Thursday 5 July 2012

Ian Driver - Police Commissioner in Waiting


Colleagues I am writing to let you know that I have extremely serious concerns about comments made on Councillor Mick Harrison's Newington Blogspot. I will be raising my concerns in the form of a complaint to the Labour Party and the Council's Standards Committee.

As some of you might know I used to be the Council's Equalities Officer and simply could not let Harrison's comments go unchallenged. In my opinion Harrison's comments are so offensive that I had no choice but to alert the media and set up a Facebook site Thanet Says Stand down Harrison. I have been informed that as a result of my actions in raising this issue a campaign might be set in train to discredit me. Before this campaign begins I will let you know what I think the whispers might say:

1. I was in Militant Tendency. Yes I was in the early 1980 and proud of it!

2. I was a Member of Arthur Scargill's Socialist Labour Party.
Yes. I was in mid 1990s and stood as parliamentary candidate in Vauxhall. I later led the opposition against Scargill’s dictatorial leadership of the party, was expelled and retired from politics until I rejoined the Thanet Labour Party 

3. I am bisexual. Yes I am so what?

4. I agree with legalisation of drugs. Yes I do so what

5. I am a republican. Yes I am so what But if this does not silence the whispering then you need to know that whilst I was Southwark Councillor in the 1990 I became a close personal friend of a councillor who was arrested and imprisoned for 15 months in 2011 for internet grooming. I was unaware of his crime until he told me shortly after his arrest. I totally deplore his crime. He is rightly being severely punished, but I still remain his friend.