Sunday, April 11, 2010

Senior underworld criminals come out to support re-election of Labour MP Jim Murphy at Labour fundraiser dinner, Jim Murphy's campaign has imploded













Dear All

We have all seen over the past wee while, how the Scottish Labour Party and gangsters go together like chalk and cheese.

The case of disgraced former Labour leader of Glasgow City Council Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell is a prime example.

Steven Purcell was visited by the Police for hanging around with serious gangsters.

Now, it is the turn of Labour MP Jim Murphy, MP for East Renfrewshire to step out into the limelight.

Lewis Rodden as a convicted gangster who popped up at a Labour Party election fundraiser for Murphy!

Rodden is known by his nickname of scobby but in this case when it came to handing over cash to support Murphy get re-elected, it was very much like ‘scobby doo’!

This begs the question any money paid over by Rodden from the proceeds of crime to a third party to sit at the Labour fundraiser?

Is Jim Murphy being bankrolled by a crime syndicate?

Is there anything in it for Lewis Rodden?

Is he a front for others?

We have seen the scandal of jobs and contracts at Labour controlled Glasgow City Council ended in the hands of Labour Party members, relatives, friends and donors.

In another highly embarrassing aspect, the organiser of the ill feted event, Labour councillor and Strathclyde Police Authority member Betty Cunningham, is on first-name terms with him.

That is a fine how do you do!

For Labour MP Jim Murphy being linked to a senior organised crime figure is disastrous and must have an effect on his chances against Richard ‘goofy’ Cook, the Tory Candidate against him.

Cook is in with a serious chance to snatch the seat from Murphy and is fighting an aggressive and well-funded campaign against the Scottish Secretary.

Bill Kidd, an SNP MSP for Glasgow, said;

“Jim Murphy has serious questions to answer about Mr Rodden’s appearance at this fundraiser. It also says a lot about the Labour Party that somebody like this is showing up at their events.”

Things don’t look good at all for Jim Murphy.

The Labour Party spokesman said;

“Jim is shocked. The Labour Party did not invite Mr Rodden, he did not book a table and the Labour Party did not receive a single penny from him. Mr Murphy does not know this man and to the best of his knowledge has never met nor spoken to him in his life.”

Lewis Rodden and others were sentenced to 17 years in 2005 for a campaign of intimidation against construction firms in Ayrshire to seizing security jobs at various companies through threats, assaults and fire-raising.

Rodden got a four year sentence reduced on appeal to 2 years.

The Labour Party in their press statement has tried to word it in such a way it looks like Rodden wasn’t there.

But he was, a senior underworld crime figure supporting Jim Murphy and the Labour Party.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

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