News
8th April 2024
Director Leaves SDP
Diverse Diversity Director Ken Petrie has resigned from the Social Democratic Party amid concern that the behaviour of one of its officers appears to fall short of the kind of respect Diverse Diversity requires in political discourse. It also appears the party’s other officers do not disapprove sufficiently of the behaviour concerned to support the aims of the Campaign.
Mr Petrie was tipped off by an anonymous source after a quarrel with the party officer about his Social Democracy Forward website, which the officer claimed broke party rules by allowing public discussion of the party. Writing on Social Democracy Forward Mr Petrie explained how he reported the behaviour to other officers of the party but they appear to have continued to support their colleague’s behaviour in the vote at a meeting of the party’s main committee.
He wrote, “I was left with the conclusion the whole leadership approved of the behaviour of its Secretary and could not see how damaging it might be to a party seeking to be taken seriously.” He added, “I have no wish to be associated with a party whose leaders appear to condone this kind of playground name-calling. People, even those with whom we disagree, are entitled to respect.”
Speaking to the DDC, he added, “A link to the SDP has been removed from this site as the behaviour looks so disrespectful of politicians and public institutions as to breach the aims of the DDC and it can therefore no longer be regarded as an ally in seeking a fairer and more respectful society.”
A full account of the process by which Mr Petrie and colleagues in the South West Region parted company with the party can be read on the SD Forward site.