Alex Barnes-Ross is coming for Scientology after the UK’s recent election
We’ve been looking forward to this post-election report from Alex Barnes-Ross, who has been causing Scientology so many headaches in the UK. And it’s a very encouraging one…
In September of last year I contacted my local Member of Parliament, Diane Abbott, sharing some of my story with her and asked for her assistance in putting an end to the suffering caused by Scientology here in the UK. Several months later she responded on House of Commons letterhead, saying “I am very sorry to hear about the harassment you have faced since leaving the church, no-one should face such a horrific campaign of harassment. I want to commend you for speaking out publicly.
“More broadly, I share your concerns about the legality of some of the actions described. As you have said, Scientology has a history of fraudulent activity internationally and other former Scientologists have also attested to the horrific treatment of former members. I have written to HMRC (His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs), who brought the case against the Church of Scientology for ruling that their ‘chapel’ was a place of worship, urging them to look again at options to appeal this decision and also to more broadly investigate the churches finances for fraudulent activity. I will share with you any response I receive.”
I was shocked. Not only had she responded personally, but she had made a bold statement and followed through with action: writing to the UK’s tax office requesting a review into Scientology’s finances. Diane Abbott was the first black female elected to Parliament in British history and a recent Amnesty International report found that 50 percent of online abuse aimed at female MPs was targeted specifically at her. Regardless of her politics, she is a trailblazer in every sense of the word, and comes with a strong track record of standing up to bullies: there couldn’t be a better placed politician to help insert Scientology into the wider political agenda.
In February, I met with her to discuss different ways forward and how she could help. Together with her Private Secretary we have been working on a plan that has resulted in me speaking directly with investigators and exchanging communication with the Chief Executive of HMRC — things were looking promising, and then the Prime Minister called a general election.
This, in my view, was an opportunity. Politicians up and down the country were going to hit the road, speaking to constituents and listening to their concerns in a bid to win their vote. In other words, we had a chance to engage candidates in the Scientology debate and that is exactly what I set about doing. I made a spreadsheet of the candidates standing in every area Scientology has an Org and wrote to them all independently and by the week of the election, had secured the promise of nine candidates to support a Parliamentary debate on Scientology should they be successful.
It was an historic election in every sense of the word and one politician, Neil Duncan-Jordan, who represents Poole — where Scientology have operated a mission for decades — won with a majority of just 18. Two weeks earlier, he responded to my email and confirmed “If elected I’d be happy to debate this in Parliament.”
Diane Abbott was re-elected, her party is now in power, and she and now stands as “Mother of the House” — another term for the longest sitting female MP. This means she commands more respect and a handful of privileges in the House of Commons. When the new Parliament first sat yesterday, both the former and new Prime Ministers thanked her publicly for her continued service and paid tribute to her steadfast commitment to justice, equality and freedom.
This is a problem for Scientology, and I am sure OSA’s Graeme Wilson and Janet Laveau are scratching their heads as we speak, devising some form of counter-attack in the form of safe pointing…only time will tell. But Abbott is not one to be easily shaken and I will continue to work closely with elected officials in the hope of tabling a debate.
Countless stories exist of abuse, harassment, and mistreatment of staff members ever since L. Ron Hubbard first set up shop at Saint Hill in 1959. That was 65 years ago, and it continues to this day. Government intervention is necessary for the protection of young and vulnerable adults — and it is something I’m campaigning heavily for, now with the support of two MPs (and counting).
Meanwhile, at the local government level, the East Grinstead Town Clerk who was responsible for the controversial redaction of questions raised about the Mayor’s relationship with Scientology at Council meetings in January has resigned. Although no public statement has been issued, minutes from a recent Council Meeting suggest she has been offered a new position which I understand is in a neighbouring town.
This presents yet another challenge for the Church of Scientology, which has maintained positive relationships with the Clerk for many years – and was called out by the national media in April after it was found the Mayor attended the latest Mission Impossible premiere and met with Tom Cruise.
Soon, a new Clerk will be in place — and OSA will need to start over with their attempts to curry favour and ‘safe point’ the Council’s chief executive. With declining membership numbers and recent governmental changes, the pressure must be mounting at Saint Hill to do something about the problem I present. This was confirmed recently with my neighbour sharing they’d received a knock at the door from Scientologists hoping to meddle. Fortunately, I’d briefed them beforehand and they preceded to slam the door in their faces.
When French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo labeled me the ‘Scientology Slayer’ recently, I looked at it in jest. But the more work I do exposing the horrific abuses that are prevalent across the organisation, the clearer it becomes: Scientology is a beast — and a beast takes an army to defeat.
It’s great we have two MPs that support a debate on Scientology, but this is only just the start of a very long battle. The more people who can write to their State Representatives (in the US), or MPs here in the UK, the better: this is a fight for justice and it cannot be done alone.
— Alex Barnes-Ross
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Stan Gerson is Class VI after 51 years in Scientology. The course for a Class VI auditor, SHSBC, no longer exists, so he’s been doing nothing on the bridge so to speak for years. His recent completion is a re read of some of the stuff on the briefing course without having to suffer through the tapes.
BUT twelve years ago, Stan and his wife made an appearance that will forever be cemented in my mind.
On July 3, 2012 Alexander Jentzsch died. His mother was not informed because she had committed the “crime” of leaving Scientology. Had she known Alexander had pneumonia, she could have gotten him proper medical treatment rather than having him die because a chiropractor was giving him methadone.
So where does Stan come in? He was Alexander’s godfather. The outside world made such a stink about Alexander’s death that a memorial service was hastily arranged and Heber Jentzsch was brought out of wherever they had kept him hidden for this occasion. Stan and his wife were Heber’s handlers. Heber was then disappeared again.
Stan, your smiling face brings back those memories. Your fake smile will always remind me that a 27 year old needlessly died because of Scientology disconnection. I doubt you will ever leave, but should you ever grow a pair, you owe Karen a giant apology. As his godfather you failed.
Can Stan Gerson pull a rabbit out of his hat and save $cientology from apostates and merchants of chaos? Nah, I didn't think so either. Any publicity about $cientology and any debate on its 'merits' (is there any such thing?) and crimes is one of the best things that any governing body can do. I look forward to more on this as the UK sorts out the new government. Well done Alex and all the people involved in this.