In what many will see as a humiliating climbdown, three members of the Spiritualists’ National Union (SNU) paid a visit to their honorary president, Eric Hatton, in Stourbridge last week to discuss their reasons for banning his autobiography. Their discussions have resulted in a joint statement that reveals the book – which the Union-run Arthur Findlay College was instructed to withdraw from sale – is now back on its shelves.
Here’s the statement in full:
Following the decision of the Union not to stock copies of its honorary president Eric Hatton’s book, Taking Up The Challenge, the president, the vice-president (Administrative) and the general secretary of the Union held a meeting with Mr Hatton, Hugh Davis and Susan Farrow to discuss the matters which had led to this decision.
The meeting was a very fruitful and cordial one and after full and frank discussions of the issues involved both the Union and its honorary president are pleased to announce that they came to a new and better understanding of, and respect for, each other’s positions and, as a result, were able to achieve a resolution of the situation.
The Union has accordingly agreed to put Mr Hatton’s book back on sale at the Arthur Findlay College bookshop. Mr Hatton recognised that some of the references in his book could have been taken to be misleading and denigratory but gave an assurance that this had never been his intention. With hindsight, the 
representatives of the Union present at the meeting acknowledge that a preliminary discussion with Mr Hatton about the Union’s concerns regarding his book might have resolved this situation more speedily.
The three SNU officials who met with Eric Hatton were David Bruton, president, Dinah Annable, vice-president (Administration), who are both members of its National Executive Committee (NEC), and Charles Coulston, the Union’s general secretary. Also at the meeting were Susan Farrow, who assisted Eric in writing the book, and Hugh Davis, a trustee of the JV Trust.
Though the statement does not acknowledge the fact, the decision to reverse the book ban is undoubtedly the result of the outcry which followed news that the book had been removed from sale at the Arthur Findlay College, without any reason being given and without any attempt to discuss the issue with its author, who is respected throughout the Spiritualist movement.
The ban was announced by Sue Farrow on 7 May on her SpiritOfPN website. I drew attention the story on the following day and made my own comments, including the suggestion that David Bruton should phone Hatton, apologise that the book ban had been handled so badly and disrespectfully, and then issue a statement discussing the issues. I’d like to think he would have done all those things without my prompting, and that of the 36 visitors to my Blog who felt so strongly about it that they made their own comments.
Even more supporters of Eric expressed their anger (with just a few who felt otherwise) on SpiritOfPN website which received an incredible 176 responses.
I’m not sure which pleases me the most: (a) the fact that the Union has at last started to show signs of listening to complaints and being prepared to act with greater civility and respect toward others; or (b) the new voice that the internet has given to those who feel bullied or ignored by those in power.
Above all, of course, I’m delighted that Eric’s excellent book is now back on sale at the Arthur Findlay College, as well as elsewhere. It’s a great read, even though the joint statement doesn’t shed any light on what it was that someone in the SNU felt so angry about to have it banned in the first place. I have my suspicions as to who that person is, but there’s no need for them to resort to a Super Injunction to keep me silent – I’m not saying.