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Statement to Labour MEPs, MPs and Regional Board members concerning the forcible ejection of Labour’s Richard Howitt MEP by Conservative-controlled Basildon Council from the media compound adjacent to the Dale Farm site and consequent prevention from media interviews with a Labour spokesperson from being able to take place.
Summary:
On Wednesday 19 October 2011, as constituency Member of the European Parliament for the East of England including Basildon where the controversial Dale Farm travellers site is located, I was present at a separate “media compound” adjacent to but not connected to the Dale Farm site at the invitation of the regional BBC evening news programme “Look East” to be interviewed about the day’s events from a Labour point of view. Just prior to start of a separate interview with a journalist in the same compound, a Basildon Council officer approached me and said that the Council was ordering me off the compound, and two security guards seized me by either arm and forcibly lifted me 100 yards away to the edge of the compound and pushed me on to the road outside the locked gate and refused re-entry. The BBC relocated their crew and a shorter, later interview was still conducted, but the actions of the Council prevented me from conducting planned interviews which had been confirmed in advance with LBC, ITV Anglia and Sky News.
Labour colleagues should know that I was present peaceably to give media interviews only, was not seeking to interfere in any way with the eviction operation underway, had police permission to be present and made strenuous efforts to confirm my presence with Council officers in advance. Although I am a strong critic of the Council’s actions in relation to Dale Farm in common with my Labour colleagues on Basildon Council, I have consistently called for the law to be respected, supported the role of the police and condemned violence. It is ironic that I was prevented from being able to give these messages yesterday, which responsible politicians from all parties should surely want to promote together. I believe it is outrageous that the Conservatives have apparently used their control of the Council to get council officers to undertake politicised acts on their behalf which can only be interpreted as actively seeking to prevent the opportunity for Labour to speak out on an issue of deep concern, which they were actively promoting on behalf of the ruling party.
Finally Basildon Council have issued a press statement saying I “tricked” my way in to the designated media area, and saying I would now be banned from it, both of which I find deeply objectionable. I am now taking solicitors’ advice in response.
Detailed timeline in relation to the events
I became aware at around 11.10am in the morning from my office that special procedures would be necessary for access to the media interview, which had been requested and agreed with the BBC the previous day. My office had made the request in telephone calls to two of the Council’s press officers, Alex Keating and Cormac Smith, who had asked for car registration number to enable access and said it was necessary to have an invitation, to which I thought the invitation from BBC Look East would suffice. My office made further attempts to telephone these officers and a further officer whose name had been given, Alex Ellis, but several further attempts to telephone to clarify matters were either not answered or the telephone “hung up” after it was said it was the Office of Richard Howitt MEP. Therefore I personally rang the Personal Assistant to the Council’s Chief Executive to explain I was only seeking to meet a media commitment, had no intention of seeking to enter the Dale Farm site, and emphasised that I would be using the opportunity to express strong support for the rule of law. I took the precaution of then informing the Council in writing of my presence, including the police permission which I had already obtained.
Separately the relevant officer at Essex Police Chelmsford Command Centre had assured me that I “would have no difficulty” accessing the site, and I took the precaution of confirming this in writing, which was also confirmed in response in writing. When I arrived at the media compound, I was met at the entrance by the respected BBC journalist Stuart White, long-time anchor to “Look East”, openly joined him in the front seat of his car, where he showed the relevant pass and I entered as his guest. After about 20 minutes’ presence in the media compound, including two live radio interviews where of course I had been critical of the Council, a Council officer identified as 739 (I hold his actual name, but he asked me not to publicise it) said I would be asked to leave by the Council, but I discussed the matter with him and he agreed to arrange a personal telephone conversation with a senior council officer before any further action. After I strongly criticised Basildon Council in a live BBC News Channel interview, the same officer returned accompanied by two private security officials, who refused my requests to complete an interview I was just starting with LBC or to inform BBC Look East I was being asked to leave, and then forcibly ejected me from the compound.
I subsequently learnt that a letter had arrived back at my office offering me media access for the next day, clearly not meeting my request, and seeking to prevent me from access to the compound on the day the Dale Farm forced eviction was starting and had the most intense news interest. Subsequently again, Basildon Council issued a press statement saying I was banned from the designated media site, but when I challenged whether I would or would not be allowed access in a live radio debate with BBC Five Live Breakfast this morning, Thursday 20 October, Council Leader Tony Ball did not reply but said this was an operational matter only and a decision was still to be taken. Clearly I am trying to resolve this at the earliest opportunity.
Rebuttal of Tory attacks
Did Richard Howitt MEP “trick” his way in to the compound?
No. I was there at the invitation of BBC Look East, having been told I would need such an invitation to enter, and entered openly accompanying the programme’s presenter, who showed the right accreditation.
He was warned he should not enter the site.
Richard Howitt MEP was aware Council press officers were sensitive about his presence, but had been told he needed an invitation for entry which he had, and had further contacted the Council verbally and in writing in advance informing the Council of his presence. He had police permission confirmed in writing to be present and had been assured by the Council officer who had spoken to him, that he would be given the opportunity to talk to a senior council officer prior to any suggestion that he would be asked to leave. This did not take place.
The concern of the Council in denying Richard Howitt MEP access was “for security reasons.” and his presence “a security breach”.
The designated media area is separate from the Dale Farm site and is precisely organised by the Council to avoid any potential interference in the operation taking place. In the radio debate Conservative Leader Cllr Ball referred to needing to issue safety clothing to Richard Howitt MEP, but in al the earlier interviews from the site the Conservative MP had no such clothing. In any case, Richard Howitt MEP had already indicated he was fully prepared to cooperate with any reasonable security arrangements. It is objectionable to suggest I was in any way a threat to security.
Richard Howitt MEP has only intervened near the end of the process and Labour could have done more earlier.
Richard Howitt MEP has spoken with the Council, with the travellers and with local residents objecting to the site over several months when it became apparent to him that an expensive and potentially hazardous forced eviction would take place. As local Euro MP he offered to mediate and was successful in getting agreement from the Homes and Communities Agency to allocate and pay for alternative land which would have facilitated the voluntary resettlement of the travellers from the site. Richard Howitt MEP is on record as accepting all parties could have done better in securing more traveller pitches, but criticises Conservative actions which actually reduce pressure on local authorities to arrange such sites. Richard Howitt MEP was joined the Bishop of Chelmsford and the UN Commission for Human Rights in offering to seek to find a mediated solution but Basildon Council refused to accept their offers. Richard Howitt MEP wrote directly to Cllr Ball suggesting this on 8 July 2011, followed up by telephone, and has never received a reply.
Richard Howitt MEP
October 2011
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