by René Lavanchy
Barking MP Margaret Hodge was accused this week of involvement in alleged dirty tricks over selections to her local council. The row threatens to tear Labour apart locally and help the British National Party take over the council in next year’s elections.
Speaking to Tribune, Labour activists, councillors and community representatives have accused Ms Hodge of being a “control freak” who has engineered the deselection of Labour members of Barking and Dagenham Council in a bid to exercise personal control over her constituency Labour party. For personal family reasons, Ms Hodge was unable to respond before Tribune went to press.
Eight Labour councillors have been struck off the candidate list since March this year, including Val Rush, cabinet member for the environment, and planning chair John Denyer. A ninth, deputy mayor Fred Barns, was also deselected but reinstated on appeal. Barking and Dagenham has 12 BNP councillors, more than any other borough in Britain.
Asked what linked the councillors together, one activist said: “They’re all people who didn’t like Margaret”. Another declared: “She is a control freak and she wants total control… I can see the BNP controlling the council”.
Barking Labour Party has been riven with factionalism since 2006, when Ms Hodge was attacked over her remark that eight out of ten white households were tempted to vote BNP in the local elections.
One deselected councillor said of the events: “I felt it gave the BNP the oxygen it needed and I wasn’t alone in speaking out. I think that I’m now paying for that”. They had suffered “bullying and intimidation” including silent phone calls, they added.
Some deselected councillors were discriminated against for their disabilities, a well-placed source said: “John Denyer can’t walk the streets, but there was always something for him to do… Fred Barnes has a disability but he would drive everybody around, pick leaflets up, but he had a hip replacement. That was given as one of the reasons.”
Various sources complained that the selection panels had been fed misleading information about councillors. At least three councillors heard of their deselection before being officially told, and one said: “The BNP seems to know a lot more about what’s going on in Barking Labour Party… They told me before I even had my interview”.
Ms Hodge is said to have announced the deselection of two councillors in Barking’s Thames ward at a coffee morning on 13 March – the same day one of them, Cllr Barnes, received the letter informing him.
The MP is also blamed for alleged misconduct at Barking CLP’s annual general meeting of 2007, branded a “shambles” by two separate sources. They say that non-Labour Party members were allowed into the meeting but other Labour members were barred and that Ms Hodge’s staff instructed delegates how to vote. Delegates complained to London Labour Party.
A London Labour Party spokesperson said its selections had been “fair” and denied any impropriety, including any contact with the BNP over deselections. It was “totally spurious” that disability had been used against councillors, they added. Laila Butt, Ms Hodge’s CLP secretary, said Ms Hodge had no involvement in selections.
About The Author
I do so thank my friend who lives in Thames view for telling me about this. I live in Abbey ward and have done so for many years. I work full time and pay my taxes. On reading this site I now have a better understanding of why I will not be voting Labour in the election tomorrow.
But my biggest anger is I’ve always understood that once an election is called MPs cannot and in fact are barred from using their constituency office to run their campaign So why is Hodge using hers?
Independent Supporter:
We read with interest in the DAG POST that our Labour spokesman stated the reason why some of our
long serving cllr’s were rejected was because they FAILED TO MEET THE “REQUIRED STANDARD”
What sort of a joke is that!!
When the labour party has put forward their own candidates whom we can only presume DO MEET with their
“REQUIRED STANDARDS” These wanabes that M.Hodge & Co have put forward have been EXPOSED on several blogs
over the past few months as having very dubious credentials such as :
CANDIDATES Who owe thousands of pounds in UNPAID Council Tax!!
CANDIDATES Who have been sacked from there jobs over misdemeanours!!
CANDIDATES Who cannot speak English fully let alone write it!!
CANDIDATES Who have worked alongside the B.N.P. and are still doing so!!
CANDIDATES Who are using their employers phones & computer for their own use of campaigning !!
CANDIDATES Who do not go to work but live state, sitting home all day playing computer games!!
CANDIDATES Who are just plain Bullies I.E. BARRY POULTON of Thames Ward, Taken to standards for threatening an
80yr old resident during a public ward meeting he was ordered to give the lady an apology which he has refused to do!
and that if he were to be re-elected was to attend a course on how to CONDUCT HIMSELF AS A COUNCILLOR!!
“”"”"”"NEED WE SAY MORE !!!!!!
It is THANK GOODNESS our trusted Cllrs DO NOT Meet the “REQUIRED STANDARDS” of the labour spokesman.
WHAT A FARCE!!! within the Labour Party with their Sleaze & Dishonesty in the dealings of the local Labour Selections,
They must think the “Voters” are all idiots and are that stupid we would Vote for the unsavoury Flunkies M.Hodge & Co have
shoved upon us.
WE DON’T WANT THESE NORTH STREET MAFIAS FLUNKIES AND WE WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR THEM ! ( AND THERE’S NOT A LOT
THE NORTH STREET MAFIA CAN DO ABOUT THAT IS THERE!! ) For after all , at the end of the day with all there wheeling & dealings it’s our vote that will count in the ballot boxes.
We will all be voting for the people we can trust and have an empathy with, We are grateful they have not turned their backs on us after the deplorable way the Labour Part have treated them , they are going to continue to serve us as INDEPENDENTS they know they have our votes & support , So GOOD LUCK to all THE INDEPENDENTS who are standing in the following wards
ABBEY
EASTBURY
GASCOIGNE
BECONTREE
GORESBROOK
LONGBRIDGE
THAMES
WHALEBONE
AND YES LABOUR SPOKESMAN OUR INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES DO MEET WITH OUR REQUIRED STANDARDS!!
Please take the time on polling day (tomorrow) & Vote for you INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE
FOR YOUR WARD !!
who let the dogs out who who who who.
Nothing much gets past this lot! personal attacks, bad language nice bunch of big brave boys and girls this lot.
Not several blogs, only the TWO as you well know. This thread set up by the independent terry (lazy)wade and the other thing set up by some disgruntled former cllrs.
It’s all over for the independents before it’s really even began.
Couple of leaflets across the borough, a few public appearances and a tiny amount of campaigning on guess what…………….
The issues they should have dealt with as labour cllrs! Now they couldn’t get the job done with the support of the party, how did they ever think they could cope on their lonesome.
Won’t be any independents on this council come friday evening still the agent of the independents has stood for the tories, then Labour and now as an independent. G
God help the party she travels to next, can only be ukip or the bnp based on her alleged views.
EASTBURY Danny MUNROE , Dianne CHALLIS
GASCOIGNE Val RUSH , Maggie MITCHELL , Colin WARD
BECONTREE Alok AGRAWAL , Corinne LOWE , Rick LOWE
GORESBROOK Warren NORTHOVER
LONGBRIDGE Tony RICHARDS , Julie MUNROE
THAMES Fred BARNS , Tery WADE , Pam DUMBELTON
WHALEBONE John DENYER , Ingrid ROBINSON , Zac ROBINSON
IN REPLY TO :May 5, 2010 at 11:12 pm barking resident comments:
Guess you are very worried by all the Independents standing & support they have or you would not be leaving messages on here !! also guess you dont know about the other blog site for the independents which has been going for a few weeks now !!! (and it’s not barkings true labour) you will have to do your home work to find out as it’s common knowledge with us normal folks that want to vote for a reform to oust labour from barking & dagenham.
unlike you i put my name to my comments
The stench of CORRUPTION now hangs over Barking. Hodge re-elected, and all of her team. But I hear serious questions are now being asked.
Like, why? when a white voter went to the polling station they were totally ignored by the vast numbers of Labour Party tellers on the polling stations, but, when an Asian or Black voter came along either on foot, or one of many getting out of a people carrier did all of the Labour Party tellers flock to them.
I state categorically I am not a racist and anyone knew my famil they would realize that, but why were the white voters in Barking ignored?
There is also I hear a very big question over the number of votes polled by Barking labour members, this mysterious 2000+ in most cases is raises some very real questions.
I cannot wait to see if any of these questions get a truthfull answer
Absolutely priceless! Serious questions being asked, by whom? More a case of you talking to yourself i think.
I tend to find that the people that have to state they are not racist are in fact always racist, or have reacist ideas.
It is obvious that you are closely linked to the independent team and this is a case of stirring and sour grapes.
The pathetic attempt by the so called independents, who in fact were led by ex labour cllrs, some of whom were still in the labour party until april, was seen through by the voting residents.
Questioning the number of votes cast, another priceless comment, now the corruption has spread to the very heart of the council as well. Is the above comment an allegation of vote rigging? The bnp must of missed that, thank goodness someone as sharp as yourself has pointed it out.
The author of the above comments has probably never seen such a high turnout, bacause labour never did the work before. They did this time and the result vindicated everything that has taken place over the last 4/5 years.
Margaret Hodge increased Labour’s majority to over 16,500 from just over 8,800. 51 labour councillors returned, getting rid of 12 bnp cllrs in the process and 2 tories, what a fantastic result.
Us residents listened and did the right thing.
Well done labour
I would just like to thank all the volunteers who travelled across London and in some cases across the country to bring an end to this BNP menace and threat.
They gave up their time selflessly so that Griffin and his rabble could be eliminated. If this is a victory it is a collective one and consequently very much in line with the spirit of collective endeavor associated with the Labour Party.
We were very fortunate to have from thirty to eighty canvassers on weekend day.
I would also like to thank the Unite Against Fascism and Hope Not Hate for their considerable help.
I have never, in all my years been prouder than today and to be a small part of a greater movement. I send my hopes and blessings to all.
Upon visiting my friends in the mob I shall let them know that Griffin and his losers have paid the price for daring to associate the armed forces with their filthy “party”.
Thanks to all those who stood against the BNP.
This is not game, set & match for labour !!
I doubt the votes cast for labour were by real residents, but by that of people shipped in by labour in vast number of people carriers pulling up to polling stations on thursday !!
She must have got the voters that she shipped to barking & dagenham from all the immogration ports !!
I’m sure Nick Griffin will contest this and do his home work to rid us of hodge and her councillors that i think were re-jects from j Kyle chatshow !!
Barking voter, you sad bastard. I am sorry for swearing, but not only are you sad, but, you are sick with it. Look at your spelling, and grammar, you are obviously one of the benefit cadgers who can do nothing else but be a parasite on society.
Look at the results through your free National Health glasses, once more read the words, if you can and the results. Every single Ward elected all three Labour candidates didn’t they? I wrote that slow, because I know you can’t read fast, so you should have got that. Mrs. Margaret Hodge doubled her majority. Got that one did you? People in this Borough are not racist, or fascist like you are, they are good people. If you still don’t like what you read, why then don’t you move somewhere else? Sorry, you can’t can you, for no doubt you are a Council tenant who would have to exchange, but probably the state of your house would negate anyone from wishing to live there. As I predicted, the Independents, lead by Mrs. Rush never even got off the ground, did it? A resounding No. Not even a new, hairdo changed that. So now that all the idle, good for nothing loafers are out of the way lets see the Labour Council come together and unite for the betterment of the Borough. Good luck to you all, and well done Ralph Baldwin for what you said. Dylan
Shipped in from immigration ports, etc. What next, from outer space! Sad and silly person, probably the whole of the Independent lot working as one wrote that derivel.
I did chuckle though. Bet you couldn’t name all the schools you never went to, could you? giggle. Thames resident.
I think it is time for the Tribune to draw a line under this nonsense now. It was started by a disgruntled ex labour councillor who stood as an independent in Thames ward, mr wade.
Even though his colleague mr barnes, former labour councillor in the ward, obtained over 600 votes Mr wade only collected 200+
I think it only fair that mr wade has the last word as he had the first. I am sure that he will acknowledge that the residents, in huge numbers upheld our support for the labour party as a collective not for individuals that put to much worth on themselves as people.
The new labour cllrs will also be judged by us over the next 4 years and if they do not make a good fist of it then democracy will surely happen again.
We have finally moved away from the past and i am sure that we will move into a brighter future, with no complacency.
We listened to the message on the doorstep and voted accordingly. The independents offered us nothing and lost accordingly.
Ralph stephenson and barking voter, you are in a very small minority. You need to wake up and understand that only labour will work for barking & dagenham.
Well this was the bigtest stitch up in our time. Certainly no council ever had all the same party candidates voted in. We are now left with a Communist council under the guise of Labour and no motion will ever be able to be voted against.
God help the residents of this borough now but things could change. Already discrepancies are being found in the voting, give us time and we’ll expose the whole sorry fraudulent process.
Now we sit and watch while the North Street mafia deliver on their promises, promises made to get out a vote.
Watch and see within a very short time there will be an application for a major extension to the Mosque in Barking, a promise made.
Watch and see an application come forward for a Mosque in Becontree Ward, a promise made.
Watch and see an application come forward for a Mosque in Eastbury Ward, a promise made.
Wait and see if an application for a Mosque comes through for Dagenham.
Better have a look at the BBC website before the North street get too carried away with their crowing. Its there in black and white, Barking and Dagenham under investigation for Electoral Fraud.
The issue of dodgy elelctioneering came about because residents conmplained to us about the BNP asking people to fill in forms on the doorstep. We asked the residents to report it to the police immediatly.
The investigation is on-going.
Well Geoff Deal & Dylan aka Barry Poulton & Geddes
your better get home and clean your shitholes of homes up you pair of grotting bastards, barry we all know how you got a family size home from George 2grand Shaw !? as it’s common knowledge on the ground that was his price to get folk a council house, GEORGE BREED CORRUPTION WITHIN THE COUNCIL – YOU ONLY HAVE TO ASK ROY PATIENTS AND HIS OTHER CONRAIDS WITHIN THE COUNCIL TO FIND OUT WHAT HE’S REALLY LIKE!!
I smell CORRUPTION in the biggest way possible by labour – once it’s proven barking & dagenham election will be void.
Think the pushy north street mole has got it wrong about the BNP being investigated. I hear there have been a number of complaints made against the party in Barking.
Should make for interesting reading when the result of that investigation comes out
Serves em bloody right they shouldn’t have made their fiddle that bloody obvious. No brains that lot
Barking voter, still cannot spell eh? Even the basic words. Maybe the cross for voting was just too tricky for you methinks, so reading the names of the candidates was way out of your capabilities. Sorry, I almost forgot you cannot inderstand long words can you? Let me make it easy for you.
You had no hope.
You lost.
You never won. Now sod off, get a job and get a life.
Barking voter. Don’t know where you are coming from, but I can assure you, that I do not know Barry Oulton, or Cameron Geddes, oe even Geoff Deal. Not even Terry Wade, for which I did put out an open challenge for him, though he chose not to accept it. I am not in any way politically joined to any Party, but just got interested in this blog when someone told me about it. I owe nothing to no one just an ordinary voter from Thames View Estate. Dylan
Please note that comments will shortly be closed on this article.
This article on Barking and Dagenham may be of interest to some of you.