Labour pressures pub to cancel debate with gender-critical campaigner
- Tottenham Tories had been to carry debate with Kellie-Jay Keen in attendance in the present day
- It was cancelled yesterday after native Labour social gathering complained to the venue
Labour has been accused of being ‘undemocratic authoritarians’ after an area social gathering pressured a venue into cancelling a Conservative-run debate over the attendance of gender-critical campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen.
The Tottenham Conservative Association was because of maintain a debate on ‘The Future of British Politics’ at 2pm in the present day, however the Clissold Arms pub in Muswell Hill, north London, advised organisers yesterday that they needed to cancel it after complaints.
A letter despatched to the pub by the Hornsey and Friern Barnet Constituency Labour Party government committee, seen by MailOnline, mentioned that ‘Keen’s occasions usually entice different far proper teams together with neo-Nazi teams on a latest tour of Australia’.
On her tour of Australia final March, males confirmed as much as a rally in Melbourne and carried out Nazi salutes, however she insisted they weren’t invited or welcome there.
The letter accused Ms Keen, often known as Posie Parker, of ‘extraordinarily transphobic views’ and of harassing transgender folks, and added that her attendance would create a ‘harmful and hostile surroundings for native trans folks’.
The committee mentioned it had been ‘contacted by a number of LGBTQ+ residents in Haringey who’re deeply anxious in regards to the attendance of Kellie-Jay Keen’ and urged the pub to ‘be sure that Ms Keen is just not invited to this occasion’.
Labour has been accused of being ‘undemocratic authoritarians’ after an area group pressured a venue into cancelling a Conservative-run debate over the attendance of gender-critical campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen (pictured on the Let Women Speak rally in Glasgow final February)
The Tottenham Conservative Association was because of maintain a debate on ‘The Future of British Politics’ at 2pm in the present day, however the Clissold Arms pub in Muswell Hill, north London , advised organisers yesterday that they needed to cancel it after complaints
Tories invited representatives from a number of political events, and audio system would have included organiser and native Tory chairman Elliot Hammer, Ms Keen – from her Party of Women, ex-Lib Dem Lembit Opik and SDP mayoral hopeful Amy Gallagher.
The Party of Women was registered by Ms Keen and authorised by the Electoral Commission simply final week on February 8.
Mr Hammer mentioned representatives from Labour together with Tottenham MP David Lammy had been invited to the talk, however it’s understood none had been accessible. Mr Hammer additionally mentioned he invited Liberal Democrats, Greens and Reform to participate within the debate however they’d not taken the provide up.
Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Keen hit out at Labour, saying: ‘I’m not shocked when authoritarians shut down my proper to talk. It’s why I host all of my #LetWomenSpeak occasions within the public sq..
‘Why is the Labour Party so afraid of a girl who merely desires to maintain males out of ladies’s areas and transgenderism, a quasi non secular cult, out of colleges, the judiciary and all authorities establishments?
‘We should return to the time the place freedom of speech was a precept we valued and upheld.’
She additionally criticised the accusations made towards her within the letter, saying: ‘The accusations of “transphobia” merely boils all the way down to not believing any lady has a penis and that we have now a proper to our personal areas, language and rights.
‘I’ve made feedback in regards to the hurt of transitioning youngsters, infertility, lack of sexual operate and unsafe surgical procedures for years, I do assume mother and father who topic youngsters to this are evil.
‘Hope not Hate is just not a critical organisation, it appears to be a left wing wannabe authoritarian crack-pot outfit that enjoys making foolish lists. People throughout your complete political spectrum perceive the hurt of eroding safeguarding.’
Letter despatched by native Labour social gathering to venue to cancel Conservative-run debate attended by Kellie-Jay Keen
The letter despatched by Hornsey and Friern Barnet Constituency Labour Party government committee to the the Clissold Arms pub in Muswell Hill, north London, to cancel the Conservative-run debate attended by Kellie-Jay Keen
Dear Clissold Arms staff,
We are writing to you because the Executive of the Hornsey and Friern Barnet Constituency Labour Party.
We have been contacted by a number of LGBTQ+ residents in Haringey who’re deeply anxious in regards to the attendance of Kellie-Jay Keen (often known as Posie Parker) at a fundraiser, ‘The Future of British Politics’ to be hosted at your pub on seventeenth February.
Kellie-Jay een has expressed extraordinarily transphobic views over a number of years and has harassed transgender folks each on-line and in particular person. She not too long ago described mother and father who help their youngsters to transition as ‘evil’. This was in response to social media posts in regards to the appalling homicide of Brianna Ghey and the bravery of her mom’s marketing campaign for stronger social media laws.
HOPE Not Hate’s State of Hate 2023 report singled out Kellie-Jean Keen who they concluded “has increasingly found support from, and an overlap in, views with the far right”. Keen’s occasions usually entice different far proper teams together with neo-Nazi teams on a latest tour of Australia.
Haringey has an extended and proud historical past of supporting range and the LGBTQ+ group. Keen’s views are deeply offensive, and we’re involved that her attendance will create a harmful and hostile surroundings for native trans folks.
We needed to warn you to the depth of concern in the area people, that you’re an necessary a part of, and would urge you to make sure that Ms Keen is just not invited to this occasion.
Yours faithfully,
Hornsey and Friern Barnet CLP Executive Committee
An Let Women Speak rally lead by Kellie-Jay Keen on the Royal Dock in Liverpool in October final yr
Organiser and chair of the Tottenham Conservative Association Elliot Hammer (pictured) mentioned he anticipated the 50-capacity venue to be full, however that after the cancellation he has now needed to refund all attendees their tickets
She added: ‘Over the previous few years I’ve organised free speech occasions all throughout the globe and the one factor assured is {that a} swarm of masked confronted, blue haired, flag waving trans activists will try to intimidate us into silence with their posh voices and violent threats.
‘I’ve to have private safety and police attendance to make sure the protection of ladies. The trans activists are the damaging and hostile ingredient that they warn about, not a 5’1″ middle aged woman just wanting to speak.’
The cancellation was also criticised by campaigner Maya Forstater who, after Ms Keen revealed the event was cancelled, said on X, formerly Twitter: ‘This has to stop.’
Organiser Mr Hammer said he expected the 50-capacity venue to be full, but that after the cancellation he has now had to refund all attendees their tickets.
He told MailOnline that it was ‘deeply undemocratic’ for a party to stop debates attended by representatives from other political parties, adding: ‘In a general election year that’s very alarming.’
The cancellation was also criticised by campaigner Maya Forstater who, after Ms Keen revealed the event was cancelled, said on X, formerly Twitter: ‘This has to stop.’
Women’s rights activist ‘Posie Parker’ (real name Kellie-Jay Keen) during a Let Women Speak rally in Belfast in April last year
Social Democratic Party candidate for the London mayoralty Amy Gallagher (pictured), who was due to speak, hit out against Labour for forcing the events cancellation saying: ‘I was going to speak about the trans issue and women’s rights’
Mr Hammer said: ‘All the speakers were from political parties approved by the Electoral Commission.
‘If they [Labour] disagreed with any of Kellie-Jay’s politics they could have debated with here – that’s how democracy works, that’s what I was brought up to believe.
‘But it appears they want to deplatform and stop debate going on.’
Social Democratic Party candidate for the London mayoralty Amy Gallagher, who was due to speak, hit out against Labour for forcing the events cancellation saying: ‘I was going to speak about the trans issue and women’s rights.
‘As a woman in london I was going to speak about feeling less safe and police presence.’
Ms Gallagher said she was going to ‘speak with Posie Parker about women’s rights and that’s a great shame’ that she now cannot.
‘It’s completely undemocratic,’ she said. ‘Kellie-Jay Keen is from a registered political party and I’m with a registered political party.
‘It was going to be a very appropriate discussion about British politics. It would have given all of us to air our views on politics. The fact that this has been cancelled means people can’t air those views and hear them.’
Ms Gallagher said she blamed the Labour party or the events cancellation for saying Ms Keen’s presence would have been ‘dangerous’, adding: ‘I don’t know what danger would have been caused by four people discussing politics.
‘I blame the cancel culture in our society that allows people to think that they can do this.’
The Clissold Arms has been contacted for comment.
The Labour Party has also been approached for comment.
