We have a right to have our say

Last year I had my vote removed under the pretext that I either had been a member of another party or group or that I had undermined the Labour Party values of:

• social justice

• strong community and strong values

• reward for hard work

• decency

• rights matched by responsibilities

Neither of these are true.

I had to pay double subscriptions and went through the usual Labour Party bureaucratic hoops to find out that the only reason I was removed from my right to vote was because of a letter I wrote and had published in 2010 after meeting Ed Miliband asking the Labour Party should it not sort itself out first both top and bottom before trying to convince anyone else? It was the local party who referred me to have my right to vote removed.

I, like many, have not had a politician or party to vote for for a long time. We are manipulated and encouraged to go along with party pre-arranged politics, values and spin without much input - like sheep.

Jeremy Corbyn opened that out and gave the public a voice and engagement. Never before have the public been so enthused and engaged in being part of politics. The elite in all parties shut us up and with their slick new boys refused us a voice.

I paid the full annual fee of disabled supporter and disabled member up front. I got so frustrated by the hoops and dismissal of my right to vote being taken away I left the Labour Party in disgust.

I again recently re-joined to fight for our right to be part of politics, only again it seems to have my voice and vote taken away.

The right to take our vote away must be challenged. The Labour Party was built on the right of the common man to have a vote and have a say. Yet they take away that right like Roughhouse Victorian Landowners.

I call on the local Labour Party and all those passionate to keep our hard fought rights to fight the Labour Party in its intent again to take away the right of its members to vote and the public to at last have a say.

June Knight

Southwater Road

St Leonards

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