Banner
any day today rss X

News and Comment April 2015

Index: 2009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024

27 April (Part 2) - Old storm in a new tea cup

It would appear that I have irritated councillor Philip Read. I’m not sure why last week’s blog unsettled him so much, it was only long forgotten stuff I stumbled across in a newspaper archive. Probably he doesn’t like to be reminded of it but it was very typical Read behaviour.

As I am blocked from viewing Philip Read’s Tweets I only see part of his conversations if someone Retweets it which is how my interest came to be aroused earlier today.


TweetThat and similar comments showed that councillor Philip Read doesn’t like people knowing that he was as petty and spiteful four years ago as he can be today.

He had written to not one local newspaper but two to complain that Teresa Pearce had missed a vote in the House of Commons.

I doubt anyone but Philip cared very much but no opportunity for political assassination must be missed in councillor Read’s little world.

As you will know, I cannot see any redeeming features in Philip Read. It’s hard to forgive someone who sets out to get bloggers arrested and indeed succeeded in one case with a story that a judge in Bromley dismissed as nonsense.

More recently councillor Read has made concerted personal attacks on councillor Mabel Ogundayo, (Labour, Thamesmead East) repeatedly trying to humiliate her and relishing broadcasting his barbs via the webcasts. He knows exactly how to get himself featured here and I don’t like to disappoint him.

Some councillor ogres from the past have learned to modify their behaviour since social media has been around to expose their excesses. The name Peter Craske springs to mind. I can’t bring myself to really dislike him any more, but Read never learns.

Late last night he asked Teresa Pearce to check her diary, presumably because he has convinced himself that his letters to newspaper editor were the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. They were nothing of the sort.

Teresa cannot check her diary any more because she is currently cut off from her Parliamentary electronics so maybe the following will jog memories.

Below are the letters that were published in the Bexley Chronicle and the News Shopper at the end of February 2011.

ChronicleShopper
 I hardly knew Teresa at the time but I sought clarification from her nevertheless…


I am writing up small piece for my website, having a go at Bexley councillors as usual. As a makeweight I shall mention Philip Read's letter in this week's Shopper where he says you “wimped out” of a vote in the Commons. I think I read somewhere you were otherwise engaged in the constituency and there was little or maybe no whip, but I can't find the reference now. Is that right? If so I shall comment adversely on Read's letter.

I make no apology for kicking Read as hard as I reasonably can, my only concern is that I have the reference to you spot on.


Teresa replied as follow…


Yes I read it too!

Was sad about that. I had been at an event at Erith School on Friday with Cllr. Read and he did not ask me about it… maybe he wimped out!

The motion was a back bench motion put up by Jack Straw and David Davis. It has no effect on the law at all. It’s just so the Commons can have a debate.

So I had the choice to either sit in Parliament all day or to be in Erith & Thamesmead doing a four hour surgery followed by a huge postbag. It was a no brainer which was more beneficial to the constituents.

If the time comes to actually vote on the issue of prisoner voting where the vote will be binding then I have no doubt I’ll be there. There was no whip that day either.

Thank you - and we probably don't agree on a single political point!


I’m not sure Teresa’s last comment is absolutely correct but maybe I have mellowed over the past four years.

What is apparent now is that when I wrote that four year old blog I confused the Erith School event with the one that caused the absence but I don’t think that changes things very much.

I can see no reason for writing those letters apart from trying to denigrate a Labour MP - not even Read’s own MP. Maybe excusable if the facts were correct but he failed to mention that the MP was busy with her constituents or that the vote could have no effect on the law. Philip Read was simply being mischievous as well as barely truthful.

The available evidence may be seen in full above. Readers will make up their own minds as to whether Philip Read is the injured innocent party or not. But let’s call a bit of a truce. I won’t refer to Philip Read in particularly virulent terms any more if he stops having a go at young female councillors. It was strongly implied by Bexley Tories that young females are by definition incapable of drafting their own Motions. Now I’m being a wimp. “Implied?” No they actually said it didn’t they?

 

Return to the top of this page
Bonkers is a cookie free zone. Not a single one