More Labour members criticize party leadership

A group of 30 prominent PvdA members in Friesland wrote an open letter in which they criticize party chairman Hans Spekman and party leader Diederik Samsom. In the letter, published in the Leeuwarder Courant on Monday, the PvdA'ers accuse the leadership of ignoring the party members, the party's direction and giving members and voters nothing in return. "Really stand up for the weakest in society. Give us our party back", the letter reads. It is signed by a former senator and several State members, among others. The letter writers had enough when the party leadership recently decided to ignore a widely supported appeal to broaden the children's pardon. They say that listening to party members is not Spekman and Samson's "strongest point". "Members are heard, but it leads to nothing in the end", they write. "Sometimes when frustration is too high, I think I'd better go search for my salvation elsewhere." The PvdA members write. "But I see and hear that so many are unhappy with me about the choices of our party leadership and show that more and more openly. Therefore I draw the conclusion: The became estranged from me instead of the other way around."