LIB DEMS ON TRIAL: FIRST CITIZEN STOREY FOUND GUILTY!

FORMER Lib Dem Leader Mike Storey is still set to be Lord Mayor next year, despite being found guilty of breaking council rules.

The Storeyteller was convicted by the Standards Board of leaking details of the Harbarrowboy's illness to Joe Riley at the Oldham Echo.

But they decided not to punish him, because they stupidly decided that Storey had only responded to Riley's enquiry, rather than volunteering the details.

This is, of course, total nonsense.

Storey it was who pro-actively went on the blower to Riley to dish the dirt on Jase after Fireman Bradley tipped him off in the Leader's Jag the night before.

Riley then went bumbling around telling anyone who would listen in the Municipal Buildings that Storey had told him all about Jase having a dicky ticker and being on the sick!

Apparently Riley had completely forgotten the first rule of journalism: 'protect thy source'.

In response to this, Storeyteller in his evidence to the Standards Board called Riley a liar: "I don't know why Joe, who I like and respect, should utter such a preposterous falsehood."

Pots calling kettles,wethinks.

However, the Storeyteller's leak did present the Oldham Echo with an ethical dilemma.

Given that Riley had already dropped his 'secret' source in deep doo-doo, how could they maintain their editorial integrity as a trusted newspaper, etc (sic)?

The answer they hit on, simply, was to lie.

So, in the Echo's evidence to the Standards Board, they completely manufactured another source for the story.

"Yes, Mike Storey, CBE had spoken to Joe Riley. But it was Joe who phoned him first and Storey only confiirmed what we already knew. Another source has told us all about it first."

This engaging and highly entertaining tale of the mythical leaker apparently made the Standards Board look a bit more favourably on the Storeyteller.

So they let him off.

Of course, they should have hung drawn and quartered Storey for his part in The Perroni Plot against Jase at the Fireman's house, when the wicked pair tried to lure the seriously wronged Lee Forde into their evil plan.

But our ethical arbitrators decided that it was just another social engagement for the Storeyteller to sit in Bradley's front room for two hours, talking to an ex-employee who was suing the council, two days after an official report had wrongly blamed Mr Forde for the Mathew Street debacle and questioninging to him in great and prolonged detail about the Harbarrowboy's activities.

A typical Sunday night out round at Warren's gaff for the Storeyteller, in other words.

"I was just making up the numbers, guv. Felt sorry for Mr Forde. Gave him my shoulder to cry on. Gave him a Perroni to cheer him up. Nothing at all to do with getting rid of Jase. Utmost respect for the Harbarrowboy. Fine public servant. No feelings of animosity over Mathew Street, strike me down dead this very minute. Mathew St an unforunate episode admittedly, but tiny hiccup in the fantastic regeneration which our city is undergoing. Just look at how things were 10 years ago, we were the worst council in the country, now look at us! Er, sorry, i got that bit wrong, etc, etc, etc."

Sort of thing.

So this is the man who is destined to be Liverpool's first citzen next year? Unless of course Labour, Steve Radford's Liberals and the Greens combine to thwart his ambitions to appear in the Echo nightly throughout 2009?

Meanwhile, many of the blog's commentators appear to be on the button...

LIVERPOOL SUBCULTURE REVIEW: "YELLOW" or "A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD" FOR FIREMAN BRADLEY?

OFFICIALS from the worst council in the country were out in force at the recent Coldplay gig at the Oldham Arena.

Surprisingly, despite the abundance of bureaucrats present, this was a gig that was not promoted by Chas 'Show me the money' Cole.

However, that didn't stop Chas's mate Phil Hasitall, who took a half million pound pay-off from the hard-pressed council taxpayers of Liverpool, being present in a front row seat.

Wonder who paid for his ticket?

Nor did it stop chief executive Colin CoverUp and his delightful missus getting on down with the kids from their seats.

Wonder who paid for their tickets?

Alongside CoverUp and missus, and making a rare and hugely anticipated public appearance, was a surprise special guest - none other than The Storeyteller and his delightful missus.

Wonder who paid for their tickets?

Indeed so thick (sic) on the ground were senior council officials and members of CoverUp's Executive Management Team that excited bystanders wondered if the Lib Dim Executive Board were going to be the support act.

We are told that the Christmas get-together was to celebrate all the hard work put in by senior executives in making the city council the worst in the country and taking Liverpool to the verge of bankruptcy.

The council delegation took particular delight in Coldplay front man Chris Martin's recital of the appropriate line: "Nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard”.

But one civic leader (sic) was surprisingly missing from the distinguished council line-up.

Step forward, under-investigation and on his uppers, Warren 'The Fireman' Bradley.

He rang up an underling just an hour before the show to apologise and cancel his seats.

Wonder who paid for his (unused) tickets?

So, as the bureaucrats swayed to the appropriately titled "Fix You", there was mounting speculation amongst them about The Fireman's future (sic).

"He's ****ed," was the fairly constant refrain.

But it seems The Fireman too, may well have finally smelled the coffee after a series of full and frank exchanges with his ruinously expensive legal team (paid for by council taxpayers).

The legal eagles have apparently advised him, at a cost believed to be in the region of £750 a day, that he is in deep doo-doo with the Standards Board.

"You're on a sticky wicket, Warren mate," was the advice.

"It looks like curtains, sunshine."

"They've got you bang to rights."

We would not have charged him a penny - thus saving council taxpayers a small fortune - for providing exactly the same advice.

And we would have been happy to have done so. As a public service to the people of Liverpool.

Meanwhile, now that the penny has dropped with the Fireman, the Standards Board contine to consider his and the Storeyteller's response to their secret report.

It could be finally published next week, next month, next year.

Anyroadup, the Fireman's bold threats ("I'm a fighter, not a fireman") of taking out an incredibly expensive High Court injunction against the ethics watchdogs at the Standards Board have apparently come to nought.

Gone are the protestations of innocence. Gone the brave words. Gone the little boy lost look.

Gone with all the wind.

The fearless Fireman has now gone from cock of the north to cock-up.

Which made one Coldplay song all the more appropriate - 'Yellow'.

LIB DEMS ON TRIAL: 'Those mugs can pay for my legal costs'.

COUNCIL taxpayers are footing the bill for Fireman Bradley's legal defence against the Standards Board.

So far, the shock fee for assorted solicitors, barristers and legal advice has already reached a cool £10,000.

It is expected to at least TRIPLE when Fireman Bradley is hauled in front of the Adjudication Panel for England next year.

And every penny will be paid by the council's taxpayers.

So let us just recap on the story so far:

a) Bradley cocks up trying to get rid of the Harbarrowboy so badly that, in the end, the city council is forced to pay off Jase with a quarter of a million pounds.

Paid for by council taxpayers.

b) Bradley is prosecuted by ethics watchdogs over his blundering attempts to get rid of The Harbarrowboy. And his defence is now being funded by the city council.

Paid for by council taxpayers.

c) This is what is officially known in the trade as "adding insult to injury."

Bradley, who pockets £30,000 a year as Leader of the worst council in the country (special responsibility allowance of £20,600, plus the basic allowance of £9,900) on top of his firefighter's salary of £28,000 a year, has protested that he cannot afford to pay for his own legal defence.

So Colin CoverUp has authorised the city council's coffers to be thrown open to the current council leader.

No limit has been placed on the eventual legal bill.

The sky is the limit.

Meanwhile, after taking two weeks to read the secret Standards Board report which finds him guilty of repeated breaches of the councillors Code of Conduct, Bradley consulted with m'learned friends.

Then he finally submitted his response to the Standards Board last Wednesday.

(Basically his not guilty plea amounts to: "blame that Lee Forde fella and his mates; my children have suffered as a result of all this; I'm only a fireman; Look at how much Liverpool has benefitted from my leadership (sic); I never sent any emails or text messages to anyone.")

The Standards Board are now deciding how long they need to respond and/or amend their report.

Could be days.

Could be weeks.

Knowing them.

But publish the report they will.

Eventually.

Unless one of Bradley's legal eagles threatens them with a High Court injunction.

Which would be quite expensive.

But hey!

It's only council taxpayer's hard-earned money.

LIB DEMS ON TRIAL: " YOU CAN FOOL SOME OF THE PEOPLE, SOME OF THE TIME, BUT ...... (or, WHAT THE PAPERS SAY)

The following is a comment made by one of our loyal readers.

We think it deserves a higher profile.

"Well, having read the accounts in the papers, not only is it a sad and sorry account of Liverpool politics it is a sad and sorry account of the slanted reporting of the Liverpool/Oldham Echo.

The Post Article covers mainly the facts of the case and the reaction of other local politicians.

It states that Hurst has instructed his legal team to launch an appeal against the conviction etc.

Whereas our Lib Dem a*se licking Echo, passes quickly over the guilty verdict and reprehensible actions and then gives over half of their coverage to presenting Hurst as the victim.

They even put up a photgraph captioned “STRAIN Cllr Hurst says he will appeal”.

They cite the “horrendous strain” he has endured (since getting caught methinks).

But incredibly, well not for the Echo, I suppose, we then have almost half of the article quoting Bradley, his local party leader, personal friend and fellow firefighter.

Bradley tells us, “anyone who knows Steve (Hurst) from work, life or politics knows he is a really decent guy who does not deserve this.”

I would assume the Walton’s know him, given that the real victims of this will know him from work life and politics also.

I don’t think they will share that view.

Then they further quote Bradley: “There is a concerted smear campaign against him which has been a waste of public money.”

(Well he knows all about wasting public money.)

What the hell is the fool talking about?

Is he accusing the Walton’s of launching a smear campaign against Hurst?

Who has used public money to carry this out?

The only public money involved is related to the court prosecution in which he was found guilty.

Is it the police or the courts and the judge that have carried out the campaign?

Perhaps so, since Bradley continues: “You have to start questioning the judicial system, considering he was found guilty on circumstantial evidence.”

Very serious accusations Mr Bradley.

I hope you have more than circumstantial evidence to back them up.

So what was the evidence against Hurst that left the sentencing Judge in believing, beyond all doubt, in his guilt?

He had copies of the smear leaflet, he admitted this, claimed he was collecting them to take back to Lib Dem HQ.

He was identified by one of the people in whose letterbox he posted it, wearing his baseball cap and dark glasses, (in the evening).

It spoke of being a scab firefighter, he is also a firefighter.

It mentioned the Lee Park golf club, of which he is a member.

It spoke of leaving council meetings early, he is a councillor.

His constituency is Wavertree, what was he doing out leafleting alone miles away in BelleVale in the evening?

How many other constituencies did he go out alone in order to leaflet?

Well let’s look at the character witnesses...

Storey, already disgraced and forced to resign following the standards board investigation over the Henshaw affair, but brought straight back in by Bradley to a senior position to the disgust of many.

And Bradley himself.

The man awaiting findings from the standards board also as to whether he is fit for public office or has broken the code of standards of behaviour for Councillors.

A man who was exposed as a liar in the Daily Post claiming he never had a secret meeting with the person he allowed to be the fall-guy over Mathew Street.

Claimed he had not had communications nor sent texts trying to set up the meeting he never had, until presented with copies of the emails/texts.

And finally admitting that he did send them and that a meeting took place.

In his, not a dry eye in the house, speech to council he informed them that he had lodged a grievance with the Press Complaints Commission.

Another lie - it appears since it was later confirmed that no such complaint had been received. Well,you only need go back through these pages for any more.

So this is the man who is standing up in court asking us all to believe in the honesty, integrity and decency of Cllr Hurst.

Not worth a carrot!!

One other interesting point.

Going back to the waste of public money issue.

I suspect the real strain for Hurst is losing the additional £13,300 he got for serving on the Executive Board and the worry that if he had to resign his seat as a councillor that he would also lose the additional £9,900 for that.

All of which is of course on top of his fire fighter salary.

In court his wife tearfully spoke about their plans to emigrate to Australia on his retirement.

Well for one thing, what the hell is he doing running Liverpool and making decisions about it’s future when the first chance he gets he is off to live on the other side of the world.

It is bad timing really.

If this had been a good while ago, he could have been sent there for free courtesy of her Majesty.

So let’s keep an eye out for Bradley’s campaign to change the Justice system.

He may need to do this pretty soon.

They have got away with so much that they are now shocked that they are not actually above the law and just cannot accept being exposed and found out.

Despicable."

LIB DEMS ON TRIAL: GUILTY AS CHARGED.

AND so it came to pass.

Anyone who doubted the guilt of Lib Dim councillor Steve Hurst, from the first day of his trial, must have needed their heads examining.

He was bang to rights as soon as he was caught red-handed delivering his disgusting smear leaflet.

By the same token, anyone who protested the innocence of Hurst, must have needed locking up.

Step forward then

• current Lib Dim council leader, Councillor Warren Bradley


• former Lib Dim council leader (and next year's first citizen of Liverpool, would you believe!) Councillor Mike Storey and


• would-be Lib Dim MP for Wavertree, Councillor Colin Eldridge.

All three stood in the dock as 'character witnesses' for Hurst.

So desperate was this Lib Dim high command to thwart justice that they even enlisted the slightly dotty Lady Doreen Jones, as a fourth character witness for Hurst.

What a sight it must have made - this rogues gallery traipsing in and out of the dock to protest, apparently straight-faced, that Councillor Hurst was a fine upstanding citizen.

'Couldn't possibly have been Steve. A man of the utmost integrity. A true democrat. Known him since he was a lad. Wouldn't put a foot out of line. A fine, upstanding public servant. No question about it.'

What utter hypocrites they are.

The truth, of course, is the direct opposite. Hurst is a thoroughly nasty piece of work, a vicious bully, given to threatening and malicious behaviour. He is a liar and a cheat and a fraud.

Of course, after being convincingly found guilty, he should now be instantly expelled from the Lib Dim group, chucked out of his party and suspended as a councillor. Lib Dim Leader Nick Clegg (who? ed) should disown him in the blink of an eye. Bradley should sack him. Cover Up should institute internal council proceedings. But hey, this is Liverpool, and none of that will happen.

It cannot happen because Hurst was just one member of a Gang of Four who were equally complicit. Together they hatched this despicable, sordid little episode in Liverpool's political history. Bradley, Eldridge and Storey - an evil cabal if ever there was one - were all part of the plot.

They printed the leaflet at the Lib Dim HQ on Smithdown Road (they even used the same pink paper for one of their own, more conventional Lib Dim leaflets) and Hurst donned a comic book disguise of baseball cap and sunglasses to hand deliver it.

We are reliably informed, however, that some principled Lib Dem party workers refused to deliver the leaflet, after reading the shocking contents - leaving Hurst to do it on his own.

It is to their credit.

'What does it all matter?' we can hear some ask. 'It's only a bloody election leaflet - and no one reads that kind of bollocks anyway.'

Maybe not. But this is why it matters...

The Hurst case graphically illustrates a rotteness at the heart of Lib Dim politics in Liverpool. This gang of toe-rags thought nothing of producing a gratuitously offensive and nasty, lying little leaflet, because they were so desperate to win a seat. And keep their grubby little hands on the rungs of power. So they got down into the gutter. To stop at nothing.

Worse. They think its funny. And they think its clever. This is what passes for sophisticated electoral campaigning in their sad world. And they are then prepared to lie on oath about it in a court of law.

How can anyone now believe another word uttered by Hurst? Or Bradley? Or Storey? Or Eldridge? They have, ironically, discredited themselves for all time. Shooting themselves in the mouth, as it were.

By using such gutter smear tactics, the Lib Dims have shown how they have poisoned the level of political debate and political activity in the city.

And do not, for a second, let anyone cynically tell you that "they are all as bad as each other. They are all at it."'

No, they are not.

Which other councillors? From which other political party? Have been found guilty of breaking which election laws?

None.

Just the Lib Dems.

And when caught out, the cowardly Hurst then had the sickening effrontery to try and stick an assault charge on his hapless victim, fellow firefighter Keith Walton, the husband of Labour councillor Pauline Walton.

Mr Walton's only crime had been to defend his own good name and his wife's reputation. Fortunately, after investigating, the police told Hurst were exactly he could shove his assault charge.

Read the accounts in the papers tomorrow and reflect on what it all says about the sad and depressing state of Lib Dem politics in Liverpool.

And work for change.

LIB DEMS ON TRIAL: ONE DOWN, TWO TO GO!

• LIB DEM SENIOR COUNCILLOR, STEVE HURST FOUND GUILTY OF BREAKING ELECTION LAW

• FINED £500, ORDERED TO PAY £700 COSTS

• BRADLEY, STOREY AND ELDRIDGE ALL 'CHARACTER' WITNESSES FOR THE LAW-BREAKER!

• HURST NOW FACES SUSPENSION AS FIREFIGHTER AND NEW INVESTIGATION BY STANDARDS BOARD

• WAVERTREE BY-ELECTION LOOMS

• BRADLEY AND STOREY NOW AWAIT THEIR FATE...
  

More follows later!

STANDARDS BOARD LATEST: 'I'm a fighter - not a fireman!"

LIB Dim leader Warren Bradley takes the stand today as a 'character witness' for fellow fireman Steve Hurst, who is accused of breaking election law.
This is likely to provide a courtroom dress rehearsal for Bradley, who is set to be hauled in front of a separate court to face charges from the Standards Board that he repeatedly and flagrantly broke the Code of Conduct for councillors.
Both Bradley and Wavertree Lib Dim Parliamentary candidate Colin Edridge have decided to give public support to Hurst in court (see previous posts for the utterly outrageous and totally untrue explanation for their presence.)
Meanwhile the secret Standards Board report continues to exercise members of the Lib Dim group who are terrified that it will sound the death knell for their 10 years in power.
(Okay then, 10 years in office, if not in power).
Bradley has been going around in the last few days, insisting to worried Lib Dim colleagues, who have been asking what's going on: "I'm a fighter!" (Not a fireman, apparently.)
Which means, as we exclusively predicted ages ago, that he is set to resist all attempts by the Standards Board to bring him to book.
Which means also, that he will heap more shame and disgrace on the city of Liverpool with a public appearance in front of the Adjudication Panel for England.
They will hear evidence in public that the Lib Dim council leader tried to lure former Events boss, Lee Forde, into a plot against The Harbarrowboy.
The Panel will also hear evidence that he undermined the Harbarrowboy's position after the Mathew Street fiasco.
Hopefully both Mr Forde and Mr Harbarrowboy will be called as witnesses to give their side of the story.
All of which will make a fascinating spectacle as Fireman Bradley tries to wriggle off the hook.
Bradley has already hired a team of expensive lawyers to try and escape the rap - we wonder who will be footing the massive bill for this?
Meanwhile, we confidently predict that the Standards Board's long-awaited report on Bradley will be finally made public within the next few days - probably before the end of the week.
At which point, even the Oldham Echo, having sacked 43 journalists, may take a dim view of the leader of the city council.
(If there is anyone still left in the newsroom to report it.)
Quite what the judge in the Hurst trial will make today of Bradley as a 'character witness' remains to be seen.
Especially since, within just a few days, his character is likely to be roundly, comprehensively and officially condemned by the Standards Board.
With friends like this for the accused Hurst, who needs enemies?
Meanwhile Liverpool subCulture is forced to reluctantly issue an official apology to our loyal reader. (That's you in the back!)
It seems, if you believe the rumours sweeping the city, that Bradley's accomplice, The Storeyteller, may actually escape censure from the Standards Board!
We know this is difficult to believe, but please bear with us...
Seems The Storeyteller may have managed to persuade the ethics watchdogs (complete numpties) that he had nothing at all to do with leaking details of Jase's heart trouble to the Oldham Echo.
And that, similarly, he is prone to spending regular Sunday evenings sipping Peroni around at Bradley's gaff - and that his presence there had nothing at all to do with trying to get dirt from Lee Forde on the Harbarrowboy.
So even though he may have been found in the library with a dagger, a bottle of poison and a pearl-handled revolver while Jase's sun-tanned body lay face down on the carpet, it had nothing at all to do with him.
Honest guv.
We know this is laughable - but then, so is the Standards Board.
Which means that The Storeyteller may yet live to fight another day - what price a future leadership challenge to Flo Clueless?