Calls for Labour expulsions over anti-Traveller election leaflets

Warrington Labour's anti-Traveller leaflet

Councillor admits designing leaflets but denies approving racist messaging

Prominent GRT Labour members are demanding the expulsion of those responsible for a racist leaflet distributed in Warrington before Easter.

The leaflet outlined nine campaign pledges, which placed “dealing with traveller incursions” alongside “tackling anti-social behaviour” and “continued action on fly-tipping”.

It was designed by a Warrington councillor, whose marketing business has contributed to Labour election campaigns across the country for years.

Tom Jennings has been offering election campaign media services to Labour colleagues, through his company We Are Civitas, since at least 2018.

Jennings’ business has previously made campaign videos for Luke Akehurst’s 2018 NEC election bid, Charlotte Nichols MP’s 2019 re-election bid, and it has received endorsements from the likes of Labour First’s national organiser Matt Pound.

“We are Civitas [sic] has a commercial arrangement with Warrington Labour Group which is specifically for the design of template materials,” Jennings explained via email.

“We have not been engaged or commissioned to curate any copy or messaging, and we have no approval rights – that responsibility lies solely with the candidates and their agent.”

“My role as a Councillor, Labour candidate and my business should not be conflated but for the record, my campaign literature for the election in the neighbouring ward does not contain any pledges regarding the GRT community.”

Map of Warrington showing ward boundaries

Jennings represents the ward of Bewsey & Whitecross, which borders on Orford – the ward where Labour’s MP for Warrington North, Charlotte Nichols, photographed herself distributing the offensive leaflet on 1 April.

Nichols campaigning with the three Labour candidates for Orford

The images show Nichols campaigning in Orford with Labour’s three candidates for the ward: Claire Lloyd-Fitzgerald, Helen Milner and incumbent Morgan Tarr. Labour holds all three council seats for the ward, with the other two incumbents due to step down following the local elections on 6 May.

At present there is no evidence to suggest leaflets containing the offensive anti-Traveller pledge were distributed in any other ward. That being the case, Jennings’ statement will cast a shadow over Labour’s three candidates for Orford, and their implied role in deciding the leaflet’s messaging.

Labour is investigating

Labour’s general secretary, David Evans, has previously written to GRT Labour members to assure them the “offensive” leaflets had already been withdrawn and the party would be investigating the formal complaints it has received.

“There is no excuse; we simply cannot justify the vilification of Traveller communities and I assure you that this incident does not in any way reflect the views of the Labour Party,” Evans said in the signed letter, dated 5 April.

“Pending an investigation we will speak to those involved in producing the offensive literature and will take steps to ensure that those involved understand the gravity of their misjudgment [sic].”

One of the letter’s recipients was Luke Smith, a prominent Romany Labour activist and the founder of @LabourGRT, which spotted the leaflet on 1 April. The following day, the group changed its name on Twitter to @GRTSocialists.

Regarding the change, Smith reflected: “How can I look people from my community in the eye and tell them to vote Labour whilst they are handing out leaflets like this?”

It’s not just Warrington Labour

Last week, Labour Grassroots held a 'Solidarity with Travellers' event on Zoom, which featured artistic, political and personal contributions from various Labour members and people from GRT communities.

It began with a short film by Romani journalist and filmmaker Jake Bowers, about a family of Travellers in Hastings who are being threatened with eviction.

“It's disgusting. It's heartbreaking,” said Bowers, immediately following the screening.

“Particularly when you realise – and I say this as a Labour Party member – that this has happened in a borough [Hastings], which has a Labour Party Council, where the council has started eviction proceedings [against] this community.”

“Since that film was taken on Monday [5 April], they've been served with a Section 60 notice under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act, twice, within 48 hours. It's not consistent with a party that is supposed to be based upon principles of socialism and equality.”

“It makes me want to walk away from the Labour Party, but actually, I think it's too important to do that. So I'm going to stay because there aren't many of us left, from the Gypsy community.”

'They need to be expelled'

GRT members of the Labour party are horrified by the discovery that a councillor's business has been paid for its role in the creation of anti-Traveller campaign literature.

“We need these people expelled immediately. They have to be expelled now,” said Luke Smith, referring to these findings.

“Not only has one of the councillors abused our community as the political football we've always been, to exploit the cheap votes; we've now got a councillor in Warrington, who actually has used his personal business and profiteered off those leaflets.”

“He's now benefiting to the tune of money from the labour movement. What a disgrace.”

The Labour Party and its representatives have consistently ignored attempts to reach them for comment on these findings.

Labour North West and its regional communications officer, Jane Logan, both declined the opportunity to respond.

Charlotte Nichols, the Labour MP for Warrington North, has declined multiple opportunities to respond, over several days.

The office manager to Labour's general secretary David Evans responded only to suggest contacting the press office instead. In turn, Labour's press office declined the opportunity to respond.