Even though this article expresses its disgust at Labour's failure to safeguard its members' welfare, it does not necessarily mean it is arguing the other parties do better. Whenever the Conservatives or UKIP fail to protect their activists from bullying, it is headline news. Following the suicide of Tory activist Elliott Johnson in September 2015, many newspapers reported on the toxic culture the RoadTrip 2015 campaign created in the party then. The sexual harassment scandal which plagued Westminster last year stemmed from a leaked document revealing how many Conservative MPs are potential sexual predators.
"Not many news outlets report on the Labour Party's failure to safeguard their members"
In stark contrast, not many news outlets report on the Labour Party's failure to safeguard their members, with the exception of the Telegraph, the Mail, Guido Fawkes and Blasting News. If many activists feel the same way about the poisonous environment Jeremy Corbyn has created since becoming Labour Leader, there must be a substantial number of them who feel their safety is being jeopardised by the party who have not come forward yet.
The Labour activist who spoke to Blasting News about their horrid experience of being sexually assaulted and bullied by Momentum supporters deserves full credit for doing so. They have also revealed another significant problem in the Labour Party: the overwhelming bureaucracy that paralyses the party from tackling these incidents.
The Labour member told Blasting News during their interview that a complaint has to go through numerous panels before the National Executive Committee takes any action. This is a long process and must cause considerable anxiety for anyone who has suffered distress at the hands of a few activists who spoil politics for everyone else.
Labour MP Jess Phillips is right to call for her party to make it easier to deal with complaints, whether they be of a sexual or physical nature. A few horrid supporters must not be allowed to escape justice and take advantage of a bureaucratic system. The same must go for all parties. Volunteers should feel safe and protected by their party's mechanisms. How many more scandals will it take before people are put off from entering politics altogether? Or before something radically changes?
