I really can't emphasise enough how extreme a step it is to expel someone from a political party - by all accounts, it only happened *ONCE* in the entirety of Alex Salmond's combined total of *TWENTY YEARS* as SNP leader (he was leader from 1990 to 2000 and again from 2004 to 2014), and that was to Bill Walker, who had been violent towards domestic partners for several decades. It's fair to say that the Alba Party, despite having been led by Mr Salmond himself until only a few weeks ago, are not treating the expulsion option with anything like the same reverence or seriousness - they've been chucking people out like confetti, for the most trivial and laughable of reasons. Some of the people directly involved in my own expulsion still follow me on Twitter as if nothing of any great significance has changed, and so I've been treated over the last couple of days to 'adorable' photos of themselves in party hats showing off their pressies. "Surreal" doesn't begin to cover it, and nor does it cover the fact that having checked my bank account just after midnight (this being the first working day after Christmas), I discovered that Alba have just charged me for another month of membership even though they have deprived me of my membership. OK, I do have an appeal underway, but the rulebook is clear - expulsions take effect immediately regardless of any pending appeal. To continue charging me in these circumstances is, not to put too fine a point on it, absolutely bloody outrageous.
It's not a surprise, though, because I haven't been a member in any real sense since I was arbitrarily suspended at the sole whim of Chris McEleny in September (I haven't even been able to login to the party website since then), and yet they've had no compunction in continuing to charge me in the months since. I am very, very sorely tempted to cancel my direct debit, but I don't want to give them any 'technical' excuses for dismissing my appeal without properly considering it, so I'll hold off until the appeal is completed in early January.
No matter what the outcome of the appeal is, I'm not going to be taking any public stance on whether other people should leave the Alba Party - that's a very personal decision for each individual. But what I would say is that if you do make your own decision to leave Alba, for heaven's sake make very, *very* sure that you cancel your direct debit. I know it's a hassle, but if you don't, it wouldn't surprise me if you still find yourself being charged two years after you leave.
You're not banned. You're suspended until further notice. Leave if you want to.
ReplyDeleteGentle hint, my friend - it's best not to make confident statements of fact when you clearly don't have a blithering clue what you're talking about. There's always quite a high risk of being found out, as you have been in this case. I am not "suspended until further notice". I was in fact expelled from the Alba Party on 5th December, and as clearly stated in the blogpost, that expulsion took effect immediately. I am therefore not in a position to "leave if I want to", because it is physically impossible to leave a party I am not a member of.
DeleteHope this helps. Oh, and take your clueless buffoonery elsewhere in future, there's a good chap.
Anon at 1.55 am is presumably an Alba member, possibly an official. No surprise they do not know what they are talking about. Alba are as good as finished. If the SNP can get their Indy act together 2026 could be memorable. Confrontation with Westminster is inevitable. Been saying so for several years. Get to it. Energy should be the first point of confrontation.
DeleteMy prediction for HR 26 %
DeleteSnp 32
LAB 28
Reform 13
Tories 10
Greens 8
Fibs 7
Alba/others 2
What about tonight’s Euromillions numbers?
DeleteJust as an interested observer - technically, if you've appealed against expulsion would that not put your Alba membership into some sort of 'holding' status which would mean that you're neither in nor out until the outcome of your appeal was decided?
DeleteNo. I checked that. The rules clearly state that any penalty the Disciplinary Committee imposes takes effect immediately, unless it's a relatively short suspension (in the latter case it can be deferred pending the appeal).
DeleteFor the first poster to respond at 155am would suggest insomnia in USA or maybe someone whose really doesn’t like you.
DeleteMaybe Shannon Donoghue and Chris Cullen are on holiday in Florida.
DeleteIf you are unambiguously expelled and if they find in your favour would that mean that you would have to re - apply for membership again. or is there a provision for automatic re-admission
DeleteAs far as I know if the appeal is upheld my membership would be automatically restored. I'm not holding my breath, but theoretically that's what would happen.
DeleteJames, I'm sorry to hear this but, like you, not surprised.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind this is no different to a plumber asking for a deposit and then refusing to do the job. But, If the membership fee is loosely defined or included in the accounts under party donations they probably feel they can get away with it. I don't know, apologies for speculating without the full facts but I feel pretty aggrieved on your behalf!
How you proceed is, of course, entirely up to you. What I would say though is don't let this whole episode be your Dugdale moment. I think it's fair to say Campbell's saga had a lot more at stake financially but you can't put a price on your mental health. Those of us who've followed Wings for many years can see the difference pre and post Dugdale.There's been a change of focus, and it's not been healthy or constructive.
All the best, James. Look after yourself.
The Alba Party leaders remind me of a little gang of 10 year olds with their own den constructed in a rubbish dump where they ruled over their minions with a rule of iron while taking their pocket money and wating their sweeties.
DeleteAs far as any comparison between this and Campbell's obsession with Dugdale is concerned, there are obviously numerous differences - a) Campbell needlessly instigated proceedings against Dugdale, whereas it was Mr McEleny and co who maliciously came after me, b) Campbell wasted (at least) tens of thousands of pounds of other people's money on the legal action, whereas I haven't spent a penny, c) Campbell was subject to a fair legal process whereas the process I have been subjected to has been manifestly unfair, d) Campbell had his day in court (multiple days, actually) whereas I had twelve minutes, and e) Campbell hubristically assumed he couldn't lose, whereas I knew from the outset the dice were loaded and I couldn't win.
DeleteAs for whether this will change me, though, and whether the 'before' and 'after' difference will be apparent, yes it will. It already has changed me. I have been betrayed and trampled all over by people pursuing their own naked political self-interest, and that is bound to leave a mark. Alex Salmond was for many years the closest thing I had to a political hero, but I'm 90% sure he must have signed off on my expulsion before his death, and as with the others, the motivation will have been expediency. That has disoriented me, to put it mildly, but I think ultimately it will help me to see the political situation in Scotland in a clearer perspective than I previously did. In other words, I expect the impact of this episode on me to be constructive, rather than the destructive impact the Dugdale episode had on Campbell.
A good summary. The charges do seem trumped up, what's the real reason for wanting you out?
DeleteI mean is it just because you wanted more voting structures within the party? Is that it? Seems such a weak excuse.
"I mean is it just because you wanted more voting structures within the party?"
DeleteUltimately that's what it goes back to, yes. Which is odd, because there was a built-in anti-reform majority on the Constitution Review Group, so I was being outvoted anyway. They couldn't even cope with the existence of one or two dissenting voices.
If that's it, what a joke.
DeleteYou're better off out. If it can't take that level of discussion without lashing out, it's not going to be a force of any note.
DE FACTO NOW
ReplyDeleteAgree. With yes above 60% in some polls it’s obvious we have the numbers.
DeleteSwinney needs to show guts and go for it.
It’s becoming increasingly clear indy support is well above 50% now.
DeleteSurely this is the time to go for a de facto.
Agree totally.
Delete'Betrayal Path' is an anagram of 'The Alba Party'.
ReplyDeleteHeal, Bath Party!
DeleteI would expect nothing less from the bunch of Jockhaggist extremists
ReplyDeleteThere should.have been an amnesty when Alex died.
ReplyDeleteIll served prolonging this with no proper reason.
Dunno. if they expell you they should have the grace to not take money from you.
ReplyDeleteI think this is fair criticism and demonstrates the tinpot nature of the party.
You do seem to work extraordinarily hard to exclude Alex Salmond's influence and personnel selections from the party he formed and made the rules for, is that what you call blind loyalty or something you prefer not to admit in case you lose most of your readers?
ReplyDeleteDon't think he does this at all.
DeleteStrange post.
It might be that December's payment is for November, I'm wondering.
ReplyDeleteI have that trying to cancel the gym! Make you pay an extra month.
Or it could be they can't delete as you're under appeal so it would colour the objectivity of the process. *laughs off seat in irony, I know.
He's in the midst of an unfair appeal process at this very moment.
ReplyDeleteNot like he's bringing up past squabbles.
Completely entitled to speak to current events, as anyone would.
The above was a reply to a comment from "Willie", which I've deleted. I'd be grateful if Willie would stop doing this, because repeatedly telling someone in the middle of an appeals process to "give it up" and "move on" is not only inappropriate - it's downright weird.
DeleteThey're still sending me membership emails even though I resigned and cancelled by DD months ago
ReplyDeleteI certainly wouldn’t be paying membership fees if I was expelled from the party. First thing I’d have done was cancel the direct debit!
ReplyDeleteNice try at trolling (do I detect a slight hint of KC in the writing style?), but that point was directly addressed above. I can't cancel the direct debit until the appeal is concluded, because I don't want to give them any 'technical' excuse for refusing to consider my appeal properly.
DeleteOK. So what we have it seems is (from a HoC Briefing Paper):
ReplyDelete"6. Membership fees
Political parties are private organisations that can charge membership fees. These fees are not subject to any rules."
So it may well come under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 though Scotland can be different as some things may not apply to Scotland; and in general consumer rights including subscriptions is a bit of a mess still, even after all these years, though the UK Governments pretend to be taking action to sort it out next millennium.
You would of course expect a political party of any description to have policies on this - if empowered in any way by being in government, coalition or opposition, they should be representing their constituents. Clearly in your case Alba fail miserably on this and would therefore not be suitable for election where representation of the public would be required.
In general to borrow a phrase as I can't be bothered trying to find better any longer,
"a service must conform to any information the trader provides about it, either in writing or verbally".
If you're not getting the service, you shouldn't be charged for it - this would be unfair trading.
Which I think personally is a massive blot on the reputation of any political party. If they can't even treat members fairly, how on earth can they be expected to represent constituents? Like, ever?
Vichy France changed the national motto from "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" to "Work, Family, Fatherland". Bearing in mind Alba's prevailing internal culture, a motto like "Obedience, Discipline, Submission" might be just the ticket. How inspiring for prospective new members!
ReplyDelete"Unquestioning" or "Mindless" could fit in there, but the SNP are the same. We will tell you what to think DON'T ARGUE WITH US.
DeleteYi2 - you left the snp. Your choice. Unless you were thrown out which would prove your point.
ReplyDeleteThanks for proving my point. You forget to say "Baaaaaaa".
DeleteYou didn’t forget though, did you? Silly billy.
DeleteNo I didn't forget. I did try to do some thinking for the SNP but all they said was "Baaaaaa". The SNP lost 65,000 people who didn't.
DeleteLoving your work. You tried to do some thinking for the SNP. :) And your best shot is baaaaa. Yep sounds about right. Well done.
DeleteIf you are actually SNP which I doubt, you're a very poor and cowardly Anon advert for the SNP and a very badly visible symptom of precisely what's wrong with the SNP - and why they lost 65,000 members and 500,000 voters this year.
DeleteArrogance and a sense of entitlement while doing nothing for Independence.
My beloved friends, I do hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.
ReplyDeleteNot bad, Zulfs.
DeleteSNP, will survive.
ReplyDeleteWhen I find myself in times of trouble, Honest John comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, SNP.
DeleteSNP SNP SNP SNP
DeleteWhisper words of wisdom, SNP
From the river to the sea, SNP SNP SNP.
DeleteJames, leave them to it.
ReplyDeleteI get your point of principle but I am not sure they will be around much longer for your process to complete.
It's like the thick of it with the nutters.
I think it's worth a final try. Either they suddenly see sense having read the articles and comments, or they dwindle into absolute nothingness.
DeleteAs far as it goes I was neutral to Alba, they were supposedly another pro-indy party, but after this I'd never even think of voting for them.