These are the last days of a corrupt and discredited regime....

FRESH details of the de-selection of Lib Dim Kevin Firth bear an astonishing resemblance to a tin-pot third world dictatorship - rather like Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe.

We can exclusively reveal that Fireman Bradley had at least four votes in the ballot which de-selected Firth!

Bradley turned up to the Old Swan meeting with his henchman, accused law-breaker and chief whip Steve Hurst in tow, rather in the manner of President Mugabe and his collection of thugs.

The Fireman then announced to a startled gathering that he and Hurst would be using 'proxy' votes on behalf of other Lib Dim members who were unable to attend. These included the missing Storeyteller, conveniently.

This bizarre interpretation of Lib Dim democracy was immediately challenged by the party's observer, sent from Regional Office to ensure all the rules and proper procedures were followed.

But to no avail.

Bradley was able to point out that there was nothing in the rule book to prevent the use of proxy votes.

Similarly, there is nothing in the Lib Dim rule book to prevent Lib Dim members frying babies alive in boiling oil at a meeting in Old Swan. Nor is there anything to stop Lib Dim members goosestepping around in Nazi uniform, shouting Sieg Heil during a meeting. (Frank Doran has probably already done this more than once, eds) Or dressing up as bananas and singing It's a Long Way from Tipperary in Swahili, before voting to de-select a councllor. The rule book is silent on all these activities, amazingly.

So on that basis, Bradley and Hurst were allowed to go ahead and vote repeatedly on behalf of people who were not present.

It is not clear precisely how many times Bradley voted, but between him and Hurst their votes accounted for more than a third of the total!

A deeply impressed Robert Mugabe is rumoured to have sent an official observer from Zimbabwe to the meeting in Old Swan so that he could pick up some tips on how to gerrymander his own re-election today.

Bradley also had the brass neck to tell Firth (after giving him the push), that he had actually voted for him.

Sadly the Fireman's vote was not enough to secure Firth's re-selection, especially since, by some remarkable twist of fate, all of Bradley's other votes had been to de-select Firth!

(We couldn't make this up - welcome to a modern Lib Dim democracy, folks!, eds)

CLEIN'S VERDICT ON FIREMAN BRADLEY AND THE STOREYTELLER: 'CRASS....... STALINIST.......INTOLERABLE.....DISGRACEFUL......SMALL CLIQUE IN POWER...."

WE can now bring you (highlighted below) the full text of Education boss Paul Clein's resignation letter, thanks to the Liverpool Confidential web site.
His devastating letter echoes many of the accusations against Fireman Bradley and the Storeyteller which the Liverpool SubCulture blog has been alone in publicising over the last 16 months.
You never read any of this in the Echo before did you? Or on Radio Merseyside?
That's no surprise.
We now feel vindicated. We told you so. We have been right all along.
But no-one should forget what has caused both Clein's resignation and Firth's deselection - the debacle over Mathew Street.
Bradley and Storey and Harbarrow and Hilton all ducked responsibility for the biggest PR disaster in Liverpool's recent history.
Instead they sought to put the blame on little Lee Forde's shoulders.
And the Echo, Radio Merseyside, Radio City and the rest of the cowardly media - with one or two notable exceptions - were willing accomplices in that shocking miscarriage of justice.
They failed to hold those responsible properly to account.
They failed to carry out their duty as guardians of the public interest and the public purse.
They failed to examine in any detail all of the circumstances leading up to the Mathew Street fiasco.
So you will well understand why the Liverpool subCulture blog won't be taking any lectures from the media.
Lee Forde has been entirely vindicated by Clein's resignation and Firth's de-selection.
We hope it is some comfort to him for the way the city council tried to destroy his reputation and his career.
Now it is for the people of Liverpool to make the real judgment on the way their city has been run by this complete shower of bastards.

Clein's letter (and some choice extracts):

"I have been considering my position since late November 2007......" (publication of doctored Mathew Street report)

"I went along with a number of policies about which I had misgivings......"

"I feared right from the start when Storey was handed a specially created Cabinet position.....that the fallout from the Henshaw/Storey split would become self-perpetuating....that appointment by Warren was a crass decision...."

"Stalinist treatment of Firth.....intolerable and utterly illiberal.......engineered for having the audacity to ask the Group Leader entirely legitimate questions over a matter (Mathew St) whose fallout threatens the long-term interests of our group. (Where is Warren's promised writ to the Daily Post by the way? I think we should be told.)

"The colleagues who perpetrated this should hang their heads in shame. They have betrayed basic principles....disgraceful episode.....my position is untenable....."

"A small, increasingly illiberal clique in positions of power........whose main focus seems.......obsessive revenge."

PS. Notice how Clein focuses on Bradley's empty threats to take the Daily Post to the Press Complaints Commission? The Post - one of the few notable exceptions - had the audacity to accurately report Bradley's lies over Lee Forde and Mathew Street and his Perroni Plot with the Storeyteller against the Harbarrowboy. Bradley has not issued a writ against the Post. And he won't be issuing a writ against the Post. Because he lied to them. That's the Leader of the great city of Liverpool, for you.

12 NOON: ECHO INTERVIEW WITH CLEIN

CLEIN says Bradley and Storey "believe the financial situation of the city is far less important than trying to exact petty revenge.”

11.50AM LATEST: DAILY POST ON-LINE BREAKS CLEIN'S RESIGNATION....

SCHOOLS BOSS PAUL CLEIN SAYS DE-SELECTION OF FIRTH WAS THE LAST STRAW IN BRADLEY'S 'QUESTIONABLE' LEADERSHIP

11AM LATEST: LIB DEMS GO INTO MELTDOWN AS SCHOOLS CHIEF PAUL CLEIN QUITS OVER FIREMAN

STOP PRESS: LIB Dim Executive Member Paul Clein has quit in protest at The Fireman's mis-rule.

Clein, Cabinet Member for Education, has penned a sensational resignation letter to Bradley complaining in the strongest possible terms about The Fireman's behaviour.

Clein takes both Bradley and the Storeyteller to task for their running of the Lib Dim group, the Capital of Culture cock-ups and chaos and how they have made the city council the worst in the country.

Clein's shock early resignation - which had been widely forecast after the local elections on May 1st - comes just the day after deselected Kevin Firth fired an angry broadside at ranting Bradley, branding him a bully-boy.

It also comes after former Lib Dim Beatrice Fraenkel defected to Labour in protest at the way the Lib Dims were running down the city.

To make matters even worse for Bradley, at last night's full council meeting he could not even summon up a semi-coherent explanation for his Las Vegas freebie under perfectly legitimate and persistent questioning from Labour's Joe Anderson.

The Fireman instead resorted to bluster and the usual ranting attacks.

Which fooled no one.

Still, the blog did get a mention as a "defamatory and ill-informed"- but Bradley then refused to explain exactly how, or what, we have got wrong.

We, on the other hand, can supply a long list of all the stuff he has got wrong.

Now the question is: How many more Lib Dims are likely to jump ship before May 1st?

And can Bradley survive even until election day?

STAY POSTED for another exciting instalment....

"Ok wiv u - if we go 2c Lov sho l8r in Vegas?" - Fireman Bradley's text to Jase....

FIREMAN Bradley has come up with a bizarre explanation for his freebie to the Beatles 'Love' show in Las Vegas, we can reveal.

Bradley, who is 'Leader' of the worst council in the country, has given a very full explanation to Colin CoverUp, who is chief executive of the worst council in the country.

Bradley told Colin (before CoverUp disappeared off to the annual MIPIM shindig minus the council leader) that he had been advised to attend the Vegas show by Culture Company officials.

CoverUp: "Which Culture Company officials would these be then, Warren?"

Bradley: "Errr, it was Jason Harbarrowboy, actually, Col."

CoverUp: "Jason?"

Bradley: "Yes, Jason."

Pause.

Bradley: "Errr, he said it would be a good idea if I went to see the show too, since he had already seen it twice before himself, the second time with that mad Clare McCogloose when he went back to LA for a second time even though Cirque Du Soleil had said right from the start that they wouldn't be able to bring the show to Liverpool in 2008. I remember it now."

CoverUp: "Err, the Jason who we have just paid off with £250,000 of council tax payers money to keep quiet and who is no longer a council employee, so we can't interview him or question him about any of this?"

Bradley: "Errr, yep, I think that's the lad."

CoverUp: "And I don't suppose you have any documentary evidence that this advice was given to you officially by Jason? Any reports? Or other documents? Or an email that we could examine, or leak to the Echo?"

Bradley: "No, I don't think I do, Col. Sorry, mate..."

CoverUp: "Pity, it could have been useful...."

Pause.

Bradley: "We did it by text message."

CoverUp (slowly): "I... beg... your... pardon?"

Bradley: "We did it by text message."

CoverUp "Sorry, I think I must have misunderstood. I thought you said that Jason advised you to go and see the Love show by text message."

Bradley: "That's what I did say."

Long Pause.

CoverUp: "I see."

Longer pause.

CoverUp: "And I don't suppose you still have any evidence of these text messages, or any phone records which would indicate that they existed, or any further evidence which would support your account that Jason Harbarrowboy, as chief executive of the Culture Company, advised you by text message that you had to go and see the Beatles Love show, presented by Cirque du Soleil, while you were on holiday with your missus in Las Vegas and not on official council business, even though no official meetings took place with any Cirque du Soleil officials or representatives, no report was ever made to the council and there is no minute in existence of any meeting at which you mentioned the free tickets that the city council had paid for you, as Leader of the Council?"

Bradley: "Fraid not Col, mate."

Longer pause.

CoverUp: "And just so that we can be sure, have there been any other decisions which you have taken as Leader of the Council, where advice has been supplied to you by senior officials through the rather unorthodox means of what I believe are nowadays referrred to as...text messages?"

Bradley: "Dunno, Col mate. Might have been. Might not have been. I remember sending that Lee Forde fella some text messages when I was trying to get him to do over the Harbarrowboy, but.... I mean....(hurriedly) when I was trying to see if I could be of any assistance as a loyal friend of Mr Forde's after that doctored Mathew Street report was published and got me off the hook, big time."

CoverUp: "I see."

Pause.

Bradley: "Is there a problem, Col mate?"

Long pause.

CoverUp: "No, I think it's crystal clear that we can't take this enquiry any further now and that the Opposition calls for a proper investigation must be resisted in the strongest possible terms. An investigation would be a disgraceful waste of public money."

Bradley: "Couldn't agree more. We haven't got money to waste on nonsense stuff like that about what I got up to on holiday when we are £62 million in the red."

Pause.

CoverUp: "Now Warren, I wonder if we can discuss the arrangements we are making this year for the Performance Related Pay awards for our £150,000 a year Executive Directors of this, the worst council in the country?"

Bradley: "No problem, Col mate."

Kilfoyle hammers Fireman Bradley and the Lib Dims over the murder of Croxteth schoolboy Rhys Jones...

Fireman Bradley has put his foot in it again - this time over the tragic death of Rhys Jones.
You won't have read about this in the papers, but back in September, the city council debated the way it should officially respond to Rhys's murder.
According to witnesses, the Fireman completely misjudged the generally all-party mood of the council meeting and the non-political tone of the discussion.
For some unexplicable reason, he went off on one of his hysterical shouting-match rants in which he genuinely appears not to know what will be the next sentence to emerge from his open mouth.
Incredibly, Bradley offered the view - delivered at 190 million rabble-rousing decibels - that if Britain was not at war with Iraq, or had not won the Olympic bid in 2012 (???? eds) then there would be more money for the police and there would be no crime of this sort in Liverpool.
His colleagues coughed and shifted with embarrassment in their seats at this deranged outburst, while Labour were left scratching their heads in total bemusement.
But now the Lib Dims have made matters even worse - Kensington Lib Dim councillor Frank Doran has issued a leaflet which re-iterates Bradley's bizarre claims.
No wonder then, that the former 'hammer of Militant', Walton Labour MP Peter Kilfoyle, has decided to 'out' the Lib Dims in the House of Commons for daring to make a political football out of the tragic death of a young boy.
Here is the Early Day motion he has tabled, which has so far had the support of 35 Labour and Conservative MPs.
Ask your local MP to support it too - and send the Lib Dims a very clear message about their disgusting tactics.
They are beneath contempt...

EARLY DAY MOTION REGARDING CONDUCT OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT PARTY IN LIVERPOOL
by Kilfoyle, Peter

"That this House deplores the distribution of Liberal Democrat leaflets in Liverpool which politicise the tragic death of Rhys Jones; further condemns the inaccurate and misleading statements in those leaflets which malign the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and distort the budget for the Merseyside Police Service; notes that the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service has reported Liverpool Liberal Democrat councillors to the Standards Board (oh aye? eds) for their increasing tendency to misrepresent important information; and in the name of the recently espoused new politics, calls upon the right hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam (new boy Clegg, eds) to discipline his councillors who act so unethically."

Kilfoyle, Peter
Evans, Nigel
Ellman, Louise
Benton, Joe
Howarth, George
Cunningham, Jim
Purchase, Ken
Havard, Dai
Hepburn, Stephen
Hood, Jim
Hoyle, Lindsay
Martlew, Eric
Morley, Elliot
Connarty, Michael
Crausby, David
Dobbin, Jim
Francis, Hywel
Ainger, Nick
Wright, Anthony D
Skinner, Dennis
Hopkins, Kelvin
Cohen, Harry
Bottomley, Peter
Williams, Betty
Prentice, Gordon
Clapham, Michael
Corbyn, Jeremy
Flynn, Paul
Stringer, Graham
Clelland, David
Anderson, Janet
Wareing, Robert N
McDonnell, John
Cryer, Ann
Turner, Desmond

Ringo sings 'Liverpool, I left you.... but with a cool £90 grand in me back pocket, ta very much!"

RINGO pocketed £90,000 for headlining the start of Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008 - thanks to a blunder by Our Lord Redmond.

He decided not to give Ringo the £30,000 fee the ex-Beatle was originally asking for his two appearances in the city.

Redmond decided he would be dead clever like - and just pay Ringo's expenses instead.

"Oh, okay den," says Ringo, smiling quietly to himself.

"That's fair enough, I suppose, knowworramean?"

For some strange reason, Ringo then seems to have decided to make the most of his sojourn in the city of his birth - and bring along nine of his mates with him.

Ringo and his now substantial retinue - which included his band and general hangers-on - decided to fly business class across from LA.

Ker-ching!

Then they checked into the Hope Street hotel on the recommendation of Donald Bullshitter, who handled all the arrangements personally.

Ker-ching!!

Ringo's retinue then spent their time being ferried here and there in a fleet of gleaming limousines.

Ker-ching!!!

Their daily living expenses, which included food and drinks, were all met by the Culture Company.

Ker-ching!!!!

And so it went on.

One estimate is that Ringo spent ten days here, while the CoC footed the bill for all of the gang.

Redmond was left suitably left red-faced when he finally received the expenses bill from Ringo - and found the council taxpayers were going to have to pick up the tab for £90.000 - three times the fee that Ringo had asked for.

Fans will recall that Ringo sang, with some gusto, "I'll Get By With a Little Help From My Friends" during his acclaimed appearance at the Arena.

But one of his tunes which we did not hear, unfortunately, was: "You Know, It Don't Come Easy."

Could have fooled us.

Now Our Lord Redmond and the CoC are hoping that no-one asks any awkward questions about the cost of bringing one of Liverpool's most famous sons back to the city to plug his new album.

Wirral Exclusive: Shock new role for Fireman Bradley...as a comedian!

by Tony Parrish48

FRESH from his freebie in Viva Las Vegas, the cowboy fireman Warren Bradley appears to have been bitten by the showbiz bug.

Appearing in inane Echo photo-opportunities grinning away as though he has lost all of his marbles, is apparently not good enough for our soon to be erstwhile council leader.

Oh no sirree!

For jumpin' jehosphat, after making Liverpool the worst council in the country, our Warren has now turned up in that other famous lone star state - of Texas!

(The irony, the irony! eds)

And what's more, the fibbing fireman has already found himself a new career in a new town - as a skilled impressionist and laugh-a-minute comedian!

(The irony, oh the irony! eds)

One of our extremely clever little friends has put us on to the sensational new Warren Bradley web site, which contains almost as many laughs as the renowned Professor Chucklebutty blog.

Here are some hilarious extracts for your delight....

Let's start with some testimonials from Warren's new found fans...

Dear Warren,

Your performance at our company's summer banquet was a resounding hit! For a group of people who can be somewhat on the reserved side, you had our employees nearly rolling on the floor with laughter. Your graciousness and your ability to connect with the audience on a personal level endeared you to our employees. My colleagues are asking me how I will be able to find entertainement for our next banquet that will be as as good as you were. I doubt such an act exists.

It was a pleasure working with you and I appreciate your willingness to accomodate us in every way possible. Thanks again!

And there's this...

This letter is one of recommendation for impressionist comedian WARREN BRADLEY.

Warren was the entertainer for our annual Music Ministry Appreciation Banquet last month and did a fine job making us laugh with impersonations of well-known personalities such as Jimmy Stewart, Tom Brokaw, Paul Harvey, George Bush, Katherine Hepburn and the like. His humor is clean and our folk really enjoyed his presentation. I have also continued to be entertained by his CD of "Classic Birthday Calls". I am pleased to add my name to the growing list of Warren Bradley fans.

And this is what some of Warren's Stateside audiences say...

"Warren will make you laugh until you hurt. He is definitely the type of entertainment for your next Dinner, Banquet, Retreat, Rally or Convention."

Or this extremely precise praise...

"Your act was definitely top notch and it was so timed and so funny that it brought big laughs from everyone. In fact you had all 225 people falling out of their chairs."

Sadly we have yet to witness such an impact on the city's councillors, who appear distinctly underwhelmed by the fibbing Fireman's performances in the council chamber. However, they will no doubt be glad to hear that:

Warren is also available for radio and television voiceovers and commercials.

And just in case that is not enough, Warren has also gone into the merchandising business. Maybe he has been taking some tips from the Harbarrowboy?

If you want to hear Warren at his best, then you'll want to buy "Warren's Classic Birthday Calls." Warren places telephone calls to unsuspecting people on their birthday in some hilarious spoofs.

To order this CD, call 903-757-9170 or send a check for $12.50 to:

Warren Bradley
102 Crestwood Drive
Longview, Texas 75601

This CD contains 16 hilarious calls, all clean. Money back guarantee if you're not completely satisfied!

To find out more secrets about our multi-talented council leader, go to the Warren Bradley web site at:

http://www.warrenbradley.com

Fireman Bradley goes bananas - shock video!

CITY Council Leader, Fireman Warren Bradley has gone bananas in a shock new video.

It's shockingly clear from the deeply disturbing two-minute film, that the fireman is now showing the stresses and strains of leading the worst council in the country - despite being able to wangle freebies in Las Vegas whenever he likes.

There can be no other explanation for the council leader gabbling away in the film as though he has completely taken leave of his senses.

But it is also the funniest thing you are likely to see this year - even better than the Christmas dancing elves which brought so much joy to us all over the festive season.

And the subject of this not-to-be-missed new vid?

The campaign to keep the Superlambanana within the precincts of the city.

CHORTLE - as the Fireman describes how the young people of Liverpool "see the Superlambanana as being an integral part of their life."

GIGGLE - as the Fireman repeatedly stumbles over his words under the hostile questioning of a Daily Post Paxman.

HOWL - as the Fireman gives the longest and most credible interview of his career about the big yellow thing behind him.

And LAUGH - as the poor numbskull stomps away on cue to the nearby traffic lights, like a 'B' movie buffoon.

The off-screen spin doctor who came up with this absurd interview idea - no doubt to show a 'more human, cuddly side of the Leader' - has succeeded in making the Fireman an even bigger figure of fun.


Perhaps Bradley thinks he is now leading a banana republic?


But you judge for yourselves. Here it is...

EXCLUSIVE: Phil Redmond writes a weekly column for Liverpool subculture very similar to the boring ones he has already written for the Daily Post...

DEMOCRACY. There’s been a lot talked about it since my last column for the Post.

The ups and downs. The ins and out. Not forgetting the down and outs.
As a lifelong red, its something that I hold dear to my true Scouse heart.
That’s why I was happy to stand alongside Bryan Gray, (pictured below) Chairman of the North West Development Agency this week and unveil our ambitious and creatively cultural plans for Liverpool, post 2008.

Even though we don’t live here in Liverpool and don't pay council tax here, we are offering this great city of ours a new dispensation.
Representation without taxation! Clever eh?

A shift in emphasis for the cultural partners.
A new paradigm for a new decade.
A cultural community which develops in synergy my Open Culture and Cultural Clearing ideas which are aimed at, basically, providing short cuts for like-minded people.
Like some of my mates.
Scousers all.

Of course, the cynics say this is yet more ‘jobs for the boys’.
They wonder who elected me and quietly spoken Bryan?
And who are we accountable to?
They ask who gave us permission to spend their money?
Maybe they have a point.
Maybe not.

But we all know it’s easy for people to criticise, rather than rolling up their sleeves and having a go at making their own park benches.
Or even singing a song for Liverpool that all our ‘media partners’ will publicise.

It’s a bit like a typical Scouse funeral.
We’ve all been to them.
Someone dies.
We are all very sad.
Errr, that’s it.

We all know anyone can stand on the sidelines and do nothing – after all, me and extremely quietly spoken Bryan spent two years doing exactly that while on the Culture Company Board.
Shakespeare wrote plays about it.
Power mad egomaniacs who thought they were Gods gift and saw their chance.

It’s neither here nor there if people call me Our Lord and genuflect in the street as I slouch by.
It’s beside the point that Bryan has his quietly spoken hands on what’s left of all the mazoola.
Any successful film or TV company, such as the ones that I have made a decent living from, which have produced really top quality cultural offerings, in my opinion, would do exactly the same.

Next week: Phil Redmond on ‘Accountability? – lets not stand in the way of progress.’