Forum Topic

Why will Hounslow Labour Group not stand by their colleague?

On another thread an individual poster, presuming to speak on behalf of the Hounslow Labour Group, made a nasty personal attack on Councillor Theo Dennison - elected ward member for Syon, Chair of the Planning Committee and until recently a member of the Cabinet.Amongst other things, he offered what purported to be an informed explanation for Councillor Dennison's demotion from the Cabinet.The individual concerned is not a member of the Hounslow Labour Group, not a councillor, not a resident of Hounslow and, depending upon whom one believes, maybe not even a member of the Labour Party.I asked at the time whether any member of the Hounslow Labour Group wished to disassociate themselves, and the Group, from the remarks.  Theo, as is his very honourable but irritating wont, responded in haste to defend his colleagues and to mitigate their lack of support for him by protesting that they never post on this forum (is this attributable to a medical condition?).Within minutes he was further undermined by a member of the Hounslow Labour Group, in fact a Cabinet member, who did indeed post on the forum, not to defend her colleague but to heap compliments upon the man who had abused him.  No disassociation by the Hounslow Labour Group was made from the comments posted by the non-councillor, non-resident and possible non-member.As a local resident and as a constituent of Councillor Dennison I would like to know whether my ward councillor is going to receive the support of his colleagues on this matter.  Or, if not, I would appreciate an explanation as to what power this non-resident wields over the local party which renders them unwilling to challenge a personal attack by him upon one of their own colleagues.

Phil Andrews ● 4695d20 Comments

I think the 'difference of opinion' could be resolved by looking at the facts.  I suggested Robin or anyone else could post his membership number and I would regretfully then have to withdraw my statement that he is not a member.  However, since I checked the full list of members in both LB hounslow and Ealing in 2010 and he was not on either - until I hear otherwise I'll stick with that.As for campaigning, perhaps I was too dismissive when I asked him or others to prove a positive contribution.  I do know he was organising some campaign activity in 2010 in Isleworth and Hounslow as part of Ann Keen's campaign because he rang me (the only time we have spoken). I don't know of any other activity before or since.  Either way, since my own views on Ann Keen's refusal to stand down as a Labour candidate are known, I am still minded to stick with a query as to whether anything he did had a positive influence.  Certainly his style and prejudices have no place in decent or effective campaigns - that at least has been shown.As for leaflets, as you know in any election all leaflets and electoral spending has to be authorised by the agent or if there isn't one appointed, the candidate - whether the party is as you say 'authoritarian' or not.  Robin Taylor had no influence on any leaflet that was authorised by me as the agent for Labour's local election campaign and never will - and if any leaflets did have his stamp on it then I would conclude it was either authorised by my colleague Steve Curran as Ann's agent, would have carried his official imprint, and should not have made reference to any named local election candidate or it was produced without authorisation which would have been an election offence placing Robin Taylor and any candidate involved in jeopardy.

Theo Dennison ● 4690d

You have put that very well Theo, but the "difference of opinion" with Sue is not really any such thing because you take two opposite positions on two issues of fact - namely whether Robin is a member of the party and whether he has contributed to Labour campaigns in Hounslow.  You say he isn't and hasn't whilst Sue says he is and has.  One of you has to be wrong.Because of your honesty on other matters I would prefer to believe you but quite apart from my own experiences of Isleworth campaigns, which have his stamp written all across them, I am inclined to think that Sue is better placed to know what has gone on in Isleworth ward than your good self, just as you would be in a better positon than her to know what has occurred in Syon.This leads to the question of what role the party itself has played.  Labour is by comparison with others an authoritarian party and I will take some convincing that the content of leaflets that have circulated in Isleworth, as indeed any ward, will have not been approved at a higher level.So we have political material in one ward written or at least inspired by Robin and authorised by the party.  Then we have Ruth telling us that she doesn't know the man only for us then to discover that they are actually mates.  This coupled with her publicly declared view that telling lies in politics is acceptable, and the fact that one can see from his Facebook page that he in fact has several friends in the Hounslow Labour Group, would tend any reasonable person towards the view that your portrayal of him as a person who wields no influence in the borough is, regrettably, so much wishful thinking.I am grateful for your rejection of the Taylor brand of politics, which serves only to stir up disharmony in my community and achieves no political objective (unless of course stirring up disharmony is the objective).  As an electoral strategist it will not have escaped your notice that the swing that Labour achieved against the ICG in 2010 was considerably greater in Syon than in Isleworth, which would appear to vindicate your method over the Taylor method.Speaking personally I would prefer to lose heavily to an honest and decent campaign than less heavily to a nasty one, because bridges are more easily repaired afterwards.Reading this post Robin will have no sense of regret, but rather will be chuffed with the belief that he has "wound me up" because this is the kind of thing that pleases his infantile mind.  He will not share my anger over the damage that his campaigns do to community relations in Isleworth because Isleworth is not his community and because he sees cohesion issues only in terms of the advantages he believes they can bring to his party.  In my view he doesn't give a damn for good community relations beyond that, and indeed prefers to keep some members of the community in a state of perpetual fear as a means of political control.Neither will his personal vanity permit him to understand that this debate is not about him, but rather about the Hounslow Labour Group and what message its apparent endorsement of his ways sends out to the rest of us.In closing Theo I am not quite sure what you mean by me condemning people for their pasts, and this would seem a particularly dumb thing for me of all people to do.  But it occurs to me that when somebody has done something in the past that they now acknowledge to have been wrong the sensible thing to do would be to say so publicly, so that a line can be drawn.  Your own optimistic posts excepted, I am seeing nothing coming from the Labour Group in Hounslow which acknowledges previous mistakes and a whole lot which appears to compound them.

Phil Andrews ● 4690d