Why did Birmingham's Labour Council ban a Lib Dem Birmingham MP from today’s Downing Street meeting?

Why did Birmingham's Labour Council ban a Lib Dem Birmingham MP from today’s Downing Street meeting?

This morning Councillor Sir Albert Bore, Labour Leader of Birmingham City Council led a delegation of “political leaders and representatives of the business community” to meet the Prime Minister to discuss numerous issues relating to Birmingham.

So far so good.

But why did the Labour Leader's office ban John Hemming MP, Liberal Democrat MP for Yardley from attending the meeting?

Below is the text of an e-mail to John Hemming to the Leaders office, saying that he couldn’t attend the briefing meeting on Wednesday 29th August, but would be able to attend the meeting in Downing Street on 5th September. Thus:

"John Hemming"

24/08/2012 18:17

To "[name of contact within Leaders Office removed]

Subject Re: Invitation to Briefing - Birmingham takes its case to Westminster

I won't be able to attend this meeting I am happy to join the delegation, however.



Below is the text of the response from the Councillor sir Albert Bore’s office:

To: John Hemming

Sent: Friday, August 24, 2012 6:43 PM

Subject: Re: Invitation to Briefing - Birmingham takes its case to Westminster

Dear John

I am sorry to hear you are not able to attend the MPs' briefing next week.

Unfortunately the make up of the delegation has already been settled, and Paul Tilsley was invited on behalf of the LibDems. As we only have half an hour, we are having to be extremely firm with numbers, but the delegation would be happy to invite you to the post meeting de-brief in Portcullis House, if that were helpful?

I do hope you understand.

yours sincerely

[name removed]

Cabinet Support to the Leader



I could accept the above, if, say, there was only one MP to represent all the 10 Birmingham MPs. But let's have a look at this photo taken inside 10 Downing Street.




As you can see there were 4 Labour MP’s there.

Further photos outside Parliament have 2 more Labour MP’s in them: Richard Burden and Khalid Mahmood.

It is an absolute disgrace that the Birmingham Labour Leadership have used this meeting for party political purposes and banned a Lib Dem MP who had every right to be there as well. How can Cllr Sir Albert Bore honestly try to work with Birmingham’s business community when he is going to dupe them into attending party political meetings.