News

MSF LEADERSHIP IN THE POLITICAL GUTTER

Former President of MSF London Region Dr Sue Michie has been banned from office for 6 years at a National Executive Committee meeting at the weekend. Two years ago Sue was resoundingly elected to the NEC on an anti-corruption ticket by a postal ballot of members.

The NEC prevented her from taking her seat by suspending her from all office the day after she was elected. At the same time they also suspended London Region Secretary Hugh MacGrillen and Treasurer David Beaumont. The NEC is continuing its vindictive witch hunt against these two, despite Hugh being diagnosed with in-operable lung cancer.

Sue Michie was banned from office for 6 years after a shameful disciplinary process, headed by serial NEC expense claimer, 'twenty five thousand Bob' Braddock. Guardian article here. (Note 'Labour NEC' should read 'MSF NEC'). In a very woolly judgement the panel concluded:

"It is, therefore, the view of the panel that Ms Michie has been in serious breach of the rules of the union and it is our recommendation that she be barred from holding any office within the MSF section of Amicus for a period of six years."

They do not specify which rules have been 'seriously broken'. The London Region Defence Campaign have issued a press release.

The NEC continues its vindictive disciplinary action against former London Region Secretary Hugh MacGrillen, despite him being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer. Hugh has been the leading critic of corruption in MSF and has recently written this article in Trade Union Review: MSF Leadership still lies in the political gutter.
UPDATED Sadly Hugh has now been told his cancer is untreatable.
UPDATED Letter to the Guardian Ian Rez.

The NEC have significantly extended their action against former London Region Treasurer David Beaumont. They plan to expel him from the union over his anti-corruption website www.rogerlyons.com . David has written a personal history of witch hunts at MSF and an account of his second disciplinary in front of 'twenty five thousand Bob' Braddock.

Meanwhile the NEC have quietly dropped investigations against the ex Head of Finance who was stealing £10,000 a year, and against those right wing NEC members, yet to be named, who lied to cover up his theft. Well, what do we expect from a corrupted union where the General Secretary was claiming expenses worth a fifth of his £88,000 salary and spent almost a million pounds covering it up?
Posted www.rogerlyons.com on 1st & 13th February 2002