Banner
any day today rss X

News and Comment June 2016

Index: 2009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024

16 June (Part 2) - They are all made in the same mould

I met up with fellow truth seekers, John Watson, Elwyn Bryant and Michael Barnbrook a couple of weeks ago. As usual Mick was keen to update us on his complaints to police about the Tories abusing the election expenses rules.

One of the MPs included in Mick’s complaint is Kelly Tolhurst who beat Anna Firth, the woman gets everywhere, in an open primary before the General Election in Rochester and Strood.

However perhaps more interesting to local readers is that Mick produced evidence suggesting that a Bexley Council employee had committed a criminal offence. Someone with very long experience of the Council pointed out that if it had connived with the employee no offence would have been committed, which cast doubt on whether Mick’s case would hold up. Bexley Council being dishonest too can never be discounted.


StewardIt may have been me who suggested that instead of getting the police to look into things we might give the new Chief Executive, Gill Steward, an opportunity to show her mettle by Mick taking his concerns to her. It wouldn’t have worked with Will Tuckley, but you never know, his replacement might be fair minded.

Mick phoned the CE’s office to say that he wished to discuss a sensitive issue with her, one with the potential for a criminal prosecution, and that she might be either interested or be able to show him that all was above board.

The response was a telephone call back to say that the Chief Executive has no free time for a meeting and Mick should write in. So the new Chief Executive hasn’t taken Mick’s report that Bexley Council may be harbouring another criminal particularly seriously. Perhaps she doesn’t know how many times his reports about public servants have hit and brought down their target.

There is one obvious answer to whether the CE has no free time and it is to FOI a copy of Gill Steward’s work diary for the coming month to see if she is fibbing or not.

That was done once before and Bexley Council refused to play ball but the Information Commissioner soon sorted that out. If the new Chief Executive wants to be difficult, two can play at that game.

Note: This is a slightly revised version of the blog posted five hours earlier which incorrectly stated that Mr. Barnbrook had already written to Gill Steward.

 

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