Guildford Labour Members Hear MP Keith Vaz’s Views On Current Government

Published on: 1 Aug, 2018
Updated on: 31 Jul, 2018

Guildford Labour Party welcomed Keith Vaz MP to an all members meeting at Shalford Village Hall.

Keith Vaz MP addressing q meeting of Guildford Labour Party members.

A spokesperson said: “Keith started off by making some very candid observations of the current parliament and the Government, and why a Labour Government offers the only way out of the current deadlock.

“He put Labour’s strong showing at last year’s election entirely to Jeremy Corbyn and the way in which he connects with people. He went on to talk about the way in which black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) candidates have increased over the years, and he takes a photograph of all BAME MPs at the start of every parliamentary session to illustrate it.

“Keith knows the area well having been a European candidate here in the early 1980s, and pledged to ensure the local party gets all the support it needs to mount a real challenge in Guildford.”

The meeting took place on July 25 and Keith Vaz has been the MP for Leicester East since 1987. He is the longest serving British Asian MP. A privy councillor and a former Minister for Europe, he is a member of the Labour National Executive Committee and a campaigner on BAME issues.

Responses to Guildford Labour Members Hear MP Keith Vaz’s Views On Current Government

George Potter Reply

August 1, 2018 at 5:13 pm

I’m sure this was all very interesting for Labour members in attendance, but is there any particular reason why Guildford Labour chose to invite a man facing accusations of bullying House of Commons employees to be their guest speaker?
Wayne Smith Reply

August 1, 2018 at 5:45 pm

It’s been pretty obvious that the Guildford Labour Party have been indulging in something of an early pre-election campaign of late (letters and comments to Guildford Dragon talking themselves up and the woeful Conservatives down).

And just when one might be wondering “Could I really risk voting Labour and have Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Dianne Abbott in Government?” up pops Keith Vaz to remove any doubt. Dear, oh dear.
Matthew Smith Reply

August 2, 2018 at 10:45 am

Rather than petty squabbling and personal comments, it would be a good idea if the Lib Dems actually proposed some policies to make a positive difference to the people of Guildford like Labour are doing, rather than just going along with the current Tory administration.
Sue Hackman Reply

August 2, 2018 at 11:10 am

No surreptitious election campaigns, Wayne. We are educating ourselves on equality and diversity and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But since you mention it, we are trying to be a party that is engaged in local politics all year round, not just when we want votes.

The next (planned) election is in May 2019, and if we are winning votes this early, good for us.

We want people to vote for policies they can believe in, and we think we can do better than the current administration. That’s politics, Wayne.
Brian Creese, Guildford Labour Party Reply

August 2, 2018 at 2:16 pm

Unfortunately, Guildford Labour does not have supernatural powers and so were unaware that an accusation against Keith Vaz would be made a week after his visit to Guildford!

Bullying is always wrong and we hope an investigation is rapidly established to establish the rights and wrongs of the case.

Nonetheless, it was interesting to hear from the country’s longest serving MP from an Asian background and his experiences in the Commons across three decades, in and out of office. T

his year we have had visits from Keith Vaz, Shami Chakrabarti and Housing Minister Melanie Onn, all of which shows that Guildford is on the map for senior Labour figures.
- Wayne Smith Reply
  
  August 3, 2018 at 2:39 pm
  
  In reply to Brian Creese, my comment was made before I became aware of the latest accusation against Keith Vaz, viz-a-viz bullying a member of staff. Just one addition to a list going back to 2001.
  
  When Guildford Labour invited Mr Vaz to speak to them, they can’t have been unaware that Mr Vaz was subject to a current and long-running inquiry by the parliamentary commissioner for standards.
  
  The inquiry into Mr Vaz’s conduct has been halted for over 15 months because of his ill health (See Guardian article “Suspended for medical reasons. Perhaps it can now re-start?
  
  Innocent until proven guilty? – yes! but perhaps Guildford Labour would have been wiser to distance themselves from this man.
  - Wayne Smith Reply
    
    August 4, 2018 at 3:25 pm
    
    One last comment from me!
    As Brian Creese has mentioned the bullying accusation, it’s interesting to see that the Labour Party Spokesperson on Bullying and Sexual harassment is … Valerie Vaz (Sister of Keith, and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons). Presumably she will excuse herself from any part in an inquiry.
    
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/07/parliament-leaked-survey-one-in-five-experienced-sexual-harassment
Barbara Ford Reply

August 3, 2018 at 1:47 pm

Did anyone ask Mr Vaz about anti-semitism in the Labour Party?
- Shelley Grainger Reply
  
  August 4, 2018 at 5:06 pm
  
  Keith Vaz did address the issue. He stated that the select committee looked at the IHRA definition. They concluded that it was fine EXCEPT that people should be free to discuss the politics of the Middle East and Israels’s govt without fear of being called anti-semitic.
  
  As I’m sure Barbara Ford is aware, Labour’s recent adoption of the full IHRA Code has been specifically drafted to address this issue.
  
  Oh, and he also said, “If people do carry on making antisemitic remarks and comments, then they need to be thrown out of the party. We can’t have racists in the party.” A sentiment with which we can all agree.