By our correspondent SOME OF the expelled and suspended Lambeth councillors are taking legal action to defend themselves against serious allegations made by Labour's environment spokesperson Jack Straw.
In January, Straw issued a press release following the allegations about Lambeth's Direct Labour Organisations (DLOs). He stated, 'We defer to no one in our determination operate to the highest standards, that fraud, corruption and mismanagement are rooted out wherever they occur - and those responsible are brought to book. Labour evidence has been available.
"This we did in Liverpool, and in Lambeth in 1991 when 13 members of the council wert expelca treat the Lal bour group, and a new leadership was installed, which then ordered the current investiga tion and report from the Chief When the councillors threatcaca igal acton, suraw or fered an apology. He regretted any distress that he may have "inadvertently' caused saying it was not his 'intention' to suggest that any of the 13 were guilty of illegality.
However, two days after the press release an interview Jack Straw: "Trots are corrupt' appeared in Tnbune in which Straw said 'I'm damned if we are going to be tarred with the brush of Lambeth, especially as we cetted out 13 semiTrotskyist councillors. It is since the new leadership has been installed that action has been taken.
'We'll be using Lambeth to remind people of the error of ultra-left politics. It is no surprise to me that, in both Liverpool and Lambeth, corruption and Trotskvism went hand in hand.' Straw's defence is that he was justified in what he said!
That this statement appeared two days after the apology meant that some of the tinue the legal action.
The suspensions and expulsions had nothing to do with corruption. The NEC witchhunted councillors who voted against poll tax, cuts and the gulf war. They are not only "not guilty of illegality' but have a record of opposing misruption in the council. tional Committoe hearing considering the case against Cilr Steve French, Larry Whitty declared that he rocognised his "important achievements" in rooting out alleged corruption when French was Chair of the DLO. The local Tories said that they 'could not fault his Auditor (no fan of left-wing councillors), suggests the witch-hunt was part of Lambeth's problems.
His recent report states "...in March 1991 a number of memruling party. This left the political balance of the council in an unstable situation and has increased the difficulty of managing the authority.
The councillors are considering libel proceedings to force Straw to make a full retraction which restores their • Further information from: "Lambeth Against the Witch-hunt', 56 Ashby House, London, SW9 7SL.