Portsmouth Labour councillor expelled after Facebook post
- Published
Councillor Cal Corkery said he was expelled after sharing an "innocuous" Facebook post in 2016
A Labour councillor has been expelled from the party.
Portsmouth city councillor Cal Corkery was initially blocked from May's re-election due to a social media post, being arrested at a protest against the prorogation of parliament and his links with campaign group Momentum.
He was later banned from the party. Labour said it took complaints seriously.
Mr Corkery said he could "walk away with my head held high".
In a tweet on Saturday, Mr Corkery said the "sole reason" for the end of his party membership was because he shared an "innocuous" Facebook post in 2016 about the rise of Labour membership in Portsmouth.
The post, which has not been seen by the BBC, was from the page Portsmouth Socialist Appeal which was proscribed by the party in 2021.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said his expulsion came after his arrest, but gave no further details, and his links to Momentum.
The grassroots group was formed out of the campaign that supported Jeremy Corbyn in his successful 2015 leadership bid and now campaigns for Labour.
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"Remarkably, just days after announcing I've been blocked from restanding as a Labour councillor and suggesting this could be part of a trend against socialists and trade unionists, I have now received notice of immediate expulsion," Mr Corkery wrote.
He added: "Principles of natural justice and procedural fairness ordinarily require that a rule cannot be broken which didn't exist at the time - apparently not in today's Labour Party... I walk away with my head held high and principles intact."
He said he had yet to consider the potential of standing for re-election for another party or as an independent, adding he was "considering all options" to continue representing the Charles Dickens ward.
A Labour South East spokesperson said: "The Labour Party takes all complaints seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate action is taken."
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