It has just been brought to my attention that you have published an internal Socialist Workers’ Party document including my and other signatories, on to a public blog without permission. I would like to make the following clear:As a scrupulously fair blogger, I'm always happy to clarify matters so readers can weigh up the arguments and make their own mind up about the stuff I write and reproduce. However, Penny would have been wiser to take this matter up with Charlie Kimber. After all, he was the one responsible for compiling the list, appending union affiliations without a personal capacity note, and circulating it to hundreds of email addresses. But, as we know, there are too many papers to sell and campaigns to hijack for SWP members to find the time to hold their leaders to account.
a) The signatories who are members of this union continue to support the SWP’s handling of this difficult issue, but would like to make it clear that it would be inappropriate to infer that this means the EIS has a view on it or has a locus in this issue.
b) The signatories that you have published including EIS next to our first names and surname initials, signed the document in a personal capacity and not on behalf of our trade union, the EIS.
If you are not prepared to take down this document from your blog, or remove all references to the EIS, I request that the above is publish the above to make this clear.
Penny Gower, Edinburgh
Friday, 19 April 2013
A Message from the SWP
Remember the 'Lynch mob 500' list of SWP members who were quite happy to go along with their central committee's shameful handling of serious sexual assault allegations? Well, after a couple of months in the public domain the following comment was posted this morning.
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2 comments:
That members of the teachers union in Scotland can support the party in relation to the treatment of this young student's treatment over the rape allegations makes me wonder if they are in fact suitable for the lineof employment they are in.
It's a worry when a teacher uses the word "publish" when surely she should've said "published".
Aside from that, spot on Phil - Penny won't even spend one second hauling Kimber over the coals for the fact that he orchestrated a breach of the Data Protection Act in order to try to make his side look stronger. The SWP CC has been more than willing to violate people's privacy whenever it thinks it has a tactical advantage in doing so. Penny won't ever have anything to say about that though. It's all internal, isn't it, right Penny?
I can understand why Penny is so ashamed though - she probably hoped that her support for the disgusting tactics of the CC could be kept private and secret. If you're a teacher, you're a disgrace to your profession. You're certainly not a socialist, however many times you raise your fist and sing The Internationale.
Socialism is about living a set of beliefs, not about covering up for an investigation where a teenager wasn't allowed to see the counter-evidence but the former National Secretary had hers for weeks. That doesn't bother you, does it Penny?
Anyone who signed the CC's statement isn't bothered by what an absolute fucking disgraceful thing the DC and CC did.
No wonder the only thing Penny Gower can say is that Phil didn't say it was rape apologism in a personal capacity.
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