And now a motion has gone before the Scottish Parliament asking the government there to investigate. Former Labour Cabinet Minister Michael Meacher MP (left) has written to the Home Secretary Theresa May demanding an inquiry into blacklisting. He has also asked her to refer the Consulting Association scandal to the Director of Public Prosecutions in order to prosecute the 44 construction firms involved in the illegal blacklisting of building workers.A second Labour MP has called for a public inquiry into the construction industry blacklist and alleged links with the police and security services.
Labour MP John McDonnell has also written to May calling for an inquiry. It follows allegations in The Observer of collusion between the police and the Consulting Association, which maintained the blacklist on behalf of construction companies.
David Clancy, an investigator from the Information Commissioner’s Office, gave evidence at a recent industrial tribunal that details in some of the files could only have come from state security sources.
Meanwhile the Scottish Government has been asked to mount its own investigation.
John Finnie, the SNP member for the Highlands and Islands (left), submitted a motion to the Scottish Parliament which said any collusion between the police and blacklisting was completely unacceptable. It was back by more than a dozen fellow MSPs.
The motion was amended by Labour MSP Drew Smith (right) to “call on the Scottish Government to report to the Parliament on the question of whether territorial police forces or other agencies in Scotland have been involved in collating or passing on information that has been used to inform blacklists”.
(H/T to the Better Nation blog for the details on the Scottish blacklisting motion)