UK Labour finds conference security after snub by company boycotted for Israel ties
Opposition party manages to bring in last-minute replacement; G4S, which it dropped 2 months ago, had declined to step in
Britain’s main opposition Labour party has avoided having to cancel its annual flagship conference next month, managing to find security for the event after a company it previously rejected over its links to Israel declined a last-minute plea for help.
The BBC’s North West Tonight program on Friday quoted Labour as saying the September 25 conference in Liverpool would go ahead as planned, as the party has secured the services of OCS, a company whose website describes it as “a leading UK security organization.”
G4S, the firm that has secured the gathering for 20 years, was dropped by Labour under its Israel-criticizing leader Jeremy Corbyn two months ago. This week, Labour turned back to G4S for security have failed to find a replacement, British news outlets reported Thursday, but was rebuffed.
With no security firm to handle the conference, the UK Home Office and police could have shut down the conference altogether, a dramatic move that would have struck a significant blow to the party, as the annual conference is a centerpiece of the political calendar and is used to garner support for new policies and initiatives. Corbyn is in the midst of a leadership challenge, and the result is set to be announced on September 24, the day before the conference.
Labour dropped the British-Danish G4S multinational security firm over its relationship with Israel following a controversial vote last year by members of its National Executive Committee. It then sought to find a replacement for the Liverpool event, in vain.
Unable to find an alternative security firm, the left-wing party went back to G4S earlier this week, only to be turned down.
Quite apart from any bitter feelings left over from the Israel-related boycott, the company told the Telegraph newspaper it refused to work with UK Labour in light a number of incidents in which members of the party cursed at and spat on G4S employees.
The security firm also noted that preparations for the conference can normally take up to a year, making the one month left before the event insufficient.
“Safety for delegates and our staff is our priority and at this late stage and with our teams committed elsewhere, we are not in a position to step in and provide security for the conference,” the company said in a statement.
Three other companies declined the offer of a contract and one withdrew its bid after carrying out a risk assessment, according to a Telegraph report.
The police could secure the conference, but said this is “not an option at the moment,” the Guardian reported on Thursday.