He's Just a Lib Dem Dirtbag 2: Adam Power and John Swarbrick

Here they are again. Hennigan's evil henchmen. Or make that Lib Dem Paul Rowen MP's evil henchmen. Or, why not, make that the Taxpayers' evil henchmen. Because it looks like you and I are paying for their shenanigans.

Two Lib Dem dirtbags lurking in a Rochdale twilight centre car park. Up to no good I'll be bound. Adam Power (right) was of course the one who caused Rochdale Online to remove quotes from Manchester Central MP Tony Lloyd from a story critical of Lib Dem interests. Cyril Smith - The Asbestos Years to be specific. Power claimed he was an old friend of Lloyd's. That Lloyd had not provided or approved the quotes attributed to him, and that Lloyd was going to sue his own party, and Rochdale Online and everyone under the sun if young Power's instructions were not followed to the letter.

Power is apparently a student, though he seems to constantly wag off, has been described as an "intern", but also as a parliamentary assistant ("with earnings under £30,000"). He is no friend of Tony Lloyd MP's. He was lying through his lying scumbag teeth, like these Lib Dems do. There was a moment, as the bare-faced cheeky lying to the press unfolded, when Paul Rowen MP - or someone speaking on his behalf - completely disowned the silly little bugger. Said he was not working for the MP. But he's still there. Still working his mischief. Still lurking in car parks. Still up to no good.

John Swarbrick meanwhile is an old stager. Seen a fair few dirty tricks close up I'll be bound. Studied at the knees of Sir Cyril Smith OBE. And Mr Norman Smith OBE too. Swarbrick is on the parliamentary payroll. There's no ambiguity there. Hennigan says so. Purely carrying out casework duties. Which is presumably why he was running round with Power like some corner boy on Monday?

Until recently Swarbrick was in fact working for Alwyn Watkins, the Lib Dem Dirtbag PPC in Oldham and Saddleworth. But sadly we're told the pair fell out catastrophically. That was over money.

Watkins allegedly works as "Financial Adviser" to one of the richest Sheiks in the Middle East. You'd think he'd have no need to be a skinflint, that he'd be able to string a decent suit together, and that contributions would flow into his campaign coffers. To pay his right-hand man. But not so. According to the public record Watkins himself is the only significant donor, and what he's put in doesn't look like enough to stock a whelk stall for a big weekend in Rochdale.

The word on the street is that, prior to Dave Hennigan's arrival from Manchester via about three days allegedly "settling in Wales" and "joining a male voice choir", Swarbrick was the big cheese head political worker and schemer for the Rochdale Lib Dems. Now he seems to be Number Three. Or is he in fact Reserve Number One? For when Hennigan crosses the line of legal, decent and honest for the Nth time? Then Rowen would have no choice but to let him go.

More dirtbag news will no doubt be along in a while. News on the hour, every hour.