Posts
- 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.
6 comments:
By Jove! An early Chrimbo pressy!
I demand a retrial so we can all enjoy it again.
They arent very nice people are they!
Radio Mercyside did not consider the trial worthy of following, when asked why the trial outcome was in the Daily Post and not reported in their news bulletins, quote 'We do not report on other newspapers stories. we would rather follow our own court reporters views. In this instance none were in attendance!
However the former Mayor of Seftons trial was reported daily. Methinks maybe a political bias!
With character references from Bradley and Storey it was a dead cert he was going to be found guily.
Until these people are thrown out of office, I don't feel any justice has been done!
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 wherther 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 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!
Post a Comment