The Miranda Grell File

The Miranda Grell case, where a Labour Councillor was the first person to be convicted under the 1983 Representation of the People Act, for smearing her opponent as a paedophile, was an important milestone for the progress of free and fair elections in the UK, and has raised very uncomfortable questions for the Labour party, particularly after they decided to fund her appeal costs until the day of trial.

That Grell was a highly talent politician was not a material part of the case. However her undoubted abilities, and sensitivities around her status as one of the leading lights amongst a group of young black rising-stars, have led a large number of her friends and colleagues in Labour, at all levels, to turn a blind eye to her serious breach of electoral law.

Aside from hysterical complaints about the reporting of her arrest in April and smears against the victim and prosecution witnesses - following her conviction in September, they set up a campaign ‘Justice for Leyton Ward’.

The objective of the campaign was, and remains, despite her unsuccessful appeal attempt, to imply not only that Grell is innocent, but that she must be, due to her qualities as a campaigner.

“People who campaigned with Miranda in 2006 remember nothing but a happy, vibrant and exciting local election campaign that energised the Leyton community and parts of the ward that had been abandoned for years.” - JFL

The unstated flipside of this claim is that Grell’s victim Barry Smith, and other witnesses including Grell’s own Labour party running-mate Nicholas Russell were engaged in a partisan conspiracy to reverse her result.

“The Lib Dem party cannot accept that I won my seat fair and square so they have conspired to [manufacture] these claims so that I would have to step down and they could win the seat back.” here

For the conspiracy to be plausible at least five witnesses including Mr. Russell and a Labour-voting resident, would have had to have been so upset at the loss of one Lib Dem seat in a Borough where, following the election, the Liberal Democrats and Labour parties agreed to go into coalition with one another, such that any reversal of the result would make no difference, that they plotted to fabricate the story and were prepared to commit perjury… twice.

Not only that but this was a conspiracy so clever that it fooled the Police who investigated the complaint, the Crown Prosecution Service who were being asked to make legal history, and two court trials.

And just to cap that monumentally implausible plot - part of Grell’s defence involved agreeing that she had discussed her victim’s sexuality with a resident, but only said his boyfriend was 19, not 14, 15 or 16 as other witnesses had stated.

In other words the case ‘Justice for Leyton Ward’ and supporters are pushing is that everyone involved is lying except Miranda Grell. They appear to want to believe that a grand implausible conspiracy theory is a better explanation of events than that Grell, a politically naïve, but able and ambitious campaigner, requiring 600-votes to secure victory, ran an opportunist smear-campaign.

Unfortunately for JFL, that is precisely what happened, and consequently Grell deserved to lose her seat, be banned from standing for public office for three years, and pay a large fine with costs.

Yet in a spirit of unfathomable denial Grell has not apologised to Barry Smith, and Justice for Leyton Ward continues to operate claiming:

“Miranda Grell maintains her innocence and, in the light of the November appeal decision, we are now taking soundings and legal advice on the best way for Miranda to fully and finally clear her name.”

So who are these ‘supporters’ who are either suffering extreme denial, or believe that because someone is black and talented, it excuses at best an admission of running a gay-hate campaign and in legal fact running a paedo-smear campaign that destroyed a man’s political career, reputation and endangered his safety?

Many are simply local residents for whom, in her short tenure, Miranda Grell has been a good Councillor. They have been duped by a sophisticated self-deluded liar. Having myself been dropped into a ward campaign in 2006 with an organiser who later turned out to be a wicked criminal I have a great deal of sympathy.

But a large number represent a wide cross-section of the Labour party, including MPs, members of the GLA, Councillors, and activists with a public profile.

They should know better. Their behaviour following her arrest and trials, and in many cases continued support of Grell, has been disgraceful.

The Sheet of Shame

All supporters below were either listed in the public Supporters section of Justice for Leyton Ward between 1st-8th December 2007, after her appeal had failed, or commented on the case in the public domain following Grell’s arrest in April.

MPs and former MPs:

Harry Cohen MP (still linking to Miranda Grell’s blog on his website on December 8th)

“Mr Cohen described Cllr Grell as “a smashing young woman” who had won in a “fair and proper” manner as a result of her boundless energy and local popularity.” here

“I just think that Miranda, with her effectiveness and local roots, was better.”

“She was very active on the doorstep. I actually think she was better than all the three Lib Dem candidates and I think that came over to the public.” here

Jane Griffiths – Former Labour MP for Reading and Janestheone blogger

“She was accused of having called her LibDem opponent (whom she beat) some foul things and the judge chose to believe her accusers and not her. She's appealing and I hope she wins. There have been some dirty tricks against her from within the Labour Party in her area. Well, we can't have uppity black girls getting elected, now can we?”

“I also understand Miranda to have the full support of her boss Nicky Gavron pending the appeal”

“I have taken no position on the case at all. It is a fact that Miranda was found guilty, it is also a fact that she maintains her innocence and is appealing. I happen to know that it is also a fact that she is being smeared by certain people within her own local party, not for the first time.”

“I only mentioned her in the first place because I like her blog.”- here

“and if Miranda wins her appeal will some of you posting on here post public withdrawals and apologies?” - here

Dec 9th - "what none of you are saying is that there would never have been a prosecution if it wasn't for the fact that certain people in her own Labour group were out to get her - as usually happens with uppity high-achieving women, especially if they are black. You who are so quick to condemn Labour, why not focus on that?", blog entry here

Jane has not yet for provided evidence for the suggestion that the Labour Party in Waltham Forest were smearing Miranda Grell

Diane Abbott MP - here

Dawn Butler MP - here

GLA Members

Nicky Gavron - Deputy Mayor of London and Labour GLA member Miranda Grell's employer until Grell's resignation following the failure of her appeal. Gavron has refused to comment on the case however sent Grell as her personal representative to a meeting of the London Equalities Commission in July after her arrest in April. Gavron suspended Grell after conviction in September.

Jeannette Arnold – Labour AM for North East London – video of support here

“Cllr Grell wept as Ms Arnold called her “a daughter of Leyton” and testified that her mentee would never brand anyone a paedophile.” - here

“Without doubt she has an enthusiasm that is rare in public life.” - here

“"It just doesn't make sense. I did not hear anyone say they heard her say what she's alleged to have said."

“Arnold pledged her support as the appeal process commences. "We cannot afford to lose one of our brightest and our best," declared Arnold. “ - here

Councillors and former Councillors

Lorna Campbell – Lambeth Labour Councillor

Kingsley Abrams – Lambeth Labour Councillor

““I’m supporting her campaign. I believe the courts made the wrong decision and I’m convinced that she did not make those comments. She has been a very good councillor and deservedly won her seat fairly.”

Florence Nosegbe - Lambeth Labour Councillor

Pav Akhtar Lambeth Labour Councillor , Black Member’s Officer Labour LGBT - here

Rob Blackie comments on the record of Lambeth Labour in regard to gay-hate campaigns here:

“Having been involved in a Lab-Lib Dem election in Lambeth last year where anonymous leaflets were distributed implying that a gay Lib Dem candidate was a paedophile this seems completely plausible.

What we do know is that in Lambeth somebody anonymous found our candidate on a gay dating site and sent the information to the local papers and The Voice (the candidate was black). A Labour councillor then commented on the piece attacking our gay candidate with some flimsy excuse about how he should be spending time on his constituents. The Labour party then put this attack on their website.

Strangely only a gay Lib Dem candidate was targeted - not any of the Labour gay candidates.”

Alan Griffiths (former Newham Labour Councillor)

Patrick Vernon – Hackney Labour Councillor

“"I think it's a travesty of justice. I don't believe Miranda said those things”

“He believes the verdict sends a negative signal to black people who want to have a political career.” - here

Catherine Atkinson – Labour Councillor Kensington and Chelsea, Labour parliamentary candidate Kensington & Chelsea 2005

Tony Buckley – Deposed former Labour Leader of Waltham Forest Council

Sally Buckley – Former Waltham Forest Councillor

Bill Turner – Tower Hamlets Labour Councillor

Pearson Shillingford – Newham Labour Councillor

Paul Devaney – Former Waltham Forest Labour Councillor

Neil Nerva – Former Brent Labour Councillor

Lisa Spall – Islington Labour Councillor

Labour bloggers

Tom Miller – New Direction blog, Compass youth activist

“Calling a councillor a paedophile is not a specific offence; the offence of which she was convicted is actually about making up negative details about councillor's private lives. The prosecution (Lib Dems) alleged what you have written above, but what she admitted was simply speculating that he had a thai boyfriend. She denies at any point saying that he was 14, and there is much evidence to support that.”

“In any event, the conviction was on the basis of what she admitted...which is itself a rather strange judgement. If the judge believed that saying that another councillor had a thai boyfriend was a negative smear... well, you have to be a bit prejudiced yourself to come away with that conclusion.”

“Saying that someone is gay (what she did) is only a smear in the minds of the homophobe. There is little objective weight to the notion that it is.”

“I would suggest that the posters above read up on their facts before making allegations against people.” – all the above disagreeing with other Labour members disgusted with Grell here

Jon Worth - Jon Worth Euroblog

"there is no person I know in the Labour Party that I would trust more to do a good job for her constituents, and to be an honest and upstanding Councillor than Miranda." - here

"As for ‘being abused’ on the street - none of those incidents were ever reported to the police by Barry Smith, if indeed they ever did actually occur." - here

"The Lib Dems would be better off putting their focus on trying to win seats with decent campaigning efforts, rather than trying to bring down a decent and hard working person." - here
"Did Miranda say to 4 people that Barry Smith was a paedophile sleeping with 14 year old boys? No, and I am sure the appeal will show that." - here

“Just give this a little time - I have confidence that Miranda will not be found guilty of these charges. The case will conclude by the end of the week, and it will most probably be the Lib Dems who have to face some tricky questions.” - here

Jon Worth has not commented on whether or not he still regards Grell as an 'honest and upstanding Councillor' since October 25th

Paul Burgin – Mars Hill blog

"I meant to mention this last night and that's that I hope Miranda will appeal. I can understand if not because it is a hammer-blow of a verdict, but I hope she does because this seems so unfair" - here

“I know Miranda fairly well enough to find these allegations highly doubtful. In any case I know of one similar Tory smear campaign, which I cannot mention for legal reasons, and what angers me is that the person concerned settled out of court after being sued and won the seat from the individual.” here

“Put basically, whilst I don't know Miranda all that well, she doesn't strike me as the sort of person who would do this kind of thing, would want to, or even need to stoop so low.” here

At the time of writing Miranda Grell is still listed in Paul Burgin’s links

Chris Paul – Labour of Love blog

Was listed on the home page of the Justice for Leyton Ward campaign website as one of seven key links until the day after the appeal failed. Wrote several articles and comments on other blogs that attempted to discredit the victim of Grell’s smear campaign and other witnesses.

Also made many accusations that anyone writing negative stories about Grell’s case was ‘denying her right of appeal’.

Now claims simply to have been supporting Grell’s right of appeal rather than Grell herself, and has issued a mealy mouthed article that has detailed coverage of the case, attacks her local party for unsurprisingly removing her from their website, and claims to have been “smeared” as an apologist for Grell.

His next article prints an anonymous comment on Peter Tatchell’s excellent summary of the case. The comment in question has appeared on a number of blogs, always anonymously, and with very similar wording. It attempts to draw distance between Grell and the Labour party by inventing details of the case that do not appear elsewhere, including a claim that her appeal legal bills were paid by an insurance company rather than Labour. Something that Labour would have officially made clear if true. They have not.

It looks remarkably like part of a very cack-handed disinformation campaign from a party that should have initiated Grell’s expulsion the moment she confessed to using gay-hate in her campaign.

“At the next level her openness in court on certain points (outing and age mistake) will be in her favour I think.” - here

“These Lib Dem witnesses - did their criminal or health records get examined in court at all?” - here

“How would Mr Russell term "kissing noises" banter directed at heteros? Loves them, wants to kiss them etc etc. Sounds like it might be healthy friendly teasing rather than otherwise.” - here

“The judge was IMO - based on information from inside the court room - wrong to assess the reliability of the key witnesses on them being thick so therefore honest.” - here

“Hasn't the poor woman suffered enough without being smeared irredeemably in this way?” - here

Dec 8th - Paul continues the unsourced disinformation campaign "Leaving aside the case itself the information I have is that Grell's costs were met by an insurance company and not by the Labour Party itself. Not quite the same thing at all. An important difference and I wish I had known about that earlier."

Calvin Jones – People’s Commissar of Enlightenment blog

“Miranda has shown herself to be a fantastic councillor and has been active in national campaigns concerning many issues close to the heart of the Labour left.”

“I urge people to offer their support to her campaign and ensure that the promising political career of a hard-working comrade is not needlessly held back.”

Dec 9th - “I do not think anybody has brought shame on themselves by supporting Miranda throughout her right to due legal process.... I don't know much about the case itself, but I do know that Miranda worked very hard for her Ward members and at a national level”

The JFL campaign maintains Grell is innocent, and by implication that her victim and prosecution witnesses are perjurers involved in a conspiracy. Jones signed up to this campaign and remained signed up after the exhaustion of the appeals process.

Organisations

The Voice

Invited Grell to a forum discussing the future of black political representation in April directly after her arrest. Their reporting of her conviction and campaign launch was sympathetic with no quotes from her victim. There has been no online report of her failed appeal.

By coincidence Dominic Bascombe, Political Editor of The Voice is signed up as a supporter of Justice for Leyton Ward.

Does Dominic regard it as responsible journalism for a the Political Editor of a newspaper representing all black people to sign up to a political campaign the success or failure of which his newspaper would normally be expected to report?

Operation Black Vote

After profiling Grell in November 2006, they reported The Voice roundtable in April. The only report so far by OBV on the case was to help launch her 'Justice for Leyton ward' campaign after her conviction.

I am also informed that OBV Director Simon Woolley's name was briefly placed, without his consent, as a supporter on the Justice for Leyton website.

The OBV profile of Grell has still not been updated or removed. Do OBV then still regard her as a model for other aspiring black politicians? Why didn’t they report her conviction or failed appeal?

16/12/07 Following this post and complaints, OBV have now removed both the profile and their report on the JFL campaign from the public part of their website.

Labour LGBT

The Labour campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender rights press released a very strongly worded and accurate attack on Miranda Grell and the Labour party’s handling of the case on December 2nd indicating that the organisation was “Furious” at party support.

However, at the time of writing, the press release did not appear on their official website press release list here (it now does), nor do they at any point explain or apologise for the apparent ‘party support’ for Miranda Grell offered by Alan Or-bach Co-Chair of Labour LGBT or Pav Akhtar, Black Member’s Officer Labour LGBT.

Have these two been resigned or were they misrepresented by the Black Information Link? If so why is it that Simon Wright managed to secure a clarification from Blink that he was not a supporter when they did not?

Labour Campaign for a Democratic Upper House - still listing Cllr Grell as a supporter on December 8th

Bloggers4Labour - still listing Cllr Grell as a Labour blogger on December 8th

Equality Activists

Karen Chouhan - Chair of the Black Londoners Forum, Chair of the London Equalities Committee"

Eroll Walters, BLF’s interim director, added: 'We are delighted with Karen’s appointment. She has a tremendous amount of experience in equality campaigning and sensitivity towards the various communities." - here

Is someone who backed a person convicted for using paedophile and gay-hate smears as a campaign tactic to get elected, and has issued no statement condemning Grell despite being a frequent contributor to the Black Information Link, a fit and proper person to Chair London’s Equalities Committee?

Sanchia Smithson – Labour activist, ULU Race Equality officer

Sarah Podro – former writer for the Equal Opportunities Review and Employment relations analyst, Strategy Unit, ACAS. Sits on the Higher Education European Social Fund Lesbian Gay Bisexual Advisory Board (HE ESF LGB AB)

Rachel Suff – writer for the Equal Opportunities Review and ACAS Strategy Unit

Anna Shillingford – Chair of Race Equality in Newham

Chuka Umunna – Labour rising star who recruited Grell to Labour

On this BBC video leading Grell out of court after her conviction “the aim of yourself and other invidious Lib Dems is to sully her name by reporting this story... This is base politics of the worst kind and there will be no winners save for Cllr Grell when she clears her name." – here

Chuka has not commented publicly on the case since implying that the reporting of arrests shouldn’t be allowed when they concern his mates. He did not though add his name to the Justice for Leyton Ward list of supporters.

Jodie Reed – Senior Research Fellow (education) IPPR, Worked with Frances Butler in 2002 on the founding of the Human Rights Commission

Alex Sobel – Labour parliamentary candidate in Beaconsfield 2005, GMB & Compass activist, Organiser of Yorkshire ‘Hope not Hate’ and Leeds Searchlight 2006

“Grell for Waltham Forest, all in favour say aye” – here

Other Activists

Andrew Lock - Justice for Leyton Campaign Chair

“Those of us who campaigned with Miranda in 2006 remember nothing but a happy, vibrant, and exciting local election campaign that energised the Leyton community and parts of the ward that had been abandoned for years.” - here

“We are obviously disappointed that Miranda Grell’s conviction for two offences against the Representation of the People Act 1983 has been upheld. We maintain our belief in her that she is not guilty of those offences.”

"(we) are all urging her to fight on until she clears her name." - here

Gavin Hayes General Secretary of Compass

“'Miranda has always been a consistent campaigner for equal rights for all, and these allegations are purely intended to smear her good reputation as a grassroots campaigner and a champion of equality.'”

Johnnet Hamilton – Researcher and PA to Labour GLA member Jeannette Arnold

Gerry Lyons – Labour activist

Simon Hewitt-Horsman – Walthamstow CLP, NUS left caucus, Labour Representation Committee

James Hulme – Director of Communications New Local Government Network

Trevor Fisher – Former Vice-Chair, Save the Labour Party campaign group, anti-New Labour writer, Compass Management Committee

Dan Whittle – Labour parliamentary candidate Wells 2005, researcher for Anne Snelgrove MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary branch of the T&GWU

Jan Etienne – Political Education Officer, Brent Central CLP, Executive Member Labour Party Black Socialist Society

“Jan Etienne, lecturer in social policy at Birkbeck College, University of London, argues that getting a clear message out and one that does not alienate a whole community is the first step towards achieving progressive consensus.” here

Interesting choice of campaign to support given the above comment Jan

Yue Ting Cheng – TMP writer, GMB Youth Committee, Compass Youth Organising Committee, Labour candidate Three Rivers District Council 2006

Lloyd Mcleish – Labour member Brent Central

Simon Deville – Labour Left Briefing

Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe – Unite Regional Officer, cited as the Union official and Frank Dobson supporter behind an attempt to pack a BBC Question Time audience against Ken Livingstone in March 2000

Shah Ahmed – Labour candidate Cann Hall ward, Waltham Forest 2006

David Hayes - Secretary of Cann Hall Branch, Leyton and Wanstead CLP

Brian Madican – Treasurer Leyton and Wanstead CLP

Laura Bruni – former Labour parliamentary candidate for Colchester 2005

Mike Smith – Labour Waltham Forest Borough Organiser 2002

Zoe Williams – Compass Campaigns Officer

Elijah Mariam – Assistant to Labour MP Harry Cohen

Sam Gurney – TUC policy officer, Labour Parliamentary Candidate Kensington

Lawrie and Ruby Nerva – Unite against Fascism supporters

Eric and Jessica Huntley – anti-racism campaigners and founders of the Bogle L’Overture publishing house

Mary Tuffin – Leyton and Wanstead CLP activist

Alan Tuffin – Former General Secretary of the Union of Communication Workers

Neal Lawson – Guardian Comment is Free writer and Chair of Compass

Anita Pollack – Former Labour MEP for London South West

Julia Hayns (Press contact for Labour AM Joanne McCartney)

Community supporters

Jose Lapre – London Waterways Commission

Yvonne Bailey – Founder Kreative Culture Club

Roger Gillham – Waltham Forest Agenda 21 Transport and Pollution group

David Floyd – Founder Social Spider

Daniel Bracewell – L&Q Forest Homes governing committee

Kathy Goff – Leyton Community Champion for health (Grell was jobs champion)

Anne Loveluck – Head of Music, Walthamstow Girls school

Bob Noseda – Construction Industry expert, ex-Construction Web training officer

Helen Jeffery – Head Teacher, George Mitchell School

Eldridge Cooke – Business sector representative, Waltham Forest Children and Young People board

Vicky Baffour-Awuah - Chair of South Leytonstone Ghanaian Association

Monica Watkins - Afro-Caribbean Education Association of Greater London

Duped local residents

Chris Duran "I don’t actually know what the actual evidence is but the allegations appear implausible... She struck me as a woman of principle, not someone desperate to get elected at all costs." - here

Jeremy Smith

“There are some very nasty people on this website. Don't you think that Ms Grell is probably more concerned with her appeal at the moment than scrurulous journalism. It would be wise for everyone on this message board and others to keep their counsel until the results of that appeal are known.!”

Delroy Robinson

“Just read the print edition of this story and came onto to read the comments on the website. I have been following this whole case closely (my sister lives in Leyton) and I think Miranda Grells conviction is a miscarride of justice. I remember being at my sistaer's place one day when Miranda came trying to get my sister to vote for her. She was friendly, happy and enthusiastic. No one in my sister's house remembers anything like this being said when she came to visit them. I've also googled her on the internet and read about the case. Peter is wrong, she did not "admit campaigning against (her opponent) based on sexuality" at all. Apart from this website the reporting has been slap dash to sya the least. Hasn't the poor girl been through enough without the case being spun in this way? Miranda will continue to have my and my sister's full support.”

Elsa Parisdormer

“Miranda is a very efficient and competent person. as a person qualified to work in the interest of the general public i cannot envisage Miranda making the comments for which she has been expelled. Miranda visited our house on council matters on two occasions her only concern was to get the information she needed to report back to her colleagues in the labour party. Thanks to Miranda we were able to get the work which was outstanding for over three years done and she was not even a counsellor then. Miranda has made a great change to the Council and the people of Leyton . i trust that she would be vindicated soon so that she can get back to her role as a Cllr.”

Gareth Williams

“Don’t make me laugh - Liberal Democraps are quite happy to use the black/poofta/kiddydidler/crook smear whenever they wish to.”

One other registered supporter of note… Dave Dudley – Spoof blogger and alter ego of Harry’s Place writer Brett Lock… occasionally dispatched by Brett to satirise the far-Left