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| Eagle received hundreds of abusive, homophobic messages from Labour members | Eagle received hundreds of abusive, homophobic messages from Labour members |
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| A Labour internal investigation has found that Angela Eagle received hundreds of “abusive, homophobic, and frightening” messages from party members. | A Labour internal investigation has found that Angela Eagle received hundreds of “abusive, homophobic, and frightening” messages from party members. |
| It also concluded that it was “highly likely” that a window vandalised at her office building – with a brick according to the report – was related to her shortlived leadership challenge to Jeremy Corbyn. | It also concluded that it was “highly likely” that a window vandalised at her office building – with a brick according to the report – was related to her shortlived leadership challenge to Jeremy Corbyn. |
| The investigation was conducted following complaints and counter-complaints about events in her local party, Wallasey. It was carried out by officials and upheld by a subcommittee of the party’s ruling body. | |
| Eagle said she was grateful that Corbyn had attended the meeting and expressed sympathy for her and staff over the abuse they had received. | Eagle said she was grateful that Corbyn had attended the meeting and expressed sympathy for her and staff over the abuse they had received. |
| The report found there had been a “high-level of inter-member abuse in Wallasey” and that it was not possible for the local party to meet safely at the moment. | The report found there had been a “high-level of inter-member abuse in Wallasey” and that it was not possible for the local party to meet safely at the moment. |
| Officials recommended a suspension of the party pending a review in the spring, because the culture had become so toxic and divided in the extreme. It will receive support from the party’s regional office to move forward with a code of conduct and training. | Officials recommended a suspension of the party pending a review in the spring, because the culture had become so toxic and divided in the extreme. It will receive support from the party’s regional office to move forward with a code of conduct and training. |
| The investigation also looked at abuse suffered by Eagle, both before and after she launched a challenge to Corbyn’s leadership. “It’s highly likely that the brick thrown through the window of Angela Eagle’s office was related to her leadership challenge,” the report found. “The position of the window made it very unlikely that this was a random passerby. The window was directly between two Labour offices. | |
| “Untrue rumours were subsequently spread that the building was occupied by many companies and the window was in an unrelated stairwell. This was based on a Companies House search which found that the landlord had a number of companies registered there; in fact the only other occupant is the landlord on the upper floor. Once this incorrect rumour was spread, members repeated it as clear evidence that Angela Eagle was lying. This is categorically untrue.” | “Untrue rumours were subsequently spread that the building was occupied by many companies and the window was in an unrelated stairwell. This was based on a Companies House search which found that the landlord had a number of companies registered there; in fact the only other occupant is the landlord on the upper floor. Once this incorrect rumour was spread, members repeated it as clear evidence that Angela Eagle was lying. This is categorically untrue.” |
| It said Eagle’s office had endured a “significant amount of abuse”, including intimidating phone calls that led staff to unplug the phone, a death threat towards her and what appeared to be co-ordinated denial of internet service attacks. | |
| In relation to an annual meeting of Wallasey CLP, it said some members had truthfully claimed that homophobic instances occurred, while others truthfully said they were not aware of those instances. | In relation to an annual meeting of Wallasey CLP, it said some members had truthfully claimed that homophobic instances occurred, while others truthfully said they were not aware of those instances. |
| The investigation, which anonymises all complaints and took about 100 statements, said some members were angry about the action taken in Wallasey, and about the leadership election. “This has resulted in genuine fear and intimidation of a small number of other members,” it said. “This creates an environment in which some members are fearful to take part in the party or raise their voice about any issue, as they see that meetings have become hostile and sometimes aggressive.” | The investigation, which anonymises all complaints and took about 100 statements, said some members were angry about the action taken in Wallasey, and about the leadership election. “This has resulted in genuine fear and intimidation of a small number of other members,” it said. “This creates an environment in which some members are fearful to take part in the party or raise their voice about any issue, as they see that meetings have become hostile and sometimes aggressive.” |
| The report said one member in particular had endured a significant level of personal abuse and a hashtag was created to encourage people to “shame” him publicly and his home address and personal details were published online. | The report said one member in particular had endured a significant level of personal abuse and a hashtag was created to encourage people to “shame” him publicly and his home address and personal details were published online. |
| The report said it could not substantiate a claim that one member had breached data protection by using a membership list to promote a public meeting to discuss concerns about the suspension of Wallasey CLP. | The report said it could not substantiate a claim that one member had breached data protection by using a membership list to promote a public meeting to discuss concerns about the suspension of Wallasey CLP. |
| In response to the report, Eagle said she was “proud to have been the MP for Wallasey for 24 years and to have had a good relationship with most local Labour activists for all of that time”. | In response to the report, Eagle said she was “proud to have been the MP for Wallasey for 24 years and to have had a good relationship with most local Labour activists for all of that time”. |
| “I am grateful that Jeremy took the unusual step of both attending and speaking in the meeting and that he expressed sincere sympathy for both me and for my staff,” she said. “It is now clear and accepted by the NEC that homophobic abuse was perpetrated by some members of the local party; I will simply not tolerate it, and I know I have the backing of both Jeremy and union leaders when I say that there is no place for it in the Labour movement either. | “I am grateful that Jeremy took the unusual step of both attending and speaking in the meeting and that he expressed sincere sympathy for both me and for my staff,” she said. “It is now clear and accepted by the NEC that homophobic abuse was perpetrated by some members of the local party; I will simply not tolerate it, and I know I have the backing of both Jeremy and union leaders when I say that there is no place for it in the Labour movement either. |
| “As regards the vandalism of my office, I am grateful to both the internal investigators and the NEC for making clear both the facts of the matter and for the support of members up and down the country, including the leader of the Labour party, that such abuse both happened and is intolerable.” | “As regards the vandalism of my office, I am grateful to both the internal investigators and the NEC for making clear both the facts of the matter and for the support of members up and down the country, including the leader of the Labour party, that such abuse both happened and is intolerable.” |