An alliance of people spied on by Britain's political secret police
It’s ten years since the Information Commissioers Office raided an obscure company, the Consulting Association, and uncovered a major scandal. More than 3,000 people were on a secret illegal construction industry blacklist.
Those who’d organised trade unions, complained about unpaid wages or taken action to try to get overdue wages were on the list. Many were political activists, barred for activity outside their work. Some weren’t even construciton workers – being political associates of ‘troublemakers’ was enough.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission confirmed that there is information in the files that can only have come from the police.
It was routine for every constabulary’s Special Branch to supply the blacklist with information on political activists, mostly anti-racists and environmentalists. This was not police officers upholding the law; this is police officers breaking the law to maximise corporate profit.
No police officer has been disciplined. No construction firm has faced any charges or penalites of any kind.
The story was definitively told by Dave Smith & Phil Chmaberlain in Blacklisted: The Full Story.
This meeting brings toghether key figures in the struggle for truth and justice. New, explosive information will be revealed at it.
5pm Wed 6th March 2019
Committee Room 10
Houses of Parliament, Westminster
Confirmed speakers (so far):
John McDonnell MP – founder member of the Blacklist Support Group (& Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer)
Imran Khan QC – BSG lawyer at Undercover Policing Inquiry
Gail Cartmail – Assistant General Secretary, UNITE the union
Chris Stephens MP – SNP employment spokesperson
More to be confirmed