Posts
EXCLUSIVE: Hennigan Pipes of Peace, or Tubes of Lager?
Rochdale Online has another version of the Hennigan hooligan story. Seems that William and Wera Hobhouse, like Dave they're ex-Tories, don't understand that invitations to speak at meetings are not transferable. Dave is not the local MP. Though he is telling folk that the reason he's moved to Heywood is so that he can become the Lib Dem PPC there ... And who is that at the moment? Why, Wera Hobhouse is who.
A representative for Paul Rowen MP was marched out of a public conference because he asked the speaker if he could read out a speech.
David Hennigan, who works as an agent for the MP, was thrown out of Castlemere Community Centre during a Gaza conference with George Galloway MP, because the committee decided he had acted in appropriately.
This caused outrage among the other lib dems who were present, who subsequently stormed out of the meeting.
Paul Rowen MP was invited to the event but was unable to make it, so he sent David to read the speech out for him.
Mohammed Shafiq, who organised the event said: “Dave should not have spoken out to the speaker with this speech, it was decided early on that we didn’t want him to speak, we are not happy with the way he has acted towards us in the past”.
Councillors Wera and William Hobhouse also stormed out of the meeting.
William said: “Why is it that George Galloway can speak and Paul Rowen can not. This was outrageous behaviour and in no way acceptable.
David Hennigan said: “To say this was a meeting meant to be promoting peace I am disgusted with the way I was treated.
“I did nothing wrong, they way I was removed from the meeting was appalling, Paul Rowen is not at all happy and is writing to Mr Shafiq”.
It goes without saying that contrary to the impression he tries to give Dave Hennigan was not outspoken against the Iraq War. No sign of anything but blether in Focus leaflets. The same goes for Paul Rowen MP and John Leech MP. Latecomers to the Anti-War cause.
And he was clearly removed from the meeting for disturbing the peace with attempts to speak when he knew he had not been invited. Will be interesting to read what Dave writes by way of a protest letter "from Paul Rowen". A sad man.
We didn't have that long to wait. Rochdale Online - not a great upholder of standards - have sneak edited their report which now concludes:Mr Hennigan said: “I was absolutely disgusted at the behaviour of what claims to be an organisation who promote peace and community cohesion.
"I was there to represent Paul Rowen and made this clear to the Chief Executive at the start of the meeting.
"I was therefore surprised to be asked to leave without any reason and be physically intimidated by a number of heavies and not allowed to return to the meeting.
"Their despicable behaviour goes against the very ethos of what the meeting was about and I am shocked and quite frankly cannot understand their behaviour and aggression.”
Rochdale MP Paul Rowen, who was absent as he was on his way to a Council of Europe Meeting to push for a European-wide debate on Gaza said: “I am shocked and disappointed by what I see as a deliberate snub to me.
"I have every right to send someone on my behalf and had informed the organisers that I was sending a representative to speak on my behalf.
"I have written to their Chief Executive outlining my concerns and more importantly the treatment of my staff. I know that David was upset at how he was treated and I don’t blame him – he was just doing his job.
"The behaviour of the Ramadhan Foundation leaves a lot to be desired and I must say it puts a big question mark on both the legitimacy and morals of this small organisation".
In fact the meeting of the Council of Europe thing is in four days time, on Thursday 29, and what's more the excuse does not explain all about the substitution of Mr Hennigan for his puppet MP. Is this reason a complete pack of lies? RAW suggest it is cock and bull.
TEN FACTS TO SHOVE IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE 'EM DAVE
Fact One: The Castlemere Community Centre was the same venue where Dave Hennigan and a shady accomplice, possibly Rowen's faithful non-employee Adam Power, drunkenly made arses of themselves trying to disrupt a visit by Jack Straw;
Fact Two: The manager/chair of the Centre, Mr Malik was deeply affronted by this wretched and utterly wasted Lib Dem behaviour on the occasion of a ministerial visit to his centre;
Fact Three: Rowen and Hennigan know there is no love lost and that Hennigan would be a completely unacceptable substitute to Mr Malik even if Mr Shafiq, who has also seen the wrong end of a few carve ups, was willing;
Fact Four: The first substitute proposed and accepted was Cllr Zulf Ali, a controversial character in his own right. Not someone you'd choose to counter the oratory of George Galloway certainly;
Fact Five: A further substitute was another local asian councillor for the Lib Dems - Cllr Angela Coric (please see correction);
Fact Six: This makes Hennigan at least the FOURTH CHOICE to deliver the speech and shows that it was well known that he was unsuitable. The Councillors Hobhouse presumably would have been more acceptable and were probably asked too. SIXTH CHOICE?;
Fact Seven: Hennigan's substitution for Rowen was not AFAIK advanced with the organisers and he allegedly arrived at the venue for a 3pm meeting already STINKING OF BOOZE and allegedly UNABLE TO STAND OR WALK NORMALLY;
Fact Eight: This was clearly highly offensive to Mr Malik, already furious with Hennigan for spoiling his historic visit from a Senior Minister, and with the Ramadhan Foundation committee also;
Fact Nine: Like certain other Lib Dem who shall remain anonymous for the time being Dave Hennigan does not accept that NO means NO so he tried to force the issue;
Fact Ten: Following numerous complaints of appalling behaviour, harassment, drunkenness, bullying, lying and more Dave Hennigan is believed to be on a Final Written Warning at the insistence of the Serjeant at Arms. Who handles external disciplinary matters for MPs and their staff as well as (ahem) police access.
CORRECTION Weds 14:00: I'm now told that Cllr Coric does not identify herself as asian.
12 comments:
"Why is that george Galloway can speak and Paul Rowen can not?"
Excellent question from Hobhouse on several levels. But basically he bottled out and he can't speak for toffee anyway.
Because he wasn't there.
That would certainly make speaking harder. Unless he is a long distance ventriloquist? Is that the idea? RAW seem to have a running gag involving a vent's dummy. But I presume Rowen is the dummy and Henni the vent in most cases? This was the other way round. And Rowen would have had to say Gottles of Geer when his dummy was pissed up.
As one of the organisers We did not stop Paul Rowen MP from speaking, we offered Wera Hobhouse the chance to speak on behalf of Paul rowen MP, she declined and not David Hennigan due to his actions previously in attacking the Mosque and community centre in a previous election in some very dirty tactics.
Dave was clearly stinking of alcohol and several other independent people noticed this.
You cant come to a public meetin and expect to speak in that state, he was disgraceful.
And as for Paul Rowen's comments and vicious attacks it is sickening a MP subjects community groups to such an attack.
MShafiq, (for it is he)
for someone who is now refusing to comment on this, you are doing a lot of commenting on it Mohammed.
The following was posted by you on Rochdale Online tonight at 17:48.
MShafiq
United Kingdom
106 Posts Posted - 26/01/2009 : 17:48:37 Show Profile
I do not intend to engage an argument with you on this, the private security firm that escorted you off the premises told me about the smell of alcohol along with many others.You do not make vicious and personal attacks against any organisation and then not expect a response.
Due to possible legal proceedings I do not intend to make any comments on this at all so any questions you have for me can be directed to me diretly.
---------
M Shafiq - Working to promote understanding between communities. Go to Top of Page
Thanks both. It seems reasonable to me Carter than Mr Shafiq should make a single calm comment here as well as closing down the bitter discussion at Rochdale Online in which Mr Hennigan appears to have threatened legal action over the inconceivable idea that he may have smelt of alcohol at 3pm on Sunday.
That, frankly, is fairly normal for Dave at 3pm on Sunday even if this is merely a hangover from Saturday's shenanigans.
Perhaps someone can confirm or deny (or one of each) whether Mr Hennigan was stumbling and unable to stand up straight as some report. Clearly he could smell of drink without actually being drunk. But if he were stumbling or slurring or dribbling or swaying or ruddy of complexion or unduly bright eyed or especially abusive or nodding of or etc etc etc ... then this would be persuasive that he was actually DRUNK rather than having had a drink at some stage.
To be fair, we need to ask.
If it were only Wera and not William asked to step up to the plate that would place Henni at fifth choice rather than sixth choice as suggested from the possible five ahead of him, being:
Rowen, Ali, Coric, Hobhouse x 2.
The above comment began:
Correction Chris:
Fact Five: A further substitute was another local asian councillor for the Lib Dems - Cllr Angela Coric;
Cllr Coric is of Balkan heritage
The rest of it was sadly actionable though it did include a Lib Dem on Lib Dem dirty tricks explanation for some rabble rousing rather than the presumably spurious allegation involving Labour which Hennigan span like a top at the time.
Oh Rochdale! What a Town!
Perhaps the smell was some particularly nasty alcohol based after shave?
As one who likes a drink I would not under any circumstances walk into an overwhelmingly Muslim environment after drinking, and particularly if I had a lead part to play.
If it is substantiated that Mr Hennigan, acting for the MP, was smelling of drink then I would have thought that his position as Mr Rowen's agent would now be untenable.
Post a Comment