With the toxic anti-semitism row and the Labour party divided it seemed that things couldn’t get worse for the comrades, or could they?
Many Labour MPs are said to be in disbelief after former Militant leader Derek Hatton was recently readmitted to the party. Labour has allowed Derek Hatton back into the party even though he has questioned whether the anti-semitism crisis exists and backed former London Mayor, Ken Livingstone, when he was suspended over his controversial views on Israel.
Mr Hatton was a member of Labour’s Trotskyist Militant Tendency and is a former deputy leader of Liverpool council. He was kicked out of the party by Neil Kinnock in 1986 for breaching party rules by setting an illegal council budget.
News that the Militant Tendency tearaway had been readmitted to Labour after 34 years arose on the same day that seven MPs walked out over Jeremy Corbyn’s questionable approach to anti-Semitism and Brexit.
https://www.otsnews.co.uk/labour-party-institutionally-antisemitic-claims-disgruntled-liverpool-mp/
Mr Hatton faced heavy disparagement in the 1980s for running an illegitimate budget at the council, demanding that Margaret Thatcher’s government made up the deficit. Although unemployment and insufficiency were extensive, Hatton’s illegal budget, expenditure beyond income and gamble that the government would make up the £30m overspend proved disastrous. Nonetheless, other councils affected by central government grant cuts managed to set legal budgets. Liverpool Council notoriously hired taxis to deliver redundancy notices to its own workers.
Debt attributed to Hatton/Militant was finally cleared 15 years later, in 2001. The interest rate paid over this time amounted to 57%. Final repayment of the “Militant loans” by Liverpool council was made in 2001 – 15 years after they were first organised. Loans totalling £100m were arranged through intermediaries backed by foreign banks, including from Switzerland and Japan, in 1986. They were concluded in a number of payments adding up to £157m.
From outspoken left-winger championing the poor to a self-seeking full-blown capitalist.
Later on, Hatton ran a property company in Cyprus and spent time living in a plush £1.5million villa with a swimming pool and an outlook over the sea. He’s also dabbled as a motivational speaker, broadcaster and been a chairman of a media company.
Inflammatory comments about Israel
Dudley North MP Ian Austin emphasised a tweet Mr Hatton posted in 2012, in which he wrote: “Jewish people with any sense of humanity need to start speaking out publicly against the ruthless murdering being carried out by Israel!”
Mr Austin said: “Keen to address the Jewish community’s concerns and widespread worries that the Labour Party has been taken over by a sectarian hard-left faction, the party yesterday readmitted Derek Hatton.”
Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden also mocked the decision to readmit Mr Hatton. Above a message showing the announcement, he posted: “And in an effort to reach out and show inclusive leadership.”
Mr Hatton says he was “inspired” to return by Mr Corbyn’s leadership and branded the seven MPs who left the party as “pathetic”.
Previously, Labour’s racism woes increase as one of their councillors posted anti-Jewish comments.
A Labour councillor quit the party over an anti-Semitic post on social media claiming Jews drink blood and sexually abuse children. See also.
Joan Ryan, who headed the Labour Friends of Israel, announced late Tuesday that after four decades in the party she was leaving Labour to sit with the newly formed Independent Group in Parliament.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/eighth-lawmaker-quits-uks-labour-over-anti-semitism-and-brexit/
It seems that valid concerns are being highlighted in the media on a daily basis, regarding growing racism within this increasingly troubled political party. Amongst Hatton’s supporters is the Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson. He said of Hatton.
“Sensible socialism, that’s where I would class Hatton today.”
Some have also wondered if Mr Hatton could run as Joe Anderson’s successor as Liverpool’s Mayor.
Addendum:
Only just back in and suspended already
The media are reporting that Hatton has been suspended for the anti-Israel tweet highlighted above.
The tweet said: “Jewish people with any sense of humanity need to start speaking out publicly against the ruthless murdering being carried out by Israel.”
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