#WeStandWithMarc and call for the NEC to reverse the National Constitutional Committee’s (NCC) decision to expel Marc Wadsworth from the Labour Party and reinstate his membership of the Labour Party immediately

We, the undersigned, Activists and Community Campaigners call on the NEC to reverse the NCC’s decision to expel Marc Wadsworth from the Labour Party, based on the assertion that two breaches of the Labour Party Rule 2.1.8. were proved at the Panel’s Investigation on Wednesday 25/4/18.  We have reviewed the video footage several times and concur with the evidence in support of Marc Wadsworth, given to the Panel by David Rosenberg, Clive Lewis MP, Keith Vaz MP and Chris Williamson MP.  Mr Williamson said the decision:  “flies in the face of evidence presented and offends against the principles of natural justice … and tramples on the Labour Party’s record of standing up for fairness”.

Marc Wadsworth is a veteran Labour Party activist and anti-racist campaigner.  He contributed to the Party through the Black Sections which was responsible for successful engagement with the Black Community. He co-founded the Anti-Racist Alliance which made critical contributions to Race Relations. He supported the Stephen Lawrence Campaign and brokered a meeting between Stephen’s parents and Nelson Mandela.  The charge of antisemitism, is particularly offensive in view of a lifetime’s work fighting for racial equality and justice.

At the launch of Sharmi Chakrabarti’s Report into antisemitism and other forms of racism in June 2016, Marc Wadsworth stated:  “I saw the Telegraph handed a copy of a press release to Ruth Smeeth, MP so you can see who is working hand in hand”.  (https://ind.pn/2jm6zNu  This statement does not bring the Labour Party into disrepute. It was an observation of fact. The heckling “how dare you”, caught on video, unfortunately seems to suggest that a Black man should not dare question a White woman’s actions.  We believe that the Labour Party is 100% committed to rooting out racism in all its forms and should therefore investigate Afriphobia, Institutional Racism and the intimidation of Minority Members in the Labour Party.

We call on the NEC to meet with Community Leaders and Activists to hear our concerns about the perception that supporters of Jeremy Corbyn have been targeted and smeared in a bid to exclude them from the Party. We seek the immediate re-instatement of Marc Wadsworth into the Labour Party. We demand that the recommendations of the Chakrabarti Report are implemented immediately and that all Party Officers are given race and diversity training in order to ensure that no other member is subjected to this treatment.

In the interim, to ensure a legal challenge of Marc Wadsworth’s expulsion from the Labour Party, a Crowd Funding Appeal has been set up, to cover legal costs.  We hope the funds will not be needed. The outpouring of public support means the legal fund has reached almost £25,000! (https://bit.ly/2EHwaJC We urge all to donate.  A representative poll of 3,000 people has put public opposition to the expulsion at more than 94 per cent: https://bit.ly/2KxIHTg

We look forward to hearing from you with meeting dates, so we can discuss how Labour Party, which champions social justice for “the many, not the few” can avoid alienating grassroots supporters.