It is shocking, quite literally unbelievable that the UCU of all people should ban the Rector of Dundee University from this event – one of the very few elected positions in university governance.

Are you able to get in touch with Paul Mackney, the now retired former General Secretary of NATFHE (and joint Gen Sec of the UCU when first formed), who stood down in 2007? Paul Mackney was a major trade union supporter of Stop the War, and should be well aware of contribution on that matter. Trevor Phillips (not *that* Trevor Phillips, I think) is the current UCU rep on Stop the War’s executive.

This Matt Waddup is acting above his pay grade. UCU have got just over 48 hours to do the right thing, or we have all got to stand ready to force entry to this event.

Correcting the typo: Paul Mackney should be well aware of your contribution to Stop the War.

Outrageous.

I’ve just watched Panorama. We might as well be living in a police state. The institutional corruption is horrendous (although, of course it can, and probably will, get worse).

Corporations and government manipulate the power of the state not according to any principle but simply to serve their own often despicable ends.

This is more of the same.

This stuff has a name.

Fascism, isn’t it?…..at least that’s how Mussolini defined it…….’”the merging of corporate and state interests”

The N-Power protests described on Panorama met this criterion very clearly. The main political parties are 3 heads on one body in my opinion. Without getting into what binds them (the power of high finance on which they depend) too much, it is fair to say that they are in that sense just another corporation.

It is hard work being a pacifist in a society that seems all but lost and with dissembling slimeballs like Matt Wadupp around who happily continue to sink us further into the fascistic sh*t.

If any of these actions are not legal and you complain to the returning officer and he takes no action, then can’t you have some kind of legal challenge to the validity of the election process and get it declared null and void or postponed/delayed?

That would certainly up the stakes and get your campaign a lot of exposure.

This is beyond belief. Can we not get a pic of Matty boy at the top of this thread Craig? Named, shamed and mugshotted is the way to go. He’s been named and shamed. Let’s have the mugshot. Just like ‘House Of Horrors’ we can have a rogues gallery ‘Election Of Horrors’. I am not being threatening in the slightest. I just think that’s the way it should be. He needs to do as he should, stand down if he feels he’s being pressured to block you or face public exposure for acting in this manner.

Can anyone muster enough volunteers to picket the place; holding placards etc. to try and get the public made aware of the discriminatory behavior of those in the implementation layers of the current farce they call elections.

to think of it, these shameless bastards were lecturing Iran and the world about “democracy”, and “Freedom”.

Need to get some juices going before these bastards have slapped a section 44 or whatever to stop the “terrorists” and stop any kind of public show in favor of Craig.

This Matt Waddup character is sure as hell like Mystic Meg, he can talk to dead people and see the future too!!!

Apparatchiks the likes of him are two to a penny and as someone has already pointed out are telling of the institutional corruption this country is mired in, thanks to the criminals in charge who are setting the criminal standards as a desirable mode of conduct for the population to follow.

Hi Craig, well, now you seem to be staring into the abyss – an abyss which the British National Party, and other smaller parties, have stared into for many years.

You perhaps (and rather naively) think that we, here in the UK, live in a free and democratic society. But that is not so, and has not been so for many years. For instance, the British National Party are painted out to be knuckle-dragging neo-nazi skinhead types, and this brainwashing is ingrained into the majority of people’s minds, including many who commented on your last blog, so much so that they never check out the truth. The reality of the average member of the British National Party couldn’t be further from the truth, as our Zimbabwe style policians and mainstream media smear, lie and distort the truth, and deny democratic rights to those who choose to dissent.

Welcome to the club matey. Some of us have been denied putting our ideas and policies in front of the public for many many years. As a result, most people have not the first idea of the policies of the smaller parties, unless they choose to find out for themselves the truth, mainly via the Internet.

@Jaded I believe that a picture of Matt Waddup is on this page:

http://www.unions21.org.uk/fotu.htm

“Returning Officers, as with Colin Bland here, are usually the chief executive of the local authority, and as such are normally party loyalists of the governing party.”

That is nonsense Craig. Chief Execs are not party members (if that is what you are implying), and they are expressly forbidden from holding political office or expressing political views in public (don’t you remember that Thatcher introduced the rules to prohibit councillors being senior officers in adjoining Boroughs?). A CEO will work with whatever party is in power and it would be folly for them to get too closely aligned with any party. Come on, get a grip.

Craig,

They really are scared of you! Their dirty tricks say more about your chances than the latest odds from Ladbroke’s.

You have to turn this to your advantage somehow. You can and should fight for your rights, but it seems to me that you run the risk of being bogged down and diverted from your campaign. Which is exactly what the Labour party wants.

How about a poster of you with a gag over your mouth? You need a caption of some sort or even something written on the gag itself. No doubt the wordsmiths here could come up with something punchy. The poster would also remind people of your work against torture.

Incidentally, a Google search for the phrase “honest man” brings up your election site in 13th place – very impressive given how recently the campaign has started.

Something I’ve just noticed: you need to keep the http://www.putanhonestman.org site fresh to ensure it doesn’t start to drop places on a Google search. The last entry on the site appears to be dated 2nd July.

Cheers Mark, but it needs to be linked directly with this story in my view. Right there in the original post.

“Candidates for the Norwich North by-election will take part in a political speed dating session with constituents on Thursday where they will be quizzed over their plans for education.”

http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4012

“Education key issue as by-election poll shows Labour and Tories neck-and-neck” (26 June 2009)

http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=3987

From the above link: “ICM Research interviewed a random sample of 504 adults aged 18+ by telephone on 19-21 June 2009. Interviews were conducted in the political constituency of Norwich North and the results have been weighted to the profile of all people in the constituency. ICM is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.”

UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said:

“Candidates should pay close attention to this poll.”

I wonder how much the poll cost and who paid for it.

Eddie,

Everybody knows that local authority chief execs are not supposed to act politically. Everybody knows that in fact, they very often do.

Craig said that CEOs “are normally party loyalists of the governing party.”

You said that Craig was talking nonsense, and you said that “A CEO will work with whatever party is in power.”

What you said effectively means just the same as what Craig said.

To coin a phrase: Get a grip.

If the returning officer is not taking action to ensure that the election is being carried out in accordance with the rules then isn’t that simply a matter for the police to deal with?

This is political dynamite worth front page news on a Tabloid National.

Are there any uncontrolled ones left – or do the Fascists control the lot?

I hope you’ve got someone ringing round trying to get this story picked up.

Michael Jackson is dead meat now – and is being buried without his brain.

Tony

Andy

Many thanks. That confirms the poll was taken before we started campaigning.

For what it’s worth I have sent a email complaint to Matt Waddup. I think it would be useful to have details of other people to complain to, both within the UCU hierarchy and in connection with the school ban. For example, does the local authority have legal officers who can be challenged to confirm the legal duties of the returning officer?

Also, what grounds did the school governors give for refusing the booking?

“For instance, the British National Party are painted out to be knuckle-dragging neo-nazi skinhead types, and this brainwashing is ingrained into the majority of people’s minds” – yeah, unfortunately it’s a lot more sinister than that now. bnp members are making it harder and harder for us to spot them. so it was handy when that membership list got issued last year. GTF.

andrew,

The list of the names and addresses of the members of the BNP was quite hard to find unless you know how to use a search engine. Its much easier to find the names and addresses of the real fascists in control. The BNP are just a sad irrelevance. The fact that the BNP are even being discussed here is an abuse of Craig Murray’s server time – but I guess he is much more liberal than he should be.

Tony

I’ve just emailed this to every regional and national officer of UCU listed in contacts on the UCU website.

Sorry it’s long but I’ll post it in full. It now needs to get to ordinary members of the union in individual universities and colleges (especially in Norwich) and other elected people (members of the NEC and so on). If anyone is a member of UCU and can assist, please let me know.

Dear Senior UCU Activist

UCU is organising a education-focused hustings event for candidates in the Norwich North by-election in Norwich on Thursday 9 July. I am writing to protest at the exclusion from that event by UCU of Craig Murray, the Rector of Dundee University and Independent candidate in the by-election.

If you don’t know him, Craig Murray is the human rights activist, writer and former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan. He is an Honorary Fellow of the University of Lancaster School of Law, and was elected by the students of Dundee University their Rector in 2007.

In 2004 he was hounded out of his post as British Ambassador to Uzbekistan because of the stand he took against the British Government’s use of intelligence gained from torture by the Karimov regime in Uzbekistan in pursuit of the US/British “War on Terror” policy.

In the 2005 General Election he stood against his former boss, the then Foreign Secretary Jack Straw in Blackburn. His platform was to highlight the illegality of the Iraq War and the illegal torture policy. After a bruising campaign, which featured extraordinary attempts by Blackburn Council to prevent Craig Murray getting his message out to the people of Blackburn, he polled over 2,000 votes ?” including substantial numbers from individuals in the Muslim community who had otherwise lost faith in the British political process – saving his deposit.

In 2006, after delaying tactics by the Foreign Office, his book Murder in Samarkand was finally published, telling the story of his time in Uzbekistan. It was accompanied by publication on the internet of official Foreign Office documents proving that Jack Straw had personally authorised the policy to use “intelligence” gained from torture.

In 2007 Craig Murray was elected Rector of Dundee University on a platform of opposition to cuts to University departments and services. He has subsequently worked with UCU on the anti-cuts agenda and defended UCU members on the University Court.

Throughout the period, most recently at the massive Gaza demonstrations in January 2009, he has shared a platform with UCU speakers at Stop The War Coalition demonstrations and rallies. He has also spoken at numerous schools and universities worldwide over the past five years to inspire students with the message of taking a stand for what is right. As the Nobel Laureate the late Harold Pinter said: “Craig Murray tells the truth whether the authorities like it or not. I salute a man of integrity.”

In 2009, Craig Murray is standing as a candidate in the Norwich North by-election as an independent. The by-election has arisen because of the MPs’ expenses scandal, and his candidacy is partly based on giving a voice to the point of view that the expenses scandal is symptomatic of a much deeper malaise, and that the established parties are part of that problem, not part of its solution. His platform is aimed at those who want to clean up politics, and don’t trust the major parties to do it. Even those who don’t agree with that position would agree that it has a right to be heard, and represents a point of view that is held by a large proportion of the community.

The UCU National Head of Campaigns and Organising, Matt Waddup, has decided to exclude Craig Murray from its hustings event on Thursday on the basis of a “decision to invite only those candidates shown by our poll to have a chance of winning the seat”. This poll was taken before the by-election was officially called and Craig Murray declared his candidacy and kicked off his lively local campaign. He was not an option respondents to the poll could choose. At the present time his odds at Ladbrokes stand at 25/1, just behind the Greens at 16/1 and ahead of the Liberal Democrats at 33/1.

The principle at stake here is pretty basic. The purpose of a hustings is to allow voters to hear what all the candidates have to say. If those candidates have something of interest to say, then all the better. On education, Craig Murray is guaranteed to be interesting, and to bring education issues to the attention of voters in the way UCU intend by holding the event.

If UCU only looks to invite candidates with a good chance of winning, then the hustings should take place with the Conservative candidate only, whose odds at Ladbrokes are 9/1 on (1/9). But that would hardly be in the spirit of free speech and democracy.

UCU can reverse this decision and give Craig Murray a place at the hustings event on Thursday. I am asking you respectfully, now, whether you will support this. I would politely ask you to give this matter your urgent attention, given the shortage of time, and to copy your reply to Sally Hunt and Matt Waddup.

Hopefully this Matt Waddup, will change his decision. But if not, good luck if you take direct action.

Strategist,

Your words are completely brilliant, but unfortunately it is July and the vast majority of your target audience will be away on holiday.

I suggest you modify it only very slightly such that Journalists Realise You are Addressing them Directly.

Many Journalists publish their personal email addresses with their articles.

You should be able to find a large list manually. Ideally this could be done very quickly with a simple search script. Ask a sober techie.

Tony

Interesting that this is happening to Craig also at a time when this story is emerging:

“Britain, torture and shocking new claims”

‘MI5 offered bribe to convicted terrorist if he dropped collusion accusations’

http://tinyurl.com/l5oa5x

and in the Guardian here:

http://tinyurl.com/kockd5

They must be feeling some pressure …

I think you need to call in the international UN election monitors as quickly as possible

Strategist,

You could start by asking for help from the NUJ. Their primary responsibility is to their journalists – and you have got a very newsworthy story for their members. If some of them write it and photograph it some of them will get paid when their work gets published.

media.gn.apc.orgslashnujone.html

The slash is a forward slash

Tony

Did someone say “free and fair election” ?

Free = what the two party system can buy

Fair = only if you are aligned to one or t’other of the two parties…

No room for an independent….too much trouble mate….no more George Galloways in Parliament or Craig Murrays for that matter. Press on mate, expose ‘em, and all the best!

It would be interesting to see a video of you trying to inspect the list of suitable meeting rooms the LA must have “available for candidates and agents to inspect during reasonable hours” under this rule:

3.17

The Electoral Registration Officer of each local authority in England and Wales and the (Acting) Returning Officer in Scotland must keep a list of the location and availability of suitable meeting rooms in the electoral area. To help candidates find out which rooms are available, the local authority will make the list available for candidates and agents to inspect during reasonable hours … [Schedule 5, RPA 1983, as applied by Section 96(4), RPA 1983.]

That’s an unbelievably petty and cowardly act by Matt Waddup. Is that what all his predecessors struggled and got sacked and jailed for? So officials in independent trade unions could become parrots for the government line? What has the government done for UCU members lately? I doubt he’s asked his members for their opinion on this and that’s an excellent reply you’ve written Craig.

If they continue with this childishness then send press releases to the Independent and other newspapers on all the cheap tricks they’ve pulled, providing them as evidence that the Labour party is on the run from you and is afraid you’ll win if you get fair coverage – and add it to your leaflets too.

P.S There’s a post up on the UCU website on the hustings, so they can’t all be on holiday.

http://www.ucu.org.uk/index.cfm?articleid=4012

I’ve emailed Alex Rossiter, their press officer – and his email address is

press@ucu.org.uk

Their post mentions the dodgy poll and makes no mention of Craig

@andrew, I’ll bet if you ever met me you wouldn’t have a clue I support the British National Party. Being a professionally qualified accountant aged mid fifties, I’m as far removed from the brainwashed knuckle-dragger image of the average BNP member as you could get. And I’ve yet to meet the knuckle dragger neo-nazi skinhead at any meeting, I’m usually one of the younger ones. Most members are very concerned as to the direction this country is being dragged into by the real neo-nazis, those who strive towards an integrated Europe, those who launch illegal wars and invade other countries which have never attacked us (the supreme crime according to the Nuremburg judges)

But to smaller parties the mainstream media and the establishment just lies and ignores politics and policies, unless, of course, they are mainstream politics. Craig is only just seeing it, and I rather believe, reading between the lines of his blog, it has come as quite a shock to him.

the fact remains that the BNP has racist views which are simply unacceptable. And they have thugs too -whoever else they might have.

Grateful if other commenters could ignore the BNP angle and not led them hijack this thread into a discussion of the BNP. I am off campaigning again.

Thank you for contacting News at Broadland Council. This is an automated message to let you know that your message has been received and will be passed to the appropriate person in the Council.

—–Original Message—–

From: ****

Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 2009 8:25 AM

To: “news@broadland.gov.uk”

Subject: Mr Craig Murray

For the attention of Mr Colin Bland, Chief Executive, Broadland District Council

Norwich North By Election

Dear Mr Bland

I read this morning that at a very late stage Mr Murray Independent is being denied the use of Hellesdon High School for an election meeting on Friday 10 July. As the Returning Officer in this By Election could you please tell me why Mr Murray is being denied such access as I understand that item 6.1 of the Electoral Commission’s guidance states

6.1 Once an election is called, candidates are legally entitled to use publicly funded schools and other public meeting rooms for election meetings free of charge…..

I would also like to know why he is being discrimated against. We still live in a democracy although it seems to be illusory.

Yours sincerely

Ah Craig, I see that you are already turning into a modern day UK politician. Debate stifled, no right of reply, if you don’t like what is being heard then use slander, and if all else fails, just shut up everyone who dissents.

Keep it up, I’m sure that Mugabe would be proud of our ‘Mother of all Democracy’.

The names and e-mail’s of local UCU activists and regional officials, I’ve written ‘dot’ and ‘at’ instead of . and @

Please use them responsibly.

Norwich City College Branch Contact: mhughes at ccn dot ac dot uk

Norwich University College of the Arts Branch Contact: g dot maclennan at nuca dot ac dot uk

Eastern Region Regional Area Secretary: jweekes at dunstable dot ac dot uk

FE Eastern Region Support Officer: uobrien at ucu dot org dot uk

HE Regional Office: eastern at ucu dot org dot uk

Various Broadland District Council contacts are listed here:

http://www.broadland.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/1666.asp

Is there a URL for the Electoral Commission rules?

For what it is worth, I am a UCU member and I’ve sent an email too.

Thanks Peter, that is exactly the help we need – as a member, it’s *your* union. Its officers are there to serve you.

The rest of us just fondly imagine that the University & College Union, of all the organisations in the country, would cherish and nurture free speech and open debate.

To: mwaddup@ucu.org.uk

7 July 2009

Sir.

Your reason for excluding Mr. Craig Murray from the debate by the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) is as miserable as it is outrageous.

You have brought your position into disrepute in a number of ways, not least by failing to ensure perhaps the best qualified debater, Mr. Craig Murray takes part. You are also (perhaps unwittingly) displaying political bias.

Please show good sense by quickly and formally allowing Mr. Murray to take part.

Best

This is where the saying ‘don’t let the bastards grind you down’ comes in.

They want to stress you out to the max.

And to the bnp troll who thinks he’ll get a meddle for “Being a professionally qualified accountant aged mid fifties”. So you’re a knuckle-dragging accountant in your mid fifties – and? Fascist scumbags historically come from the middle-classes anyway so I’m not quite sure what your point is.

Craig Murray is somewhat more sophisticated than to fall for ‘the bnp are nice fluffy sweethearts like me really’.

Craig – sending a complaint to UCU now.

I’ve emailed Alex Rossiter and I shall do a wee post on my blog ensuring Mr Waddup’s imagine is prominent.

A shocking state of affairs which must be corrected.

@merlin cox

http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/electoral_commission_pdf_file/0015/14154/Guidance-for-candidates-and-agents-ByElec-V02.pdf

Separate ones for administrators and returning officers.

3.14 on rights to use public buildings FOC

What an horrible little shithouse this country has become.

And,of course,it’s the self-appointed guardians of faith,whilst claiming to be at the coalface of shiny new 21st century Britian who are inflicting the most damage,predictably enuff.I’m not surprised though.

We need to get the money-lenders out of the temple,pronto,or we’re truly fucked.

Keep going Craig-it’s more important than ever.

I have emailed Public Interest Lawyers.

Don’t know whether this is still relevant -

Name:Mr Matt Waddup

Job Title:National Head of Campaigns and Organising

Address:University and College Union

Carlow Street

London

NW1 7LH

United Kingdom

Email:mwaddup@ucu.org.uk|

Tel:020 7756 2582

Fax:020 7756 2501

Sent this to Matt Waddup:

Can you explain why UCU is excluding Craig Murray from its hustings? You give the reason that he does not stand a chance of winning. Even if this were true, how does the UCU justify silencing a candidate standing on such a principled platform? Someone so well known through his tireless campaigns against war and torture and cuts in public services?

And the fact of the matter is that he has now been given better odds than the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, so your stated reason simply does not stand up.

To Craig Murray’s many supporters, this sounds like a typical example of censorship – perhaps someone has applied pressure on your union to exclude Craig Murray.

Shocking, disgraceful and shameful behaviour from an education union. We demand that you invite him and refrain from such blatant censorship.

Dear Mr. Waddup (and others),

Having recently joined UCU, I was shocked to see reports that the union has excluded Craig Murray from a UCU-sponsored debate as part of the Norwich North by-election. The idea that an activist who has supported UCU policies, not to mention a former Ambassador for this country, should be prevented from speaking on a public platform during an election in which he is running verges on the unbelievable. It is even more shocking when one considers that Craig Murray is the Rector of the University of Dundee and that the debate is on education!

Please reverse your decision as a matter of urgency.

Best,

Have just e-mailed this Waddup hoon in no uncertain terms to register my disgust.

You know it makes sense…

Craig, isn’t it a little overblown to claim “…on the future of education. I am far more qualified on this than any other candidate.”? Dr Rupert Read, is after all, an academic at UEA, and has been for quite a few years.

But on the subject of your complaint, I will, as a member of my local UCU branch committee, email Matt Waddup to ask him to think again.

In reply to tony_opmoc at July 7, 2009 1:14 AM, my experience is most academics are at work at the moment. I personally am busy catching up on research student supervision, my own research and on admin, all of which were put on hold to some extent while undergraduates took up my time. There is a lot more to universities than teaching undergrads. (And yes, I do know it is ‘working hours’ now, but then I was working at 21.30 on Sunday…)

There are most certainly none of the media organisations that are upholders of democracy today. As for us being run by FASCISTS, that is most certainly correct. I have the evidence to prove it from the government itself. This explains them all thinking that fiddling expenses is not theft.

There is simply no way of challenging the filth that has taken over the country.

I wonder if they have thought what might happen if you get elected.

Best of luck to you Craig,

the fact they’re trying to stop you shows you are doing something right!

Thanks Concerned UCU Member – I will send an email just now to Matt, cc a few of his UCU comrades. Hopefully we’ll get some open, internal support within the union.

The electoral law you quote refers to the fact that schools cannot charge candidates for their use. It does not mean they are legally required to let you in. I’ve been a school governor myself – opening up in the evening costs money and means staff need to be on hand to look after things: the building may be paid for by taxes, but expecting caretakers, cleaners and teachers to be on hand is a bit much.

Accusing the UCU of “political bias” is a bit rich – they’re a bloody union, affiliated to Labour. It’s up to them who to invite and who not to. They are not required to abide by any sort of equal right of access.

“They will also need to ask the police to act illegally in stopping me from speaking at Hellesdon High.”

As “X” said above, you’re misinterpreting the law here. If you try to gain entry to any public space without the consent of the people in charge you’ll be trespassing. As said above, the law doesn’t give you a right to use schools etc for hustings, only a right not to be charged.

“UCU member” – surely you’re not comfortable with this bias? If the Labour candidate is intending to win on their own strengths then they should be inviting all qualified speakers who are willing to speak.

As for the comments from “X” – there would indeed be costs incurred if they were opening up just for Craig. But the point is that a hustings event is happening two days from now, and that Craig has been denied access but the invited candidates have not. If Craig turns up he will not be incurring any extra staff/heating costs, since they’ll be expended anyway.

“Concerned UCU member” – one of the addresses you’ve supplied appears to be bouncing:

mhughes at ccn dot ac dot uk

“User unknown”

x and James D,

You are both talking total nonsense. The law states that “candidates are legally entitled to use publicly funded schools and other public meeting rooms for election meetings”. It also says that the returning officer must keep a register of candidates’ rooms for public use.

In fact the local authority have just accepted that I have a right to use the room, and the meeting is back on.

Dear Craig

I have put a post on my blog asking people to email Waddup.

It is just starting out but it already getting a few hits.

Turn and make a speech outside if denied entry and contact the press before you go.

Yours sincerely

George Laird

The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Craig

You have spent the last few years offending the establishment with the truth, and yet you expect fair play. There is a naivety in the UK that still thinks the country is a democracy with a respect for human rights. Challenge the establishment too much and they may get a lot tougher. The following URL outlines what happened to me:

http://zerzetzen.wikispaces.com

As the BBC relies on public funding, it is unrealistic to expect fairness from them. They like extremist parties like the BNP since they are easy to criticize and have no chance of being elected.

Roderick Russell

Anon ( since you don’t want your UCU membership publicised), I would disagree with you. Being an academic doesn’t make Dr Rupert Green a font of all knowledge on the subject of education. Indeed his ‘font’ appears to be analytical philosophy.

Fair enough he has written a book entitled Politics and Culture but certainly not all academics who write such books have the in-depth knowledge Craig has acquired in the subject of education.

Dundee University is one of the oldest institutions and has had a world-wide reputation for generations. Being a successful Rector is a demanding and intense vocation which I know Craig does not shirk in any way.

James D – I’m doubting most lawyers or courts would agree with your bizarre interpretation of electoral commission rules that read “Once an election is called, candidates are legally entitled to use publicly funded schools and other public meeting rooms for election meetings free of .charge…..”

Your interpretation seems to be that that sentence means publicly funded schools can refuse candidates access for meetings as long as they don’t charge them to not use the building.

Can you explain how that makes the slightest sense?

“You are both talking total nonsense. The law states that “candidates are legally entitled to use publicly funded schools and other public meeting rooms for election meetings”. It also says that the returning officer must keep a register of candidates’ rooms for public use.”

It doesn’t – it states “without charge”, that’s the legal status. You can’t be charged. (Fnny how you edited that bit out of your reply, Craig – a true politician in waiting)

But you don’t get unfettered access. That would mean making teachers and caretakers give up their free time. Are you willing to pay them?

Also, the register of rooms is just that – a register of suitable rooms. It isn’t a guarantee that you can use them! It’s like a list of licensed premises or child sex offenders – the list isn’t a right to access… Your interpretation of the law is a little bit off.

James D “But you don’t get unfettered access. That would mean making teachers and caretakers give up their free time. Are you willing to pay them?”

It requires only one person to be present, not the entire staff. Stop making up ridiculous side issues.

Duncan:

“James D – I’m doubting most lawyers or courts would agree with your bizarre interpretation of electoral commission rules that read “Once an election is called, candidates are legally entitled to use publicly funded schools and other public meeting rooms for election meetings free of .charge…..”

Your interpretation seems to be that that sentence means publicly funded schools can refuse candidates access for meetings as long as they don’t charge them to not use the building.

Can you explain how that makes the slightest sense?”

Easy. Look at the sentence. It means you cannot be charged a fee to use a publicly funded space. It does NOT mean you have the right to use it despite the wishes of the people who manage it.

The clause is there to stop people making money out of an election, not to call open doors on every tax-payer funded space. Unfortunately even though a school or village hall or whatever is “paid for” by the tax payer, opening them up outside normal hours incurs a cost. If every candidate chose to hold a hustings at the same school it would bankrupt it.

Look again at the clause and read it carefully. It is the “without charge” bit that is important. I’m sorry if that doesn’t match your anger and frustration but that’s the truth of the situation.

“Most lawyers and judges” would agree, I’m afraid. Your interpretation of the rule would place an undue burden on schools and voluntary organisations.

Duncan:

“It requires only one person to be present, not the entire staff. Stop making up ridiculous side issues.”

Really? Well how many schools have you kept open late at night? I happen to have some experience here.

A) The caretaker needs to open it

B) There needs to be a member of senior management present

C) Any spaces which are not securable need to be watched – that would mean classrooms without locks, computer suites (which are usually open access), cloakrooms and changing areas

D) There would need to be extra cleaning duties either that night after the event or early the next morning.

E) There would need to be police present as well – policing for events like this is charged, it doesn’t come out of the local force’s budget. It would normally be charged to the hosting institution, i.e. the school.

Given all the above, it is not surprising the school governors have made the decision not to offer the school for the event. To have done otherwise would have been a drain on the budget and an imposition on hardworking staff.

These are not “side issues”. Considering Craig is making out he’s the candidate best qualified to speak on educational issues, demanding a local school stays open late and the staff give up their free time is hardly the headline he’s after is it?

There are more important fights than making a school open especially for you – if I were a local taxpayer I wouldn’t thank you for coming in and wasting my money in that way.

And if I were the school caretaker I’d tell you where you could go if you think I’m giving up my free time to open the building for you.

Craig: delighted to hear the meeting’s back on!

@JB – wow, I can see from your comment above that you are as far removed from being a knuckle-dragging neo-nazi fascist supporter of Craig’s as I am from the typical BNP member. Keep going, my friend, maybe one day you may break out of your brainwashed state and see the hard realities of the UK as it is.

Getting back to my point laboured above, Craig is now starting to see the unlevel playing field of the non-mainstream politicians in this ‘Mother of all Democracies’, supposedly the UK political system.

Good luck Craig, but you may soon realise that Zimbabwe and the UK have many similarities. Then you will really be able to say that you are coming of political age and experience.

“Good luck Craig, but you may soon realise that Zimbabwe and the UK have many similarities.”

Yes – they both have a large minority of racists in them. In the UK many of those racists are in the BNP whose constitution on its website rants on about the “Celtish, Irish, Norse and Anglo-Saxon folkish peoples” – echoing the Nazis and Hitler who always went on about the ‘volk’ of the ‘fatherland’.

It goes on to make it clear that anyone in the UK who was born here and has lived here all there life – or even who has parents and grandparents born here – but has the wrong skin colour as far as the BNP are concerned will be ‘persuaded’ to leave the country because the BNP doesnt consider them British.

If you’re going to complain about being a persecuted minority you really need to avoid persecuting other people for the colour of their skin, or else you’ll just appear hugely hypocritical spiv.

Craig, I’m delighted to hear that the Hellesdon School meeting is back on. Perhaps someone realised that too blatant a show of bias would rebound on them?

JD, I see that you have considerable experience as a schools-related jobsworth who thinks it is too much trouble to bother providing election candidates with what the law says they are entitled to. Well now JD, how would you implement your jobsworth policies if you ran the schools?

Would you refuse to open up your schools for all candidates at all times? If so, you would rather make a mockery of the election law that says candidates should be able to use your facilities, wouldn’t you?

Or perhaps you would open up when you felt like it, but not when you didn’t? And you would happily make your facilities available to the candidates you liked, but not the ones you didn’t like? Does it occur to you that you might just look a teensy bit biased in that case?

The LEA prepares a list of rooms in school premises that candidates are entitled to use: see s95(6), sch5 para 2(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/RevisedStatutes/Acts/ukpga/1983/cukpga_19830002_en_37

Providing the candidate gives reasonable notice then he can use the room to hold a public meeting free of charge: s95(1). But he must stump up for certain expenses (e.g. lighting & heating): s95(4). Although, how on earth do you arrive at a figure for these items for a 3-hour meeting?

To answer James D’s point, I suppose if governors could revoke the use of school premises then it would be easy to disrupt particular candidates’ campaigns.

UCU Member at 6:56PM: “They [UCU] are not required to abide by any sort of equal right of access.”

Probably not if the meeting is held on private premises but I wonder if that holds true if the venue is one controlled by a body exercising a public function?

I don’t think there’s any conspiracy against Craig, all smaller parties get this – it’s a novelty that the Greens aren’t being shunned this time.

I think those concerned, the press, the Churches, managers of public buildings are looking for any excuse to exclude the BNP.

This will happen again and again until either the race realtions act is altered to ban the BNP, or they are treated like any other party.

And before anyone says, no, I’m not a BNP supporter.

Chris,

Do you think for one minute that the permanent unelected government/Establishment would want Craig pouring forth in parliament?

Their ways of manipulation are subtle and I think in this situation they would be working through the machinery of the Conservative party to make sure at all costs Craig is not elected.

There is massive corruption going on under the layers of government that cannot be exposed.

I emailed Waddup and hope others who haven’t yet do so. Great news on the school meeting Craig. I quite agree with your view above Ruth. That’s why they all paid back a few hundred grand. It was just chicken feed really. I’m sure there’s going to be a few subtle ‘rebates’ doing the rounds. *Nods head*

ucu, as it shall be written from now on, should hold their heads in shame, what petty farce and control freakery by a student union body that purports to be ‘social’ to students.

By denying them access to Craigs views?

denying a candidate who wants to uphold the integrity of politics and safe its sorry arse? what illogical peabrainery is that?

Direct action it is. I’m sure the Greens will understand.

“It doesn’t – it states “without charge”, that’s the legal status. You can’t be charged. (Fnny how you edited that bit out of your reply, Craig – a true politician in waiting)”

We have the truth. Craig is just like the politicians he criticises for cheap political gain.

@Denim Justice – I am guessing you have a problem with Craig’s politics, and that you are championing these petty stumbling blocks as a result. Surely you are not *still* a supporter of New Labour, after everything that’s happened?

@Craig – thrilled to hear the meeting’s back on. I’ve not received an email reply from Matt Waddup or other members of UCU, but nevertheless I would be heartened if this change of mind comes as a result of several of your readers taking action!

@UCU member (6:56 PM) and @Jon (7:12 PM)

you are wrong. UCU is _not_ affiliated to Labour. It has a political fund that, presumably, is being used to pay for this meeting and the opinion poll, and has been used to pay for stalls at Lab, Tory and LD conferences; but members are explicitly told that UCU does not affiliate to the Labour Party before being asked to approve or contribute to the political fund. There may be questions to ask about whether there is bias towards the establishment parties in the way the political fund is spent, but in theory at least it shouldn’t be used in a biassed pro-Labour way.

@subrosa (7:41 PM)

I neither claimed that Craig was not knowledgeable about education, nor that Rupert Read was ‘the fount of all knowledge about education’. I don’t want to get into an argument about whether Craig is more knowledgeable about education than Rupert – but I stand by my view that Craig was a little overblown in his claim to be ‘far more qualified … than any other candidate’. The claim, in my opinion displays either arrogance or ignorance, neither of which reflect well on Craig.

@Chris (10:41 PM)

I suspect you are correct. My knowledge from within UCU tells me that there will be a determination to not give the BNP a platform: and they probably will be aware that if they did invite BNP, then the Labour, and Green candidates would probably refuse to appear (other candidates may also).

I have thus emailed Matt Waddup, as a UCU member, asking him to include Craig and suggesting that “While betting odds are not always a good way to determine the relative likelihood of election results, they should provide sufficient grounds for selection of who is worth inviting”, and pointing him to an appropriate set.

@anon – thanks for the correction. I based my understanding entirely on the earlier comment from ‘UCU Member’ at 6:56.

Craig, get all your supporters to bombard this with comments (there is one already) asking where your invite is:

http://makeeducationcount.org.uk/?p=71

“JD, I see that you have considerable experience as a schools-related jobsworth who thinks it is too much trouble to bother providing election candidates with what the law says they are entitled to. Well now JD, how would you implement your jobsworth policies if you ran the schools?”

David Allen – there’s nothing “jobsworth” about it. Don’t be such an idiot. People who work in schools work damned hard – to call anyone who won’t work for nothing and interrupt their free time for politicians to hold an event a “jobsworth” beggars belief.

So here at last is how Craig Murray gets headlines in Norwich: “Candidates supporters label school teachers and caretakers jobsworths for not opening up in the evening”…

Nice.

How can anyone at one point ask for people to volunteer to help with the campaign, and then next effectively demand that anyone working in the public sector give up their free time? Double standards!

I tell you something – if anyone working in a school were considering opening it up for you, that pathetic little comment would have sealed the deal. Forget it.

Despite the efforts of the UCU/BBC to ignore Craig Murray’s campaign, word is reaching the people of Norwich. Ladbrokes have shortened their odds on Craig’s victory and he now has shorter odds than the Liberal Democrats.

The UCU is doing all it can to give New Labour a platform when they are doing this…

http://tinyurl.com/luulxr

Craig Murray who would do all he could to promote educational needs gets blanked. What is the REAL agenda off the people who run the UCU ???.

@JamesD – it is rather unfair to conflate everything that Craig supporters say with Craig – this is, after all, a public forum, and supporters can say (nearly) anything they like.

I do agree with you that keeping a school open does incur a cost to someone, and no-one is expecting that staff should work for free. However, David also has a point, which is that if there is a legal requirement to provide publicly funded buildings for election purposes, one cannot just say that it is cost prohibitive, as that would be – as far as I can tell – against the law.

Perhaps you are right that electoral candidates should ask nicely though!

Meanwhile, I apologise if I have this wrong, but I sense that you are opposed to Craig’s candidacy. May I ask who you prefer for this election, or if you support a specific party?

Has anyone had a reply from UCU?

I haven’t.

(My post at July 8, 2009 10:14 AM was of the view that an invite to tonight’s hustings had been extended. It hasn’t – it is tomorrow’s use of Hellesdon High School that is now OK.)

@Peter – no, received nothing. Emailed Matt and all the members mentioned in this thread. Didn’t expect to get anything, however, to be honest. One can but try!

I watched the four candidates at the UCU speed dating event on BBC’s Look East tonight. The Lib was awful, the Green is a nincompoop, the Tory was easily the best at slick presentation. She is going to win the seat, no doubt about it.

Posted by: George Dutton at July 8, 2009 8:28 PM

Despite the efforts of the UCU/BBC to ignore Craig Murray’s campaign, word is reaching the people of Norwich. Ladbrokes have shortened their odds on Craig’s victory and he now has shorter odds than the Liberal Democrats.

The UCU is doing all it can to give New Labour a platform when they are doing this…

http://tinyurl.com/luulxr

Craig Murray who would do all he could to promote educational needs gets blanked. What is the REAL agenda off the people who run the UCU ???.

********************************

UPDATE

“Union anger over uni jobs threat”

“Almost 300 jobs are under threat at two Scottish universities, a lecturers’ union has warned.”…

tinyurl.com/ntonnv

“Union anger over uni jobs threat”

I don’t think so.