When I stood against Jack Straw in 2005, I wanted to confront him with open debate about my eye witness to torture and extraordinary rendition, after he lied to parliament continually and repeatedly about it. I was however, despite being a candidate, not allowed to participate in any of the candidate’s debates, including that broadcast by BBC Radio 4, and the debate hosted by the joint churches in Blackburn cathedral.
I went to see the Dean of the Cathedral about my exclusion. He said something quite extraordinary – “Look, Craig, you are leaving after the election. We have to live in this town.” He was scared of retribution. That sounds wildly improbable, but it was supported by much other experience. I agreed to short term lets of two shops for my campaign headquarters (there is no shortage of shops to let in Blackburn). Both cancelled when they discovered I wished to campaign against Jack Straw – one specifically told me that they would like to help, but feared trouble from the council. When I eventually succeeded, the landlords made the point that they lived and had their businesses outside Blackburn and this was their only asset there, so they couldn’t come to much harm.
Under electoral law a candidate is entitled to the use of schools and community centres free of charge for electoral meetings, but despite dozens of efforts I was never once allowed this. It is a serious and specific electoral offence for a candidate to provide free food and drink at public meetings – “treating” – but the Straw campaign did this on a very large scale, and both the police and returning officer took no action when I complained with sworn affidavits of evidence from eye-witnesses. Postal ballot fraud was extraordinarily blatant, with the same authorities determinedly looking the other way. I could not even get them to look at why thirteen postal ballots were cast from one single unoccupied flat.
The point of which is – I know how Cyril Smith did it. It was a different category of crime he was committing, but I have seen how in these Lancashire towns like Blackburn and Rochdale the authorities collude together so comfortably to cover up the crimes of the local big man, be it Cyril Smith or Jack Straw. It may seem quite incredible that everybody knew in Rochdale and nothing was done, but having tried to challenge Straw in Blackburn, I know precisely how it worked. The entire political culture of industrial Lancashire is deeply rotten, and ought to be a source of deep shame.
Cyril Smith was merely a symptom, not the cause.
Having been digging all day yesterday I did not read Craigs excellent post about the takeover and corrupting of British society until this morning.Party politics has killed democracy as they have pulled the Electoral Commissions teeth, and tinkered with the voting system, postal votes, etc. so they could best manipulate it.
Even though election coordinators eventually retire, In South Norfolk DC for example, he’s wheeled out as he knows everything about the elections, nudge nudge…
As campaigns and election coordinator to the first ever female Independent Muslim candidate in Blackburn 2010, I can vouch that the whole town of Blackburn, Police, council, local businesses, especially the media are thouroughly corrupted. We had to fight and argue to be included on the panel at every election meeting and debate that was arranged. In Blackburn Cathedral I was assaulted, pushed against one of the pillars by the sacrister who was irate at the suggestion that we would not leave the church until we are included on the panel. This was a foot away from one of Jack Straws private police, whop obviously had not seen or heard anything.
Jack Straw was heard in a Ummah TV debate with the liberal candidate, said that he organised Nick Cleggs leadership campaign within the Lib Dems, a story that sounds wonderous, but in the politics of the North east, is not so uncommon. Being a local politicians means that you are in charge and the Lib Dems, on someone’s behalf, took the candidature away from Bushra Irfan, so she had to stand as an Independent. It is my believe that Jack SAtraw was behind her loosing the candidature because she was a local lawyer he did not like, a feisty woman who could speak up and hold her own in debate.
Despite visiting the police station and giving evidence regards the assault on me, deswpite the afidavit delivered by Craig, the police let him wait for three hours before finally taking it, nothing ever happened.
http://thelastofthefew-view.blogspot.co.uk/2010_04_01_archive.html
We had our 4x8foot posters ripped from the trailers, we had the police round for puny parking issues at least twice/week and the electoral count was the most pathetic sham I have ever witnessed. On the day of the election Labour’s elders, long term supporters of Jack and his dog Patel, long coats, beards and much talking in Urdu to the voters going to the polling stations along the lines of ‘don’t forget who employs you/your husband’
Three polling stations featured profuse Labour advertising posters within 200 yards of the polling station, prohibited on election day, and the Chief executive of the council,Graham Burgess, when asked by myself as whether ‘he thought that these posters were legitamitely placed’ said ‘ yes, he thought so’, the end of that debate.
Party politics has corrupted and infiltrated all institutions, despite their unpopularity, only a few bother with elections for these reasons and the lack of proportionality, these scoundrels manage to get their messages into the media, but
if unpopular celebrities try to get their views accross the media declines???
so why is our media not amplifying people politics? Is the BBC so dependent on their franchise that they feel obliged to suck up to these crooks? the professional election gangs?
here is one from the Days Craig was still asked to write stuff for the Grauniad.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/apr/08/craig-murray-general-election
The entire political culture is rotten – both inside and outside Lancashire. In fact, all social institutions have also become corrupted.
Most depressing, however, is to hear that “I went to see the Dean of the Cathedral about my exclusion..He was scared of retribution.” Whatever happened to “For God has not given us the spirit of fear”.
As regards election fraud one of the biggest fraudsters is Karl Rove who engineered a turnaround in the result which saw war-criminal George W. Bush wrongfully elected. One of the crimes of the century. Rove is currently working in support of the Prime Minister of Sweden, Fredrik Reinfeldt. The party Reinfelt represents is called The Moderate Party but it is in fact extremely right wing. Hopefully the Swedish people will have had enough of this tool of America and the new government will hopefully make sure the prosecution team question Julian Assange in London. The policemen who stand outside the Ecuador embassy cost the taxpayer millions.
John Goss 29 Apr, 2014 – 10:07 am
As an addendum to The Hindu article about elections in Donetsk, I have seen a photograph of the already printed ballot papers stacked in boxes ready for distribution.
Off topic but important. I’ve just got this through. The “OSCE observers” are soldiers not members of OSCE.
‘Accusations, that “pro-Russian separatists” have captured “OSCE observers” are false.’ says the article.
http://nsnbc.me/2014/04/29/captured-soldiers-osce-observers-claimed-germany-russia-held-talks/
Fred is again expecting to be disagreed with –
They are separate issues, to attempt to marry the two and say the first is responsible for the second just diminishes the second.
I thought the connection between the institutional protection of prominent people engaged in corrupt commercial transactions, and the protection of prominent people with an unhealthy interest in children, in areas noted for both, was far from tenuous, myself. Silly me.
Not sure if Bournemouth is a hotbed for this sort of thing, but currently:
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/11046863.UPDATE__Accused_Weymouth_councillor_Ryan_Hope_joins_Lib_Dem__coalition_/
You have to wonder what a 22-year-old who works in an engineering company is doing on a council, anyway. OK, I’m nasty. Nobody likes me and I don’t care….but this would be a logical connection in terms of what councillors find interesting…just supposing…
http://www.yell.com/biz/ca-hope-building-contractors-bournemouth-901351737/
…for ‘commercial’, above, read ‘politico-commercial’. Thanks.
Sane looking site, created for a specific council. Note: effective immunity of councillors, and deep involvement (often as initiators of corrupt practices) of council officials.
http://www.rottencouncil.co.uk/council-corruption/
The present and alarming unaccountability of this local authority, amongst many others in this country, is leaving the taxpayer staggered and bewildered, especially where central government refuses to act on behalf of the electorate, who they are allegedly supposed to represent. The only way to control local authority corruption is to introduce new legislation by statute to criminalize such acts. This will empower the Police to react to allegations and treat such crimes as high priority.
Planning crime is rampant and uncontrolled within this local authority. As one would expect, in the old adage, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating’, therefore, where possible, we have included evidence in the form of correspondence and documentation to allow the reader to confirm our opinions, beliefs and concerns. We understand that many of our readers will recognize the methods employed by this mendacious Council and welcome any comments by our readers, or share their experiences with us.
O/T (?)
Kerry obliged to withdraw slur on digging implement – admits ‘not a spade’.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/04/28/cantor-calls-on-kerry-to-apologize-for-reported-apartheid-remarks-about-israel/
Ba’al; Kerry is an unenviable wanker. He got that apartheid bell rung, then as usual he tries to unring it. It was a perfectly appropriate comparison. What’s the problem?
I’m getting the feeling that Kerry is the fall guy for the usual suspects. Whom he probably doesn’t even like. Even so, they made sure Indyk was there – probably talking to Bibi all the time. I’m rather sorry for Kerry. He thought he could speak truth to power, and then the power* slapped him down. So it goes. Did you notice our Blair’s part in the latest talks? No, neither did I. He knew it was a setup.
*AIPAC
PS -In any event, what Kerry actually said was even less offensive than the version he’s being humiliated for. He didn’t say Israel was an apartheid state. He said that if a two-state solution didn’t happen, it would be. And that can be confirmed completely from available evidence.
Straw’s replacement as MP for Blackburn will be the current leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Kate Hollern. (His son will be standing next door) She works in Blackburn College’s training department as Skills Funding Agency and Job Centre Plus Contracts Manager. Naturally, the economy being what it is, she has to chop 500 council jobs this year and make other savings, so you’d think she’d be up for managing some Job Centre contracts. Here’s a recent snapshot of her present patch, Wensley Fold Ward. Apologies: this seems to be an Express article and induces nausea. But the last par is interesting:
http://beforeitsnews.com/conspiracy-theories/2014/02/beyond-benefits-street-ghettos-with-70-unemployment-and-no-future-2459262.html
” The leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council, Labour’s Kate Hollern, has represented the Wensley Fold Ward since May 1995.
The Scots-born politician works just a quarter of a mile from The Wrangling at Blackburn College as “employer responsive contracts manager”.
Unfortunately, numerous attempts by the Sunday Express to speak to her about our findings proved unsuccessful.
(Ultimate) source: Express.co.uk
A champion of the people, then.
Do you remember Clark telling us about his visit to a job centre? Touch screens and clipboards and thugs hovering.
PS The Wiltshire policeman who fired a laser onto the unclothed body of a drunk occupant of a cell has been found not guilty of misconduct and bringing a public office into disrepute.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-27207706
In 2012, a Wiltshire police custody sergeant was convicted of assaulting a 60yr old woman in a cell. He got his job back after having been sacked. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-20263101
Avoid Wiltshire.
All these connections
Member’s Details/Kate M Hollern
http://94.236.33.182/CmiswebPublic/Member.aspx?personID=15
yet a virtually blank sheet
Register of Member’s Interests
http://94.236.33.182/CmiswebPublic/Binary.ashx?Document=10768
From Donald S.
“Jack Straw is a gangster”
and
“Straw is heavily involved in organised crime.”
_________________
Perhaps memory fails, but isn’t that the sort of post that caused the previous Mods and/or Craig to close down the blog for a while a few months ago?
I would have thought by his egregious flouting of the relevant Acts concerning election law, Straw had hoped to be pulled up and punished plus being kicked/banned from holding or standing for public office now and in the future. Though if his psychopathy is so severe he may be incapable of recognising that he has done anything wrong, his and New Labour’s moral compasses coming from that notorious bad batch that was never recalled. Even a system so intrinsically corrupt and corrupting, so tuned to deliver exactly the evils it’s raison d’être forbids must now and again approximate the illusion of delivering on its putative aim.
We must give Straw more rope, or a confession to sign. At least for Straw, Blair, Milibands and friends, it is all about money and power, there are no troubling ideological issues to deal with in understanding such creatures. No principle priced is too high.
The hypocritical “land of the free”
Nigella Lawson banned from entering US after drug confession
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/nigella-lawson-banned-from-entering-united-states-after-the-celebrity-chef-admitted-taking-illegal-drugs-9234134.html
Afghan “torturer-in chief” given right to stay in USA
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/mystery-surrounds-move-of-afghan-torturer-in-chief-to-us-amid-allegations-of-agency-abuse/2014/04/28/0916144a-ca4b-11e3-93eb-6c0037dde2ad_story.html?hpid=z2
@Abe Rene – You asked what kind of retribution the Dean might have been afraid of. Good question. I know of two examples where those who run C of E cathedrals run them as ruthlessly commercial operations. Many maintenance and other services are highly specialised and highly masonic with it. There are also events such as Christmas fairs which bring in loads of moolah. Well-favoured artists or craftsmen who ‘know how to hold a knife and fork’ can get can get their artwork shown in the crypts, and so on. It’s all a matter of you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours – and whatever you do, don’t let the wrong sort of people in, and if you do, turn them upside-down and shake money out of the dirty oiks’ pockets. They’re run as snot-nosed business rackets, in short.
I don’t know the answer to your question, but am just pointing out that Cathedrals are fairly weighty commercial players in many cities, on both sides of the balance-sheet. If they got sent to Coventry, they’d feel it all right.
Most of their specialised suppliers are as masonic as fuck.
Meanwhile, as I hinted above: Craig should have responded powerfully at the time, not several years later. A missed opportunity, sadly.
Craig: serious advice: don’t give anybody on your team PR responsibilities unless they’ve read Saul Alinsky.
Mr Scorgie
Great post at 19h17, congratulations and well done.
Now that you’re back with us, perhaps you could take a minute or two to answer the (amended) question I asked you yesterday? It was :
“Well, if you could refer me to some Conservative-held parliamentary seats where postal voting fraud has been identified (or even suspected), I’d be very interested to hear from you.”
Mary (re postal voting fraud in parliamentary elections)
“The Resident Interrogator seems desperate to prove a point, whatever that may be. Has he/she not heard of Google?
PDF]
Electoral offences since 2010 – Parliament
http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN06255.pdf”
_____________________
Not trying to prove a point so much as asking a question.
But anyway, many thanks for the link you provided.
Although your link you supplied (despite the misleading title “Parliament”) in fact covers not only Parliamentary but also local govt elections, and covers all offences (not just postal voting fraud), I was nevertheless interested to note one of the report’s conclusions, namely
“Action should be taken now to protect the integrity of elections in all areas but particularly in higher risk areas. The Commission identified these areas as being: Birmingham, Bradford, Calderdale, Derby, Kirklees, Pendle, Slough, Walsall, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Coventry, Hyndburn, Oldham, Peterborough, Tower Hamlets and Woking”
Would you care to tell us how many of the above-mentioned higher-risk areas are represented by Conservative MPs and/or run by Conservative councils at the local level?
And how many by NoooLabour and/or the Liberal Democrats?
Ta.
Mary
On second thoughts, I’m guessing you’ll try and ignore my request for info, so I’ve looked it up myself.
Of the 16 areas mentioned as being at “higher risk” of electoral fraud:
** all but 2 (Peterborough and Woking)are Labour seats at Westminster (MPs)
** at the local govt level, all but 6 of the areas are run by Labour (2 of the 6 are Conservative run and there is no overall control in the other 4)?
****************
The conclusion must be that electoral fraud and irregularities occur mainly in Labour areas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you again, Mary, for providing that very interesting link!
For the sale of completenesss, I should have added that the 2 out of 16 Parliamentary seats NOT held by Labour are held by the Conservatives.
“despite the misleading title “Parliament””
That particular document is a summary made specifically to inform members of parliament which is why they called it Parliament.
You asked what kind of retribution the Dean might have been afraid of. Good question. I know of two examples where those who run C of E cathedrals run them as ruthlessly commercial operations. Many maintenance and other services are highly specialised and highly masonic with it. There are also events such as Christmas fairs which bring in loads of moolah. Well-favoured artists or craftsmen who ‘know how to hold a knife and fork’ can get can get their artwork shown in the crypts, and so on. It’s all a matter of you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours – and whatever you do, don’t let the wrong sort of people in, and if you do, turn them upside-down and shake money out of the dirty oiks’ pockets. They’re run as snot-nosed business rackets, in short.I don’t know the answer to your question, but am just pointing out that Cathedrals are fairly weighty commercial players in many cities, on both sides of the balance-sheet. If they got sent to Coventry, they’d feel it all right. Most of their specialised suppliers are as masonic as fuck.
Another loon.
Cathedrals are extremely expensive to maintain. Walls require masons, so on.
Fred
The title of the briefing paper is “Electoral offences since 2010”.
Mary slid the word Parliament into the title – pehaps because my original question concerned postal voting fraud in Parliamentary elections. The briefing paper, however, covers fraud and offences in all elections.
Whatever!
Anything to say about the briefing paper’s conclusion which I quoted, Freddie?
And my findings that almost all but 2 of the “higher risk” areas elected Labour MPs and that most are run by Labour Councils?
Anon
Could it be that Cathedrals are all a conspiracy?
Masonic this time, of course, not CIA!
Craig, it looks like you got the full Ron Paul treatment
Full house again from UNoWho!
~~~
Anyway there is one less Tory boy, ex Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment. Son of a Bishop. Full welly. The whole kit and caboodle.
‘E’s gorn!
Oh sorry. Correction. He was a ‘Former Tory’. The BBC have just changed the headline from ‘Ex Tory’ to ‘Former Tory’.
Former Tory MP Mercer resigns after Commons suspension
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27208966
More of the ZBC NuSpeak.
News headline – George Osborne says economy grew by 0.8% in the last quarter.
They followed that by saying that the economy is back to the same level that it was at ‘when the ‘recession hit’. They meant to say ‘when the City spivs and gangsters crashed the banks’. They also missed out referring to the massive bail out in £billions which is ongoing to this day.