Derek Hatton SUSPENDED from Labour Party just TWO DAYS after former militant re-admitted
DEREK Hatton has been suspended from the Labour Party only two days after his readmission.
Derek Hatton suspended from Labour two days after readmission
The controversial former deputy leader of Liverpool City Council in the 1980s was given the green light to rejoin the Labour Party on Monday, 34 years after he was expelled by the then-party leader Neil Kinnock. But on Wednesday he was told he had been suspended again pending an investigation into a message shared on Twitter in 2012. 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.”
The decision to readmit Mr Hatton had been criticised by senior members of the party.
Barry Gardiner, Labour MP for Brent North, told the Commons on Wednesday afternoon he had "lodged a formal complaint" against Mr Hatton.
Labour MP Neil Coyle asked: "Does he share my view that Derek Hatton has no part to play in our Labour Party?"
Mr Gardiner replied: "This morning I saw the reports about not just the readmission of Derek Hatton but the tweets he has mentioned.
"I wrote to the general secretary of our party, I lodged a formal complaint.
"I understand that action has since been taken in respect of the complaint and I'm sure that I will be looking out to see precisely what appropriate action is taken in due course.
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Derek Hatton backs Corbyn as he rejoins Labour after 34 years
"I totally agree with you. I think it was a travesty that, at least I think many of us knew for some while that he had applied to rejoin the party, but for the news of his readmission to come to public attention on the very day when some members of our party were forced out - I think it was appalling."
He was also criticised for belonging to Trotskyist group Militant, which in the 1980s took Liverpool by storm.
Following his brief readmission, Mr Hatton criticised the shock wave of resignations of Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Ann Coffey and Gavin Shuke.
He told BuzzfeedUK: "Very, very selfish, very hypocritical. And as far as I'm concerned now they should all resign and call by-elections."