Guardian article by Stephen Moss

[Stewart Reuben]

Roger >A point made by an observer at the AGM was that Phil Ehr was keen on telling the assembled voters many of whom were organisers and arbiters what they could and could not discuss. It's a question of power. Phil Ehr's vision was of an ECF that had control over the chess organisations and bodies in England.<
Indeed, his is/was in many ways the antithesis of what I think. That the federation was at its best providing an umbrella under which organisations and individuals could go their own way, hopefully to the benefit of all. Thus 4NCL, Gibraltar, UK Chess Challenge, The Grand Prix originally, Senior Chess until 50+ started. Yet he and I did work together at least to some extent.

[Alan Kennedy]

What the ECF needs needs is more people who are prepared to forget old arguments and just get on with what the majority decide and implement it. We are all trying to get to basically the same place!

Hear hear!

[David Sedgwick]

There is a marked contrast between the lack of interest shown by Stephen Moss regarding the treatment of ECF volunteers and the very different approach of The Guardian to the recent revelations about the treatment of Conservative Party volunteers.

[JustinHorton]

Not sure that's a totally appropriate comparison, given that in the latter instance a young man was driven to suicide.

[David Sedgwick]

Not sure that's a totally appropriate comparison, given that in the latter instance a young man was driven to suicide.

If the cause of his suicide was indeed his treatment by a Conservative Party official, then I would accept that was was happening there was considerably worse than what was happening in the ECF.

But is was you who used the term "bullying" to describe the ECF situation.

[JustinHorton]

Sure, but as with all things, there's degrees.

(Incidentally, there is a procedure by which anybody may complain to the Guardian should they feel the Moss article was unfair to them. Just for information, no obligation on anybody.)

[Andrew Zigmond]

As I noted above I had to resist the temptation to comment on the article and set several facts straight (I've perhaps overstepped the mark slightly on this forum although anything I say is in a purely personal capacity). I don't know whether the ECF intends to put anything in writing. In any case, corrections and clarifications rarely get published anywhere prominent,