused earlier this year of recruiting 100 new members to back Karie Murphy in the race to stand at the general election after Falkirk MP Eric Joyce steps down.
Murphy runs Watson’s office and is also a Unite official close to the union’s leader Len McCluskey.
According to one Labour source yesterday, they received a bundle of membership forms in an envelope containing cash payments.
The source added: “Right there, you have a problem because it is against normal Labour Party procedures to pay subscriptions in cash. There has to be a cheque or bank transfer, so as to leave a paper trail.”
But according to the source, Watson allegedly helped force through the applications.
The source said: “It turned out that someone in party HQ had indeed queried the Falkirk applications. At this point, Tom Watson is alleged to have intervened to ensure that the applications were processed.”
A Labour probe into vote-rigging in Falkirk was carried out in the summer.
Days after its findings were handed to Ed Miliband, Watson quit as election supremo and deputy chairman.
The report has never been made public but Miliband is under mounting pressure to reopen the inquiry after the Grangemouth dispute thrust the controversy back into the spotlight.
Unite’s threatened industrial action in support of shop steward Stevie Deans allowed owners Ineos to confront the union and demand cuts in workers’ pay and conditions to save the plant.
Deans, who was chairman of the Falkirk party, has been linked to the recruitment of new members to support Murphy. Some were apparently signed up by family members without their knowledge or consent and their fees paid with cash.
Watson was unavailable for comment last night.
Unite insist they did nothing wrong. A spokesman said last night: “Labour found we have not broken any rules and Police Scotland ruled that we did not break any laws.”
