David Evans

David Evans
Alma mater	University of York
Founder of	The Campaign Company
General Secretary of the Labour Party (Acting) In office 26 May 2020 - Present  Co-founder and Director In office October 2001 - Present Employer The Campaign Company  Assistant General Secretary In office February 1999 - October 2001 Employer Labour Party  North West Regional Director In office 1995 - 1999 Employer Labour Party  Assistant Regional Organiser In office 1989 - 1994 Employer Greater London Labour Party  Trade Union Liaison Officer In office September 1983 - July 1986 Employer Croydon TUC

David Evans is Keir Starmer's pick as General Secretary of the Labour Party succeeding Jennie Formby.

Labour's NEC confirmed David Evans' appointment on 26 May 2020.

Controversial

The appointment is controversial, as David Evans was the author of a report that recommended a “radical overhaul” and a "New Labour solution" under Tony Blair to isolate the Old Labour left, doing so in derisory terms – and in the language of branding and marketing so typical of Blairism.

SKWAWKBOX view:

If Evans is appointed, Labour’s switch from being run by a left-wing, working-class union activist to a company director keen on branding and focus groups will be an ominous sign of the party’s direction under Keir Starmer, especially with the issue of the leaked Labour report still unresolved.

Letters to the General Secretary

NEC members' letter

On 24 November 2020, left members of Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) ‘walked out’ of a virtual NEC meeting. They had written this letter to the party’s General Secretary David Evans about the walk-out, condemning the factionalism, contempt for rules and process and the undermining of the NEC’s legitimacy by the leadership that they say drove the walk-out:

Dear David,

As proud members of the NEC we find ourselves unable to stay in today’s meeting. As you will be aware we recently wrote to you to request that you admonish the Leader of Labour, Sir Keir Starmer, for his decision to undermine the role of the NEC by withdrawing the whip from Jeremy Corbyn MP.

The withdrawal of the whip directly undermined the legitimacy of the NEC decision to reinstate Jeremy Corbyn’s membership. It was made worse by Keir Starmer subsequently permitting his shadow cabinet members to make commentary on media that was clearly intended to undermine the legitimacy of the NEC process.

At today’s NEC the agenda item of election of the Chair and Vice Chair of the NEC appears. It is a matter of disagreement as to whether these agenda items can be heard absent the officers agreeing the agenda. But regardless it has become apparent that the longstanding protocol of the Vice Chair being elected as Chair is not to be followed.

Instead the leadership has lobbied for Dame Margaret Beckett to be Chair. The public reason for such lobbying is to be given as Dame Margaret being the longest serving member of the NEC. This is not protocol and is another example of the Leader promoting factional division within Labour. We believe the true reason for the Leader lobbying for Dame Margaret, and indeed the reason that had been given by senior party MPs in private, is because the Vice Chair, Ian Murray FBU, was a signature to the previous correspondence sent to you seeking admonishment of the Leader: The Leader’s decision to again promote factionalism comes at a time when the historic relationship with trade unions is under tremendous strain.

Already we know that the Bakers’ Union are balloting their membership as to affiliation and the decision of the Leader to lobby and brief against the President of the FBU taking the Chair, as would be protocol, must be seen in this context.

As the General Secretary of the Labour Party you should be stepping in to uphold the Rulebook, maintain protocol, remind the Leader that he is an officer of the NEC and prevent factionalism. We have decided not to remain in the NEC meeting today in order to show very clearly how factional the decisions of the current Labour Leader have become. We will be returning to future NEC meetings to be the legitimate voice of the membership and to continue to demand that the party unite and reject the current factional approach of the Leader.

In solidarity,

Howard Beckett, Jayne Taylor, Andi Fox, Pauline McCarthy, Mick Whelan, Ian Murray FBU, Andy Kerr, Yasmine Dar, Lara McNeill, Laura Pidcock, Mish Rahman, Gemma Bolton and Nadia Jama.

Bindmans' letter

On 23 December 2020, Bindmans LLP wrote accusing Labour’s acting general secretary David Evans of exceeding his authority under the rules and in law in his assault on members’ rights to freedom of speech. Solicitors Bindmans, acting on behalf of two suspended constituency party (CLP) officers and Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), set out Evans’s breaches in a 20-page legal letter, including:

• misapplication of Labour rules to justify his attempt to ban free speech
• discriminating against the party’s left-wing Jews – and against other minorities
• discriminating against Palestinians to protect the feelings of pro-Israel members
• discriminating against Jews by acting as if there is only ‘one Jewish view’ – and acting as if he has the right to decide what is ‘acceptable for Jews to say’
• banning free speech in a ‘blanket’ manner, without evidence to support his actions
• unlawfully assuming that Labour has the right to dictate what local parties can discuss
• wrongly treating human rights laws as if they ban anything someone might find offensive
• acting disproportionately and outside his powers
• misapplying and selectively applying Labour’s rules – including in the direct opposite effect of what they actually say
• breaching Labour’s codes of conduct

Bindmans' letter concludes:

"We look forward to hearing from you within 14 days, that is, by 6 January 2021. In the absence of a satisfactory response our clients will have no option but to consider all legal and other options available to them."

As well as JVL, Bindmans is acting for Louise Regan, chair of Nottingham East CLP and Dr Marion Roberts, vice-chair of Camberwell and Peckham CLP. Both officers were suspended by Evans after local members insisted on discussing and voting on motions relating to Keir Starmer’s withdrawal of the whip from the party’s former leader Jeremy Corbyn, which itself breaches the recent EHRC report’s ban on ‘political interference’ in disciplinary matters.

 

Related Documents

Title	Type	Publication date	Author(s)	Description
Document:Bristol West CLP condemns suspension of Corbyn	Article	10 November 2020	SKWAWKBOX	Labour’s hierarchy has banned CLPs from debating or voting on Corbyn’s suspension or the EHRC report and some Regional Directors have blocked attempts to do so. It seems Bristol West members hold their democracy and their former party leader in too high a regard to toe the line.
Document:Former Labour leader honoured by Palestinian Forum	Article	19 December 2021	Steve Walker	Jeremy Corbyn receives award for ‘remarkable efforts’ to support Palestinians against oppression
Document:UK Labour party teeters on brink of civil war over antisemitism	Article	27 July 2020	Jonathan Cook	Labour Party member Mark Howell is suing former General Secretary Iain McNicol for “breach of contract” and is demanding that those named in the leaked report be expelled from the party (see "Mark Howell for Justice": https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/mark-howell-for-justice/).

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