Fighting fund for MP’s legal battle has raised more than £20k

WILLIAMSON READY TO GO TO COURT AGAINST LABOUR PARTY

A CAMPAIGN to help Derby North MP Chris Williamson take legal action against the Labour Party has raised more than £20,000.

The Campaign for Chris Williamson was set up by his supporters, including high-profile names from the worlds of journalism, academia and film, to challenge his re-suspension by the party, which he claims was unlawful.

The online fundraising campaign says that Mr Williamson could be facing a “long and costly battle” and is looking to raise £75,000 “to help meet costs”.

It adds that any additional money could be used to set up a “legal fighting fund for the Labour Left, defending others who have been maliciously accused and hounded out of the party”.

The court action against Labour has come after Mr Williamson said he was hoping to “overturn the unconstitutional decision” to reimpose his suspension from the “party I love”.

It is understood that court papers have already been filed but Labour has previously said it is confident its rules were followed and that there will be no successful grounds for a challenge.

Mr Williamson was suspended from the Labour Party in February, accused of bringing it “into disrepute” following a controversial speech about anti-Semitism issues plaguing the party.

His suspension was lifted by a sub-committee of the disputes panel of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) on June 26. But within two days, the panel’s decision was overturned and the case was sent to a full meeting of the NEC on July 9.

That meeting sent the dispute back to another three-person subcommittee of the disputes panel, which decided to refer Mr Williamson to the party’s highest disciplinary body, the NCC, which has the power of expulsion.

Members of the Campaign for Chris Williamson, which also numbers Israeli and British academics, include veteran film directors Mike Leigh and Ken Loach, musicians Brian Eno and Roger Waters, journalist John Pilger, actor Miriam Margolyes and comedian Alexei Sayle.

In June, Mr Williamson spoke exclusively to the Derby Telegraph to express how “incredibly hurtful” his suspension had been over what he said were “inaccurate accusations” – just hours after it was revealed that his suspension had been lifted and before he knew it was to be re-imposed.

He said: “Being subject to these grotesque accusations has been a very difficult time and really upsetting.

“The thing that has sustained me has been the support of people in Derby and all four nations of the United Kingdom.”

It is not known when Labour’s NNC will meet to discuss Mr Williamson’s future.

A Labour spokesman previously said: “All of the cases were referred back to the NEC by (general secretary) Jennie Formby following an objection from one of the panel members.

“In line with party rules, the NEC referred every case to a new panel, not just Chris Williamson’s, and each case was treated the same.”