DEFEND MARK ANTHONY FRANCE
Many readers of this web-site will be aware of the inspirational role of Mark Anthony France, the 46 year old Spokesperson of the Julie Must GO NOW! Campaign, which toppled Tory MP Julie Kirkbride, MP for Bromsgrove. the campaign reflected the outrage of her constituents at Kirkbride’s shameless plundering of the public purse with dodgy expenses claims.
Unbelievebly, Mark is now himself in danger of losing his job, because he spoke out against the corruption of parliamentary democracy in the UK. Mark who works at Bromsgrove Job Centre [as a Grade B Admin Officer earning £14,700 a year] organised the petition that called on Julie Kirkbride MP to resign immediately [ Julie is reported to have had an income of £266,000 last year]. On 28th May Julie Kirkbride ‘stood down’ as Bromsgrove’s MP.
Mark launched the petition during a live Sky News broadcast from Bromsgrove High Street on Saturday 16th http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRO42XVPSNo
A transcript of this interview is being used by his employer the DWP [Department of Work and Pensions] to sack him from his post.
The charge against him is that “employees should not comment on matters of controversy which fall within Ministers’ responsibility”
Today, speaking from his family home in Bromsgrove, Mark said:
“The attempt to silence me will fail. I have a democratic right to speak. Alongside thousands of other Job Centre Staff up and down the country I work hard to ensure that the victims of the recession are treated with dignity. We face a bullying management culture that stamps on the human rights of Job Centre Staff and our Unemployed customers”
“The DWP can punish me and my family for daring to speak the truth…but they will not stop the ‘Peasants Revolt’ that started in Bromsgrove from growing”.
“On Saturday 20th June I will be in Bromsgrove High Street and I will speak”
I’m no socialist! But this is disgraceful - as was the outing of Nightjack. The people must have a right to speak out. Free speech must be defended. I may not agree with this websites politics, or with Mr France on the economy etc, but I will agree on the preservation of free speech.
Comment by Gecko — 18 June, 2009 @ 9:57 am
Mark,
This is a disgrace. What can we do to support you?
Comment by Another Dave — 18 June, 2009 @ 12:07 pm
It’s been a few years since I was a civil servant , but my hazy memory is that the political non-participation rules did take grade into account - that lower grades faced less strictures. Actually standing in an election was, as I recall, beyond the rules, but not “writing to the papers” type commentary. This was a live issue during the anti poll tax campaign. So if my memory is right, this is a particularly vicious piece of victimisation.
Comment by Solomon Hughes — 18 June, 2009 @ 12:21 pm
“the political non-participation rules did take grade into account - that lower grades faced less strictures.”
Exactly. They’re trying to apply the high-grade rules to junior-grade staff.
Comment by Ted Nelson — 18 June, 2009 @ 3:57 pm
I work for Jobcentre Plus too. Mark France seems to have fallen foul of the Civil Service code. This particularly undemocratic regulation means that as a civil servant, one “cannot comment in public on any issue of national political controversy, or any local issue linked to one of national political controversy”.
Since the PCS is considering standing or supporting candidates in elections, this undemocratic restriction needs to be thrown out. The PCS should fight for the democratic right of all civil servants to be able to participate in the democratic process like anyone else in society. The only qualification I would make is that it would be correct to resign (or go on unpaid leave) if one was elected to Parliament, but that should not preclude civil servants from standing or voicing their opinions.
It doesn’t mention in the article whether Mr France is a PCS member. If he is, he should speak to his union rep immediately, or if he’s not, he should join PCS.
Comment by Jobcentre Plus worker — 18 June, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
I have posted the article to comrades from the Independent Left in DWP and I hope all groups in the Union will back Mark’s right to freedom of speech and this attack on our rights
Comment by George T — 18 June, 2009 @ 7:09 pm
This is incredible- how many left activists have worked in junior and even medium grade civil service jobs over the years?
Has anyone in his type of job been disciplined let alone sacked for this type of activity before on these grounds?
Disgraceful.
Comment by Armchair — 18 June, 2009 @ 8:51 pm
#5
Mark is a PCS member,, and has been in contact with the union.
Comment by Andy Newman — 18 June, 2009 @ 9:31 pm
Good news. The disciplinary was cancelled and Mark has got a new regional PCS officer handling his case. The cancellation is not accidential. Mark’s case was featured on West Midlands regional news last night where he made a powerful and compelling case that he was the victim of political victimisation. The signs are looking good that his employer’s disgraceful attempt to sack him will be stopped. We need to keep the pressure on and I am sure the blogging and union activists on this site will be only to happy to provide whatever support they can to that end.
Comment by Ger Francis — 18 June, 2009 @ 10:40 pm
I was disciplined (written warning for 12 months) for standing in the local elections and giving out a leaflet which criticised Government policy (the 10p tax fiasco).
He needs to find out at what level (minor, serious or gross misconduct) they are looking at disciplinary action against him. If it’s anything other than gross misconduct, he’s probably ok for his job.
In his defence, Mark never mentioned his employer. This alone should be enough to get the charge thrown out. Please send him by best wishes. I really hope he gets through this ok. I think I saw him on Question Time the other night actually and what he said then was really good.
Comment by Jobcentre Plus worker — 18 June, 2009 @ 10:43 pm
@10 I work for PCS and have to confess I’m not as up to speed with the civil service code as I should be, but loads of our members are local councillors - including on the NEC. So is it just that DWP take a hard line?
Comment by PCS worker — 18 June, 2009 @ 10:48 pm
I’m not sure. My branch secretary stood in the local elections recently and he had no comeback (he criticised the expenses scandal), so it may just be a case of whether someone makes a complaint or the whims of management!
Comment by Jobcentre Plus worker — 18 June, 2009 @ 10:54 pm
Best wishes and solidarity to Mark Anthony France.
Comment by Noah — 19 June, 2009 @ 12:20 am
Mark was an inspiration to many - Good Luck!
Comment by Roy — 19 June, 2009 @ 12:35 am
In a personal capacity you have my support - going to see what I can do to get some formal support
Comment by Roy — 19 June, 2009 @ 12:44 am
Best wishes and solidarity to Mark Anthony France.
Me too.
Comment by Strategist — 19 June, 2009 @ 2:14 am
Thank you brothers and sisters for the messages of support.
We can all make a stand for democratic rights and tackle the culture of bullying in the workplace that makes life a misery for millions.
The political establishment are trying to silence all expressions of dissent.
peace,justice,equality
see you all at the rendevous of victory!
Comment by mark anthony france — 19 June, 2009 @ 9:28 am
Vive La France!
Comment by Calvin — 19 June, 2009 @ 11:12 am
#18
Wish I had thought of that as the original headline
Comment by Andy Newman — 19 June, 2009 @ 11:28 am
#18 Calvin… very funny!
#19 Andy Newperson… you could have choosen the little ditty my peers used to sing a Stoke Prior First School in May 1968 as the headline “Mark France has got Ants in his pants!”…. [which was not entirely accurate as it was actually a worm infestation].
Comment by mark anthony france — 19 June, 2009 @ 1:03 pm
Mark you have my full support. I was nearly sacked by the DHSS (yes that long ago) for speaking out against the cuts as an invited guest speaker at an Equity branch meeting. I survived because they had also invited a member of senior DHSS management who had agreed to debate with me, but cried off at the last moment! You have every right to speak out about the conduct of your discredited MP. How dare they victimise you for taking her sins to task.
Comment by Red Ruff Lemur — 19 June, 2009 @ 1:52 pm
best wishes Mark saw you on Question time
Comment by leeds mick — 19 June, 2009 @ 6:09 pm
I just got my PCS branch to pass an official motion in support of Mark - I expect the Regional Committee to follow suit on Thursday. Mark’s case is a total contrast to how BNP candidates in my office are treated. We were told today by management that they can put anything they like in their election literature and it won’t be treated as a breach of Standards of Behaviour as long as they don’t say who they work for. So they are free to advocate deportations or death camps while the rest of us are supposed to keep quiet about corruption. On this note, jobcentreplus worker I would be really grateful if you could get in touch and give me details of your disciplinary as clearly either your managers were breaking their own anti-democratic laws or ours are.
Comment by Mugsborough Citizen — 23 June, 2009 @ 6:13 pm
Mugsborough Citizen….thats fantastic… as a bromsgrove lass I am really pleased that other members of the PCS are showing solidarity with our very own local version of ‘Citizen Smith’
Comment by charlotte badger — 24 June, 2009 @ 12:55 pm
If Kirkbride had to go for breaking the spirit of the law then Mark France must go for breaking the letter. Ignorance is no defense.
Comment by Andy Davids — 23 August, 2009 @ 9:32 am
This is ludicrous. Are you seriously arguing it’s ok to lose your political freedom once you take a civil service job?
Comment by Phil BC — 23 August, 2009 @ 11:41 am
The sacking of Mark Anthony France is quite remarkable in that the man
> purely stated his own feelings about a person Ms Julie Kirkbride MP that
> should have been delivering a paid public service and in his eyes and in
> others later through his petitions, was not.
>
> After consultation through petitions it would seem that like minded people felt the same
> way,
> in fact I felt similar in that Ms Kirkbride picked and chose the issues
> she
> wished to take on and that her claims for money from the public purse were
> immoral even if they were acceptable by the gov’t..
>
> Mark then after great support decided to stand as an Independent candidate
> at the County elections, same as I did.
>
> As a candidate you court the media, the media want news and the candidate
> wants recognition, so I can see ‘no wrong’ in anything he has done so far to
> get him the sack from his job.
>
> So the only issue left is, is there anything in his employment contract to
> say there was a breach.
>
> Now if there is something in his contract to say he shouldn’t have, now
> comes the question, ‘why should there be’, for what makes Mark any
> different
> from myself apart from I don’t work for the government. The man obviously
> has deep feelings the same as we all do in this time of recession, we are
> all sick and tired of being used like pawns, because he works for a gov’t
> department, does that mean he cannot speak out like the rest of us, why is
> he silenced, he has not given away any gov’t secrets.
>
> Party politics ‘is’ at work here and should not win, for if it does it
> only
> supports what we all fear in this country and that is a totalitarian state
> supported by the EU administration that is forever bestowing upon us all.
>
> This gov’t has to realise that there will be and are presently more people
> like Mark Anthony France and sacking him will only show the public that
> there is something terribly wrong with this country and the changing of a
> political party next General Election will have no effect at all on our
> futures, for it was going this way when Tory was in power, Nu Labour just
> took it that extra step-all you have to do is look how each MP votes on
> any
> particular issue!!
>
>
>
> Stan Francis
>
> Acting Chairman
>
> Clent Hills Alliance
> http://clenthillsindependent.yolasite.com
This letter was sent to the Bromsgrove Standard newspaper and also Nick Owen of Midlands Today Television.
>
Comment by Stan francis(Bromsgrove independent) — 25 August, 2009 @ 5:21 pm
I would like to believe that the only reason for Marks dismissal was his political activity, however when I read the Droitwich Advertiser in july I discovered that this is the fourth job in three years that he has been dismissed from after accusing managers of bullying behaviour. Once or twice would be bad luck, this I fear shows that maybe there is more to Mr France’ work performance than we have been told. I should think he was very lucky to be given a chance by the Jobcentre in the first place and will certainly have very little chance of ever getting another job. Lets hope his political career lasts a little longer. As civil servants will not be allowed to comment, I doubt we will ever know the full story. I am in favour of free speech and do not think that just taking part in the campaign would have lost him his job. somewhere there is more to this state of affairs.
Comment by chris dakarin — 4 September, 2009 @ 9:19 pm
I supported Mark in writing, I still support the right to be able to take part in the adnminsitration of this country through ballots agreed legally.
The man was apparently attacked by the local; Tory Party for his deeds against their MP Juilie Kirkbride MP, they illegally pressurised the local DWP to sack him. Butr the question arises does it not, that a BNP candidate in Hastings was also a candidate and he has received no threats of suspension or imminent sacking.
It is now up to Mark’s union rep to address this and make the case that local party political interference has been seen to be exercised and should now go to a judicial court, one for the Tory party allegedly taking poart in this dastard deed and another that the DWP took notice of the pressure.
Our very stance in DEMOCRACY now requires answers!
Comment by Stan Francis(PPC Bromsgrove) — 13 September, 2009 @ 5:21 pm
Thanks Stan for your comments
The latest developements are that I have an appeal hearing on the Friday 25th at 10am at 2 Duchess Place, Hagley Rd Five Ways at the Regional HQ of JobCentre Plus.
I am asking anyone who is concerned about civil rights and free speech to protest outside the hearing.
Comment by mark anthony france — 22 September, 2009 @ 5:18 pm
Well Mark, I feel the protest went off very well today in Brum, how you got on we shall have to wait and see but if you still don’t get any joy, I hope you don’t leave it at that?..Freedom to speak your mind is allowed by anti UK people in this country and ’still’ they are allowed to continue with no arrests-you were sacked for the opposite, you are interested in your country to make it better. I still stick with what I said, that the Tory Party are at the back of all this and we NEED a mole just like the one that sent info to the Daily Telegraph, I wonder how the Tory party would get around that one?-why they would do this is because JKirkbride is the best thing since sliced bread to them and the longer they take to announce their candidate the worse it will be for them according to my feedback!
Comment by Stan Francis(PPC Bromsgrove) — 25 September, 2009 @ 4:17 pm
Not too sure what Stan Francis means by ‘Anti UK people in this country’ and would like to ask Mr. Mark France if he is happy to stand by Stan’s statement???
Comment by John Docherty — 1 October, 2009 @ 10:24 pm
Anti meaning anti, against the people already living here in harmony, against democracy, against the British way of life, against the people trying to keep it together. Why bring Mark into this, I supported him physcially for FREEDOM OF SPEECH, we are not connected politically, when we meet over a pint we talk politics but don’t fall out, or should you because we are opposites in politics, perhaps that’s where the problem is?.. I am middle of the road, cannot see what you are getting at or coming from unless you support people tearing this country apart..not sure how Mark feels, but please do not try to set people against each other just for the sake of placing something on a message board?…niether of stand a chance of getting elected at this GE(speak for yourself Stan as Mark would laughingly say), so we both agreed that the next is the district elections here in Bromsgrove and if we both got elected, I would work with him to get fairness for the working classes. there’s been much turmoil in the past and at this present momnt on Tory and Labour in the district council not seeing eye to eye, in fact worse than that?…a legal battle now ensues on another issue, I want to be able to walk into a meeting friendly with opposition and come out the same or why get elected, for if you do, then personalities will then kill off any chance of you getting better services for the people that voted you in…when you represent, you represent the people and not personalities, that’s how I am and will go forward, I salute people to have a theory on what would be better for them, without we would all be one way or the other, debate creates dialogue and being able to reach amicable conclusions…..I am not a pedantic person, I say it how it is and have no time for time wasters hell bent on making trouble for the sake of it.
Comment by stan francis — 31 October, 2009 @ 1:31 pm
If you think incinerators are safe and wind generators cause cancer and hey climate change is not happening, you could vote for Stan Francis.
Comment by Derek Wall — 31 October, 2009 @ 1:49 pm
Trying to work that one out Derick, did you have a tipple before you wrote that?..sorry I am completely GREEN, please educate me, but by forcing ideas you’ll get know where, again i say, dabate and the dialogue appears, agression creates wars and get us no where..start again please, be dipolomatic and courtious and we can start again?…short shrift messages stop EVERYTHING!…we all want something, so let’s start with Hi there, how are you, can you look at this and discuss…..The link may give you some ideas of where I come from, failure, well tell me where I and others that support me are going wrong, how many vote for your issues………. officially?
Comment by stan francis — 31 October, 2009 @ 8:03 pm
sorry Derick, link didn’t appear will try again?
Comment by stan francis — 31 October, 2009 @ 8:04 pm
I respect your the lack of a link and your inability to spell my name and yes if for voters who like incinerators but dislike wind turbines you are indeed the man.
Comment by Derek Wall — 31 October, 2009 @ 8:07 pm
opps your lack of a link….
Comment by Derek Wall — 31 October, 2009 @ 8:07 pm
link is there, further, Mark and I do not have a problem??…niether of us will get anywhere this GE, but we will work together in the future?…we spend our time getting it done…not getting it undone?
Comment by stan francis — 12 November, 2009 @ 7:58 pm