A group of Labour Party activists is set to hold an alternative investigation into the so-called &lsquo\;Labour Leaks&rsquo\; following the party&rsquo\;s decision to indefinitely delay the official investigation, the Forde Inquiry.
In April 2020, explosive documents were leaked to the media appearing to show that top Labour officials intentionally sought to undermine the party&rsquo\;s 2017 General Election campaign during the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn.
In addition, a number of senior party members were also accused of racist and bullying behaviour due to a number of other messages contained within the papers.
In May 2020, Keir Starmer announced that an official investigation - The Forde Inquiry - would be conducted into the revelations.
However, in February this year, the party announced that the Forde Inquiry had been indefinitely delayed - leading to claims of a &lsquo\;cover up&rsquo\; by a large section of Labour members and activists.
In response to the delay, a group of activists have now organised their own investigation, entitled Not The Forde Inquiry.
The event is being organised by Norman Thomas - the former Chairman of South Thanet Labour Party - and will be held on June 5th.
In the online registration form for the event, Mr Thomas writes:
&ldquo\;In May 2020 Keir Starmer asked the barrister Martin Forde to investigate an explosive leaked Labour Party report which included outrageous allegations of racism, hyper-factionalism and even electoral sabotage by party officials. It also seemed to show how the Corbyn leadership tried to appease the right, leading for example to the expulsion of Jackie Walker and the resignations of Chris Williamson and Ken Livingstone."
&ldquo\;But over a year later the Forde Inquiry still hasn&rsquo\;t reported. Many people believe Forde&rsquo\;s findings are being suppressed because the party&rsquo\;s leadership wants to bury the truth. But we&rsquo\;re not going to let that happen."
&ldquo\;That&rsquo\;s why we&rsquo\;re holding the &ldquo\;Not The Forde Inquiry&rdquo\;, to give people the chance to say in public what they would have told the inquiry if they&rsquo\;d had the chance.&rdquo\;
Mr Thomas is no longer a Labour member, having been suspended from the party after allowing his constituency party to debate the leadership&rsquo\;s decision to withdraw the whip from the former leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
In an interview with RT, Mr Thomas described the party&rsquo\;s actions as &ldquo\;possibly the biggest assault on democracy inside the Labour Party that the Labour Party has ever seen&rdquo\;:
https://twitter.com/RTUKnews/status/1400130085995401220?ref\\\_src=twsrc^tfw
Other speakers at the event include the former MP for Derby North, Chris Williamson, and anti-racism trainer and teacher, Jackie Walker.
(Written by Tom Rogers, edited by Klaudia Fior)