Stafford Sleaze and Scandal

Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
What's he done?

Noticed he was 'on' earlier, 'on' this thread to boot - was so for quite a while so was expecting some sort of rebuttal.

Come did there none.
 
ATJ

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
Between Hollinsworth becoming independent because he's been convicted of benefit fraud and Draper being suspended suspicously close to the election, my ward is rapidly losing Labour representatives.

Maybe i'll vote Tory.

Chortle.
 
ATJ

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
I quite like him.
I mean, at least because of the hospital business i know his name, which is more than i can say for any other borough councillor.
It came as a shock to find out that littleworth has three of them!
 
Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
proactive said:
Nothing, ever, as far as I can work out.
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He's been quite 'evident' with the whole SSH thing but i think most of us remain mostly clueless as to what our esteemed Councillors actually do - which tbf is probably as much our fault as theirs.

I hate those Newsletter articles that say something and nothing - wtf is he accused of? Slip in the odd 'allegedly' and you might actually inform us of something.

I'll rephrase - what's he *allegedly* done?
 
M

markmh

Well-Known Forumite
Withnail said:
He's been quite 'evident' with the whole SSH thing but i think most of us remain mostly clueless as to what our esteemed Councillors actually do - which tbf is probably as much our fault as theirs.
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I think its mainly their fault they are supposed to listen and represent but I doubt many get out and talk to people in their areas until the election comes round. A quick search on google for the manor ward finds little information on what the councillors have been doing other than a list of meeting dates. It would be nice to hear from them from time to time (leaflet/email/social media) about what they are doing and why people should be voting for them rather than other councillors.
 
ATJ

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
Had a Labour leaflet through my door today - it still lists Rowan as one of my local Labour candidates. It would be nice to see some official clarification...
 
ATJ

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
Following on from this article
http://www.staffordshirenewsletter....illor-charge/story-26236013-detail/story.html
claiming that Littleworth Labour borough Councillor Rowan Draper had been suspended from his party for misconduct.

I have since had two leaflets showing him standing as candidate
http://littleworthlabour.org/stafford-labour-party/

Now this confused me. How could he be standing as councillor if suspended?

So I asked https://www.facebook.com/LittleworthLabour

And the response was as follows:
"Contrary to an inaccurate report in the local press, Cllr Draper has neither been suspended, nor faced the charges reported. We were greatly surprised by the article, and by how the information in it might have originated, but have asked that the record be corrected. In the meantime, Stafford Labour are happy to confirm that Cllr Draper has our full confidence, is working very hard on Kate's campaign, and will hopefully be working equally hard in Littleworth for many elections to come."

When I told them that, if true, that's shocking journalism that deserves a retraction and apology, I was told that's what Labour are seeking.

Assuming the above is accurate (and it must be at least partially true given Draper is still standing), that really is abysmal work by the Newsletter. In my opinion, they've seriously dented the reputation of a local Cllr by printing something entirely fabricated and, in the run up to an election, seriously dented his chances of re-election.

Now, whatever you think of Labour or Draper personally, I think this is bloody outrageous.

What are the Newsletter playing at?
 
arthur

arthur

Nixon Garden Neatness
I really don’t have enough knowledge to enter into a political conversation but one thing that sticks in my mind about Stafford Council is that it is always in the new for sleaze and scandal so surely a change is for the best. It may get rid of the jolly boys having tea and tiffin?????
 
tek-monkey

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
The newsletter print what you pay them to, maybe this is all to draw attention away from the bloke that committed a criminal act but said sorry?
 
ATJ

ATJ

Well-Known Forumite
I've had a leaflet from him too. He and one of the blokes who resigned rather than face internal investigation for abusing Kate Godfrey are both standing in Littleworth as 'independents'.
 
proactive

proactive

Enjoying a drop of red.
ATJ said:
I've had a leaflet from him too. He and one of the blokes who resigned rather than face internal investigation for abusing Kate Godfrey are both standing in Littleworth as 'independents'.
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You're certainly getting the cream of the crop to vote for in Littleworth. All you need is for Mike Heenan to stand and you'd have a full set...
 
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Withnail

Withnail

Well-Known Forumite
PPPPPP said:
Good to see the council hunting down the real villains, as usual.
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Be that as it may, and i'm not sure that is particularly the job of the Borough Council to 'hunt down villains', real or otherwise, i'm unsure as to where this story fits within sleaze/scandal parameters.

In what way is it sleazy and/or scandalous?
tek-monkey said:
I guess that explains why we have no election signs round here.
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It kind of does, really, and although that particular edict is County Council policy rather than Borough, although Borough are evidently happy to join in and enforce it, it at least displays some sort of unity of action that sort of legitimises the whole 'visual purdah' type arrangement we have found ourselves in.

Sauce for the goose and all that.
 
P

PPPPPP

Well-Known Forumite
Withnail said:
Be that as it may, and i'm not sure that is particularly the job of the Borough Council to 'hunt down villains', real or otherwise, i'm unsure as to where this story fits within sleaze/scandal parameters.

In what way is it sleazy and/or scandalous?

It kind of does, really, and although that particular edict is County Council policy rather than Borough, although Borough are evidently happy to join in and enforce it, it at least displays some sort of unity of action that sort of legitimises the whole 'visual purdah' type arrangement we have found ourselves in.

Sauce for the goose and all that.
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It's sleaze because while the council delights in boasting about taking legal action against dog poo offenders and those who erect signs or adverts, they do nothing about people who build houses with no planning permission. Check out the Abbeylands, Weston farce on the planning site.
 
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