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Blairite MPs' attacks on Labour Party staff unacceptable, Unite members of the party declare

LABOUR PARTY employees have declared via their union that attacks on them by Blairite MPs are unacceptable, the Star can reveal.

On Friday evening Unite members at the party’s London and Newcastle offices condemned a “trial by media” of party employees.

A motion, which was overwhelmingly passed, drew attention to several right-wing Labour MPs who had publicly criticised staff members over the past week over cases related to anti-semitism complaints.

On Wednesday last week, Ilford North MP Wes Streeting claimed that Thomas Gardiner, who heads Labour’s governance and legal unit, was “unfit to hold public office.”

The attack came after Labour grandee Lord Falconer had called it “beyond mad” that Laura Murray, an aide to Labour leader Jeremy Corybn, had been appointed to monitor complaints at the party’s Southside headquarters.

Since Labour employees cannot publicly respond to comments made about them in the media, the attacks are considered by workers to be a breach of trust.

The motion said: “All members of Labour Party staff work incredibly hard in support of the party and do not deserve to be attacked or bullied in public, least of all by Labour MPs.

“Staff are accountable to party management through formal structures and should therefore not be subjected to trial by media for decisions made by the party’s senior management.

“Attacks on one or more members of staff are an attack on every member of staff as they put us all at risk of public criticism in the media and abuse on social media, without any public right of reply.”

The motion urged MPs to “respect and uphold the values and beliefs of the party,” and stop all public attacks, adding: “The cause of protecting and advancing the cause of workers is essential to the Labour Party’s very being, and the party must do its utmost to protect staff from being named or criticised in the public domain, and offer them support if it occurs.”

The workers voted to make sure that every Labour MP is aware of this motion and to ensure that union representatives would inform Labour’s chief whip if attacks continue.

The Star contacted Mr Streeting and Lord Falconer to ask if they would respect the wishes of the workers.

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