Today is a big day for the Alba Party's General Secretary, Chris McEleny, because he's standing as his party's candidate in the Gourock by-election. So this may be as good a day as any to post an update on my own personal situation, which was set in train at Mr McEleny's whim rather a long time ago now. By my calculation, it is now 44 days since he unilaterally suspended my party membership, a decision which he justified with extremely vague objections about the contents of posts on this blog and also unspecified posts on social media (presumably Twitter, because that's the only social media presence I have at the moment).
The suspension is supposedly "pending a disciplinary hearing", but that has still not taken place. It was originally set for 17th October, but it was indefinitely postponed after Alex Salmond's sudden death, and I have heard nothing since. Now, I have no problem with the fact that a postponement was inevitable - everybody needed space to grieve. But what I absolutely *do* have a problem with is the fact that my arbitrary suspension remains in force at Mr McEleny's whim during this increasingly lengthy delay, even though I am still being charged on a monthly basis for a party membership I do not actually have (I'm blocked from even viewing the contents of the party website). I'm not the first Alba member that Mr McEleny has casually left in purgatory in this way, and on those previous occasions there was no satisfactory explanation.
I would also note that the need for time and space to grieve has not precluded Mr McEleny and his supporters from running a full-throated by-election campaign in Gourock. I would suggest that if it's got to the point where a by-election campaign is perfectly feasible, a disciplinary hearing should also be perfectly feasible.
Mr McEleny has totally ignored almost every email I've sent him during this Kafkaesque process. However, I know he monitors this blog, so let me say this to him directly. The situation you have created is totally unacceptable. It was unacceptable right from the start, but it's even more so after *44 days*. Please resolve it in one of the two following ways. Either -
a) Lift my arbitrary suspension
or
b) Immediately set a new date in the near future for the disciplinary hearing
And if you refuse to do either of those things, at the very least stop charging me for my "membership" and refund me for the last two months. Many thanks.
James, I do realise that they just want you to resign but I can't say I would want to be a member of a party that treats you like that.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that more than one membership is hanging by a thread pending the resolution of your problem. Grouser
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised 😮. Not me.
DeleteThis is a breach of natural justice which requires that the defendant in a disciplinary case is given an opportunity to be heard and present his defence against charges levelled against him within a reasonable timeframe.
ReplyDeleteAn arbitrary and open ended suspension without a hearung is unreasonable IMO and will be a ground of appeal in due course.
Why waste time and energy on fighting to remain within such a demonstrably undemocratic party?
ReplyDeleteThat's what they said about Monty.
DeleteWhy cling to this party , you obviously have problems with it , you won't be the first to leave.
ReplyDeleteI have problems with *it*? *It*, or at least the person who in practice runs *it*, has problems with me, and that's the beginning and the end of the story. I've made clear over and over again that I intend to remain an active member of Alba indefinitely if Mr McEleny and co would simply leave me in peace to get on with it (although admittedly that looks highly unlikely).
DeleteHonest question: what does success look like? McEleny gives you a hearing, you argue your case, your suspension is lifted, he comes out weakened and you resume your membership in a party whose heart and soul died the other week, and whose most active insider has a sharpened grudge for you?
DeleteI agree with IfS on this one. You can only expect more trouble. And really, for what? A party that will fail, yet again, to get elected even in McEleny's own home patch.
I don't see how he'd be weakened if my suspension is lifted, I think both he and the whole party would be significantly strengthened because it would be a long-overdue sign that the party is returning to fairness and due process, and without that Alba is going to struggle to retain members in the long-term. A large party of government like the SNP can to some extent get away with trampling all over its members, but in a small party people are eventually going to turn to each other and say "actually, what's the point?"
DeleteI'll be interested to see what Mr McEleny's result in Gourock is. I was really surprised that he didn't seem to bring any personal vote to the table at all on the previous occasions he stood as an Alba candidate, but the bubble effect of a by-election campaign may have given him a greater opportunity to remind people that he is a former councillor and former group leader.
For such an intelligent individual your point of view here is irrational and verging on bizarre. That sounds harsh but Alba is profoundly undemocratic and there is no basis for believing it will change. McEleny will not win the election today, and Alba have no prospect of winning any seats at any level in any election. Few people know of McElmeny which ironically may be no bad thing. Consider going back into SNP and working from within to improve things.
DeleteThe test is not whether he wins or not, even he is unlikely to believe he's going to win. But if he finished third and got 15% of the vote, that would be a decent result.
Delete15% in the type of election where he is most prominent? Doubt if he will get that. If he does, I suspect he will feel emboldened which could be bad news for you James. In a S G E Alba is not going to get near the 5 to 6 per cent needed for list seats. I feel your talent is being wasted. But wish you well either way.
DeleteOf course McEleny's weakened if he loses a fight he picked, which he has already won. Sheesh.
DeleteAsk him for the form to stand as General Secretary. Start collecting nominations. Campaigning for votes.
There is no form to fill in to stand as General Secretary, because it's not possible to stand as General Secretary. It's an appointed position. That was one of the things I was trying to change when I was an elected member of the Constitution Review Group, until Mr McEleny and others had me unconstitutionally removed from that position.
DeleteI know, I know, it's almost comical.
Maybe you should join another party while you're waiting, and see if they treat you like Craig Murray.
DeleteI saw yesterday that Brian Topping had left Alba and rejoined the SNP. My advice to you would be to do something similar.
ReplyDeleteToo much advice. I would advise you not to listen to them. Be like Monty.
DeletePython.
DeleteYou haven't been calling for the head of Nicola Sturgeon enough, do that and you're golden
ReplyDeleteWhat idiots if you do. Sometimes you have to move on in life. Divert you attention on the labour and tory parties and you may still have a chance of being a political party in 2 years. I said party not a political force. I suspect McEleny could lose another deposit. Still that will be Nicola Sturgeon MSP's fault.
DeleteI didn't know that anyone in the Alba hierarchy was related to Salmond, and he's been dead for three weeks.
ReplyDeleteIn fairness Salmond's niece is a member of the Conduct Committee, but it would hardly be unusual for one person to skip a meeting for personal reasons. (And remember James himself is a member of the Conduct Committee, and he'll be forced to sit this one out!)
DeleteSalmond's sister is or used to be Convenor of Alba Scottish Borders and also on the Conference Committee
DeleteI'll bet she eats rice krispies with a fork
DeleteAnon at 4:45 pm ... wot you on aboot?
DeleteShe’s a typical Salmond
DeleteI eat my peas with honey, I've done it all my life. It makes the peas taste funny, but it keeps them on the knife.
DeleteYou should probably use sweet, tasty glue.
DeleteI guess that Alba Party continuum is the Alexander Salmond Remembrance Society. Perhaps they hold seances with a ouija board to come up with party policy.
DeleteS Milligan: that disgusts me more than a sewer rat appearing in a 2* Michelin restaurant. Or a customer being the victim of a drive-buy shooting at a supermarket
DeleteMaybe back to the SNP James? And try to help that party move in the right direction...
ReplyDeleteWouldn't that be like going round in circles?
DeleteAttempts to reform the SNP from within the SNP failed so it made sense to try something else.
The SNP today shows no signs of being more reformable than it was a few years ago. Many of those who tried previously were among the tens of thousands who have left the Party so you could argue there's an even lower chance of it being a success.
All too true.
DeleteMy fear for the SNP is that they're stuck in a Catch-22 paradox. To remove the current leadership requires reform, and reform requires a different leadership.
My fear for the alternative parties is that if even Alex Salmond's party couldn't get elected, what chance has anyone else?
We are in a bind, all right. As amusing as it is to look at US Democrats today as they wring their hands about how categorically humped they are, at least the odds are good Trump's lot will screw things up again and they'll get back in power in 2 to 4 years, if not 8. But who's to say Nicola's lot won't still control the SNP or any other indy party (not the Greens) will have even won a seat by then? We are locked out, not just beaten.
Interesting pitch McEleny made to the people of Gourock:
ReplyDeleteChris McEleny (Alba)
I don’t need 250 words to tell you why you should vote for me; I only need these five key points.
First, a vote for me is a vote for a 5 per cent council tax cut…
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/gourocks-five-election-candidates-final-110000018.html
Would have thought he'd at least mention independence. Nope. He (and therefore Alba) doesn't even come across as left of centre.
Christ. If any SNP candidate failed to mention independence in their pitch, McEleny would be the first to scream blue murder at them.
DeleteIt sounds like Mr McEleny is a sparry-hieded rocket who is more likely to break your door down and have fuckin at yi than discuss constitutional issues, or anything, in depth or even superficially.
DeleteI wonder if Andy Swan voted for him today.
DeleteScotland voted against Trump in every single constituency in 2016. I was so proud of this.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, Trump was again rejected resoundingly in the 2017 (71%) and 2019 (75%) UK elections.
My world is peopled with fantasy figures
DeleteMy only contact with McEleny was at a hustings for depute in Greenock (him, Smith, Sheppard and Robertson), and he seemed reasonable enough.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, OT, a greatly under-reported major milestone but also worthy of media checking in its own right, to ensure radioactive material is already off-site as safety is the major importance:
https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/babcock-veolia-in-first-dismantling-of-uk-nuclear-submarine/
And in another slightly worrying item, considering that the UK France and Germany are growing closer in defence terms; which is unlikely to go slower with Trump as circusmaster:
Deletehttps://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/germany-to-reintroduce-national-service/
voluntary to start with it seems ...
I dare say most of the people who have been crossed by McEleny thought he was "reasonable enough" on the first superficial encounter. Most of the truly objectionable characters in politics have some basic reserves of charm, it goes with the territory.
DeleteMcEleny defeated at the polls. Allowed labour in despite their leader suspended, labour got 9 votes more than SNP.
ReplyDeleteALBA done their duty again. Let the Brit nats in
The SNP haven't been for independence for 10 years.
DeleteLies
DeleteAnon at 6.08pm - time for you to get your tattoo - " 19/10/23 I will be fooled again and again."
DeleteAnon at 12.21pm - what let all these Tory and Labour MSPs in 2021 was Both Votes SNP. Not the actions of a party of independence.
Maybe he will deal with your issue now James ? Still he could be in a bad mood.
ReplyDeleteMcEleny got less than 10% in the election he was most likely to do well in. James hoped he would get 15%. His only achievement in this election was to let a Britnat in and deny SNP a win. Well done McEleny. James, you have to start to own the consequences of Alba splitting the Indy vote.
ReplyDelete" splitting the Indy vote" - SNP haven't been for independence for 10 years now.
DeleteJust how do you know the Alba votes would go to the SNP. It's typical the SNP owns people's votes stuff.
DeleteThere should only be one pro independence party. Time for independence supporters to get behind the SNP.
DeleteThis isn’t rocket science.
Anon at 2.52pm and it ain't a law of physics either. Why should there only be one Independence Party? Was that written in the SNP ten commandments brought down from the Westminster bar by Blowhard Blackford along with Scotland will not be taken out of the EU against its will and other commandments.
DeleteAll that the other pro-Indy parties achieve are lost deposits.
DeleteIdiot for Scotland once again showing us how thick he is. Definitely slip ons.
Delete50% yes 30% SNP A lot of people who support independence no longer support the SNP. Telling them they are thick will not get them to vote SNP.
DeleteIs it just you then?
Delete10.44pm. What does that even mean? Stupid comment.
Delete2nd vote ALBA voted labour- pro independence?
ReplyDelete