Dave Levy explains why he running for the National Constitutional Committee.

The critical issue with the Party’s disciplinary process is to restore trust in its fairness. The rules and their enforcement must offer dignity, respect and make the promises of membership rights a reality.

The Party’s failure to do this is illustrated dramatically by the events of the last few days, but with Morgan McSweeney quitting from the government, let’s hope that his departure will lead to a change in approach in the application of the disciplinary process and remove the impunity with which officers have attacked and removed membership rights. 

The Forde report identified the risk that the process could be used factionally; the reforms since the EHRC report have not removed that risk nor rebuilt a culture of trust.

I am an experienced Party activist, and have acted as a trade union workers’ companion for the last eight years. I am experienced in assessing cases of bullying and discrimination. I have been trained in employment and equality law.

It is difficult to make the necessary offer of independence and good faith judgement for both alleged perpetrators and victims while running on a slate. Despite this, I promise I will act with fairness, consider all the evidence, and take independent advice on the law where necessary.

I am supported by the CLGA and would ask you to vote for me, and my running mates, Rachel Garnham, Caoimhe Ni Dhunaill and Harry Stratton.

Dave Levy is a member of Lewisham North CLP and blogs at https://davelevy.info/blog. He is a member of the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy Executive Committee.

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