This European Constituency Labour Party has condemned the actions of its MEP Ken Coates, supporting his expulsion from the Party — surprising for a left wing constituency. Our October GC unanimously supported Ken’s view that the PR system proposed by the Government was wrong. But neither then nor later did Ken tell us about his decision not to agree to the new code of conduct.
At the November meeting Ken was criticised for his tactics, about reports that he would not stand for election again, and especially about his total lack of consultation with his local Party. Asked explicitly to give an assurance that he would consult Party officers in advance if he was considering any important political action he refused.
Then in the December 28th Observer, Ken Coates and Hugh Kerr advocated standing “protest candidates” against the Party, saying that they were “consulting” Party members about this. The next day Ken sent members a letter and questionnaire telling us he wasn’t going to stand for selection as a Labour candidate, and asking members to say if they thought “protest candidates” should stand against Labour in the coming elections.
An emergency EC and GC followed to call Ken to account. Before Christmas, he and Hugh Kerr had told the President of the European Parliament they were leaving the European Socialist Group, joining the Green Group with immediate effect. Ken also wrote to Pauline Green asking to sit in the Socialist Group as an “Independent Labour member”.
Ken has deprived us of our Labour MEP. We won’t tolerate a member who shows total contempt for his local Party, not informing let alone consulting us on matters of fundamental importance. We are also not prepared to have a local elected representative of the Party poaching Party members, and calling in the local press for voters not to vote Labour.