30 April (Part 3) - They are all in it together
I complained to the Local Government Ombudsman
about Bexley council’s year long efforts to get bloggers in general and me in particular behind bars for
“criticising councillors…". My actual words to the LGO were “I maintain that Mr. Will
Tuckley and Bexley council have made a concerted attack on me in order to
have me arrested and imprisoned by making allegations which were either entirely
false or gross distortions of the truth”.
I told them that the “flaming torches” comment came from elsewhere and the
source was not pursued, ditto the petrol bombs nonsense, but both were used to
pursue me because I was the council’s highest profile critic. As supporting evidence
I mentioned the various FOIs which eventually, after the intervention of the
Information Commissioner, revealed that it was Tuckley who was behind the plot;
and the obscene blog.
The LGO has written to say they are minded to dismiss my complaint as I
should address the question of FOI delays back to the ICO and the obscene blog
should be referred to the police. They indicate that Bexley council is at
liberty to report anyone it wishes to the police and can choose the reporter of any comment it
does not like rather than its source and if the police fall for
their ruse then the complaint should be directed at the police not the LGO. They
seem unable to distinguish evidence from complaint. From where do they get these people?
There will be an appropriate response but all public bodies appear to be tarred with the same
brush and presumably, at some level at least, they are all in it together - for
themselves. I think it is called Common Purpose.