So who is representing the residents of Bickley?

In May 2006 residents of Bickley ward in Bromley elected three Conservative councillors to represent them: Colin Bloom, Gordon Jenkins and Catherine Rideout.
In August Colin Bloom announced on his blog that he was giving up being a councillor at the May 2010 elections to concentrate on getting elected as the MP for Erith and Thamesmead.
So then there was 2 (although Cllr Bloom still gets paid his allowance by the Council Taxpayers of Bromley, and assuming the local elections are on the same day as the General Election what he is really saying is that he is concentrating on his parliamentary ambitions, not on Bickley, now).

Now, into my inbox has dropped this leaflet from the Conservative party in Langney, Eastbourne. There adorning the page is "Langney Conservative Campaigner Gordon Jenkins"
That will be the same Gordon Jenkins that the Council Taxpayers of Bromley are paying to be a Bromley councillor, and the residents of Bickley will rightly be expecting to represent them.
In fact Gordon Jenkins is so heavily involved in Eastbourne Conservatives that he is listed on their website as an officer of the local party

DEPUTY CHAIR MEMBERSHIP AND FUNDRAISING
Gordon Jenkins
cllrgordonjenkins@yahoo.co.uk

The irony of this leaflet is that the Conservative MP for Eastbourne, also pictured on the page, lives to the best of my knowledge in Bromley...

So then there was one...

The residents of Bickley therefore are effectively left with only one councillor representing them for the next 6 months, while the other 2 have bunked off to further their political careers elsewhere. Now if I was a Bickley resident, I would be pretty cross, and be picking up the phone to Gordon Jenkin's mobile, which is listed both on the Bromley website and in the Eastbourne leaflet as 07771 760159, to tell him what I think.
Of course we are just hitting the 6 month period where if a councillor quits there is no by-election.
Bromley councillors receive a basic allowance of £10,658.84. So two absent councillors for 6 months will be receiving at least that much.
Now let us say they show up for the odd meeting. I suggest that they each contribute about 80% of their allowance for the next 6 months, say £4,000 each, to a charity. How about the Royal British Legion .OK, the residents of Bromley will still be out of pocket, but at least it would be doing the decent thing.
Funnily, some people may recall another Conservative upping and moving to Sussex before the last Bromley elections.
In the mean time this is the remaining Conservative councillor for Bickley:

Catherine Rideout

Ward:   Bickley Party:   Conservative Party Address:  c/o Members Room, Bromley Civic Centre, Bromley, BR1 3UH Telephone: 020 8466 6506 Email:   catherine.rideout@bromley.gov.uk Surgery Details: The Surgery is held at The Choir Vestry, St George's Church Hall, Bickley Park Road between 10am and 12 noon on the last Saturday of each month (excluding August and December).

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New Qurban Hussain blog

It isn't appearing on Lib Dem Blogs yet, but Qurban Hussain, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Luton South, has a new blog Qurban Hussain - Standing up for Luton
And it is in the new Lib Dem web colours!

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Nick Griffin - pretending to be reasonable while still a Nazi. Watch and learn

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BNP should expel Griffin

The BNP leader said tonight to a black audience member on Question Time "I am very happy for you to stay here".
Now the BNP have recently changed their website, or else I would post the words (not a link) -
but their rules that say they will kick out all non British people. Whatever crap Griffin spouts.

So I call on all BNP members to call for his expulsion from their party for breaking their rules.
Maybe then we will start to hear the true voice of the nazi scum that are the BNP.

Griffin is an expert at trying to sound reasonable, just to get the foot in the door. But we all know the truth. He is a racist, nazi, scumbag. I won't say more, because I will only sound like him.
Britain is a country which has for thousands of years been enriched by Jewish, Muslim, Hindi, Sikh and Chinese people (apologies for the confusion of race and religion and my list is not exhaustive) and long may it remain that way.

Of course there are major problems with immigration, and the Labour Government have failed to deal with many issues. But this is no reason to agree with a holocaust apologist or a scumbag who shares a platform with Abu Hamza.

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Lord Rennard cleared over expenses

Well, as I knew all along. After Chris Rennard's wife retired, and given Chris's health, they had quite a marked change in lifestyle and headed off for a new flat on the Eastbourne coast.
Stockwell became the "London home" for Chris's work. Stories circulated, but totally founded on their years their from when they moved in to 2007, not post 2007.
Well, the House of Lords have cleared Chris and the judgement can be seen here.
Now hopefully those who go around setting up temporary beaches in Stockwell in an attempt at self glory, while overlooking both what Chris has done for the Lib Dems and the actual facts of the matter will be silenced.

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Mothballs

This blog was hidden. It is now open but frozen for the present. Nothing new will be posted in the forseeable future. Nothing to see. Move along now.

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Bloodgate - decsion time approaches

Tomorrow the Quins Bloodgate hearing takes place. Just a few weeks before the start of the new season.

With Dean Richards gone, the club that end of last season was riding a massive high is now on the brink of total devastation.

Yesterday's Daily Telegraph carried the story "revealing" that Tom Williams was cut with a scalpel, though those of us who are members of Rucku have been aware of this for a while.

Page 13 of today's Sunday Telegraph Sport carries an excellent comment piece by Mark Reason: 'Bloodgate' turns into a witch hunt. It opens:

The whole issue has gathered a quite disproportionate momentum and is threatening to bankrupt one of England's oldest clubs. When the appeals committee of the European Rugby Cup meet on Monday they will be put under considerable pressure to throw Quins out of this year's competition.
Such action would come close to pushing Quins over the financial edge. Would that really be justice?

He makes some good points, including answering my complaints that Quins should have acted quicker. Most of all his call for the lynch mob to end is spot on.

Ironically the bottom of the page has an advert for the London Double Header, the opening matches of the season at Twickenham - Saracens V London Irish and Harlequins v Wasps. I will be there, and by then we will know if Quins have been consigned to the scrap heap for this one incident. Let us hope the authorities see sense.

Unfortunately as your eye goes from the Bloodgate story to the advert it passes over two other stories:

Middlesex Sevens
Sale Storm to Plate success
More misery for Harlequins while London Irish triumph in Cup

and

Rugby League
Wilshire fillets Quins defence

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Harlequins: Open letter from Chief Executive

Below is the full text of an open letter from Mark Evans on the Quins website.
Overall I am pleased with his openess. The one bit I do question (still) is:

As a club, we felt it was important to wait until we received the written judgement, but before that we had begun conducting our own internal review with the evidence that was available to us.

I really think the club should have acted much sooner on the internal investigation, which may have lead to an admission of guilt at the original hearing.
But, after next Monday's hearing we have to move on, so his comemnts are timely and constructive.

Anyway, this is what Mark Evans has to say:

To all Harlequins supporters.
I am writing to update you on recent events at the club so far as I am able, given that disciplinary action is still ongoing. It has been a difficult and challenging time since the initial findings and sanctions were announced by ERC on Monday 20th July. As a club, we felt it was important to wait until we received the written judgement, but before that we had begun conducting our own internal review with the evidence that was available to us. During this process Dean Richards’s resignation from his position as Director of Rugby was accepted and announced on Saturday 8th August.

I would like to thank Dean on behalf of the club for his enormous contribution over the last four seasons. His input has been absolutely central to the improvements the club has made on the field and I am sure that I speak on behalf of the players, staff, board and supporters in thanking Dean and wishing him all the best in his future. It was no surprise to me or the Board that he wanted to take full responsibility for events. One mistake, albeit extremely high profile, should not overshadow a career in which so much has been achieved.

You have probably read in the press that the ERC Appeal Hearing is taking place in Glasgow on Monday 17th August. Our focus as a club now is to reduce Tom Williams’ ban which we felt was disproportionate and to ensure that we do not get expelled from European rugby. The club has accepted the findings of the initial ERC inquiry and has accepted the sanction. The scale of the sanction is unprecedented in the game and the severity of the fine is a clear message, not only to our club but to the game as a whole, that this type of behaviour is not acceptable and will be severely punished. We entirely agree with that message and sincerely hope that no further sanctions are imposed upon a club whose presence in the Heineken Cup is based on playing merit and playing merit alone.

With regards to our internal inquiry, this is still ongoing but has already resulted in a number of outcomes. Aside from Dean’s resignation, we have written to Leinster to formally apologise unreservedly for the incident. We have appointed an independent person to continue the internal review looking at every aspect of this affair but his remit is wider – allowing him to examine any other similar behaviour and helping us to ensure we put stronger processes and policies in place to ensure that Harlequins can start to rebuild its reputation as a successful team, both on the field and in terms of the values that we stand for.

I would also like to apologise to the supporters of Harlequins on behalf of the Club. Some of you will feel that manipulation of the substitution, uncontested scrums and sin binning rules are so widespread in the game that this case has been blown out of all proportion. Others will feel it a terrible episode which makes them ashamed of the club they love. Wherever you are on that scale of reaction, I am sure you would all agree that whatever goes on elsewhere we have got to accept that we have been found guilty of behaviour that cannot be accepted or condoned. For that we apologise to you unconditionally.

However, we must not let one event negate years of hard work that have been put in over the last decade to get us into the position that we are in today. The community schemes, the investment in the stadium, the growth of the fan base, the excellent disciplinary record that we have had up to this point, the way we conducted ourselves in Division 1, the openness we have always striven to maintain with the fanbase. These things define the club in a way that one mistake never can.

We must now work to ensure that the highest of standards are upheld. I am confident that every professional rugby club across the country, and indeed further afield, will be looking at this incident and will learn from how we deal with it. Our organisation needs better processes and procedures. We have been naïve in this regard, but I assure you that we have learnt from this and will endeavour to uphold the great name of your club and of the game of rugby as a whole in the future.

Dean Richards’ departure raises several questions in relation to the management of the playing side at the club. The appointment of a Director of Rugby is a key decision and not one that we as a club will be rushed into. The last appointment took three months and is a lengthy and in-depth process. We may restructure internally or we may seek a direct replacement. I have every faith in the abilities of our existing coaching team of John Kingston, Colin Osborne and Tony Diprose who have all been involved with the club for many years. They will temporarily take on some of the responsibilities left by Dean’s departure including team selection and dealing with the media. The board will ensure that issues such as players’ contracts and strategic decision making are not overlooked.

Finally, we truly value your support and thank you for your commitment to us. We do not underestimate how valuable your support is. Without you we would not have made the progress that we have seen to date nor be able to take even greater steps in the future. We appreciate that it will take time to rebuild some of the faith that you have shown in us but I hope that you will join us on Friday when we play Connacht (7.45 KO at the Twickenham Stoop) and on Saturday when the boys defend their Middlesex 7’s title at Twickenham as a show of unity that we are one club and one that the staff, players and fans alike, are rightfully proud of.

Kind regards,

Mark

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A grim time for Quins

So, following on from the Leinster Bloodgate affair, Dean Richards has quit.
What an almighty Harlequins balls up. A club that has always prided itself on sportsmanship has dug itself a large hole, junped in, and filled in the top with soil from the Stoop.
So what should have happened? Well Quins should have come clean, quickly. The ERC would then have been angry, but not totally livid. The club would have probably been banned from the competition next year. Tom Williams would have not got the controversial 12 month ban. Dean Richards would have hung his head in shame. And it would have all moved on.
Instead the club played ostrich, and players and fans will now suffer, quite possibly in a massive way.

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And Esther came to save the children of Luton

Esther did come down from the source of the River Lea and proclaim to the media 'the ego has spoken and told me that my children of Luton must have me and despite me saying I would only stand against the evil Moran, the ego has told me I am the only saviour, even though I have no policies. And the media did fall at her feet and pray, as she is their god. And she left them parting the waters of the River Lea.

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Labour turmoil in Bromley

News reaches me from a good source of some turmoil in the ranks of Bromley Labour. Firstly Councillor Karen Roberts gets deselected in Penge and Cator. Then infamous Cray Valley West Councillor Colin Willetts, who has been under investigation by the Standards Board for 8 months, fails to fill in his application or cough up his Labour membership subs and has been replaced by ... Councillor Karen Roberts.

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Rugby is going mad

So the ERC have banned Tom Williams from playing for 12 months and fined Harlequins 250,000 euro for the blood subbing at the Leinster match in the Heineken Cup.
I have seen various accusations that he "may have used a blood capsule", I would like to see the proof.
Meanwhile Schalk Burger gets a Yellow card and an 8 week ban for this eye gouging incident against the Lions and Bakkies Botha got two weeks for charging Adam Jones off the ball, dislocating Jones's shoulder and putting him out for months.
Harlequins are rightly limiting their comment for now.
But as Paul Rees says on The Guardian site:

Williams's one-year suspension for pretending he had a cut mouth compared to the eight months received by the Australia second row Justin Harrison, for taking cocaine and suggesting to academy players that it was something everyone did and the eight weeks received this month by two back row forwards, South Africa's Schalk Berger and Italy's Sergio Parisse, after they were found guilty of making contact with the eye of an opponent.
While Berger and Parisse injured opponents and received bans that amounted to less than nine per cent of the maximum laid down for the offence they were disciplined for, Williams received one of the longest bans in the history of the game for harming the reputation of the sport in a punishment that harked back to the amateur era in its severity.

Quins really do have to appeal this.

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Lib Dem? In South West London? Kingston? Richmond? Twickenham/ Like Rugby? Chocolate)

I have a good readership in SW London. So...

I have had two notices.
Firstly... a job... EXP Support are looking for an intern. They do sponsorship for Harlequins based in Twickenham. Details here.
Second free hot drink at Montezuma's chocolate in Kingston. Go to their Facebook group...

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A new Fox among the chickens

I have said my piece about what the party owes Chris Rennard here:
The Fox puts away his Cow Gum
Last night I was at the Lib Dem Federal Executive, when the new interim Chief Executive Chris Fox started in the job. It is slightly ironic that I had done teh word play on Chris Rennard's name, for him to be replaced with Chris Fox.
Some people have reservations about Chris Fox, and his past as Chair of the Advisory Board of Liberal Future. I have to say that while that puts him in a different place in the internal political spectrum of the party to me, I have always found him to be a very able person. So I am not prejudging anything, and quite frankly I wouldn't want to be in his shoes....

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Police interview Mayor's aides in Ian Clement expenses inquiry

Andrew Gilligan in the Evening Standard reports (excerpts below, full story here):

Police have questioned Boris Johnson's chief of staff, Sir Simon Milton, and his chief spin-doctor, Guto Harri, as part of their investigation into the Mayor's former deputy, Ian Clement...

He has been accused of taking Ms Dowson on a hotel stay in Europe at public expense and of misusing a corporate credit card issued to him in his former role as leader of Bexley council. Bexley councillors will tomorrow vote on a motion ordering the authority to conduct a full investigation of Mr Clement's allowances and expenses.

Mr Clement was unavailable for comment.

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