When Political Parties enact their own rules it should not be a surprise and indeed they should be applauded. This morning on twitter BBC correspondent Peter Henley has reported on the news that the Labour Party has expelled one of its own members after 46 years for openly supporting a member of another party. The party concerned is the NHA and the member lives in Jeremy Hunt’s constituency. There is a widespread view that the most effective way of stopping Hunt from getting re-elected is for all voters opposed to the Conservatives to support Louise Irvine as a single progressive candidate. The Labour Party rules mean that the person concerned will be banned for 5 years. Its hard to disagree with following the rules unless as in this case the rules are beyond credibility. When I was standing as PCC I was supported by people from all political parties. Some did not support me with their first preference, but many did. They recognised that we needed to avoid politicising the police and the way of doing so was to elect a credible Independent candidate. However all of the Labour Party members who supported me swore me to secrecy that they had decided to back my campaign. That is all water under the bridge, however what is not water under the bridge is the extent to which the Labour Party itself has voted in recent weeks. First they voted to enact article 50 even though there was widespread opposition amongst its members and it was not something which followed party policy, and then to call an election even though the party like other parties and the country as a whole is clearly not ready for such an event. These are just two recent examples which show that Labour Party MPs can vote with MPs of other parties when they see a tactical benefit from doing so. However that is something that only MPs are allowed to do. Woe betide a party member, even one of 46 years if they wish to be tactical in their voting to reduce the Government majority. Ironically the supporters of the Labour Party in Brighton Kemptown and those in Ealing central and Acton who are benefiting from a progressive alliance by other parties are not rejecting the offer of such votes. As I look over the houses up and down the roads where I live I see a sea of Green posters. Yet the Labour Party is silly enough to argue in public that unless my neighbours and I vote for their party, that we will let Theresa May remain in Downing Street. The idea that a Green MP will support a Tory staying in No 10 is plainly ridiculous. It is time for Labour to wake up and adapt to the current situation which means electorally they are unlikely to ever be a larger Parliamentary party than the Conservatives, but the policies which they stand for are shared by a number of other political parties across the UK and some Independent candidates. That what is needed is the best Government, not a constantly naive second largest party which refuses to work with others, unless of course they happen to be the party in Government.