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Jake "the Fake" Berry: Becomes Jake "the Fash" Berry?
Back in 2006 I stood for Labour in Manchester City Centre ward. This was before the arrival of the master strategist Rob Addlard. My Tory opponent - who did succeed in finding a few Tory voters, without denting either the winning Lib Dem or runner up Labour support too much, was a busy busy Jake Berry.
He said he was a lawyer, and said he had lived in Manchester for some years. Later this was down-graded to "the outskirts" of Manchester.
In fact I already knew Jake. I'd spoken with him when I gave evidence to the Boundary Commission of England. He was on the Tory Back Bench as it were. Apparently from the Wigan/St Helens Tories. It transpired that at the time of claiming to live in the heart of Manchester he actually lived beyond Knutsford. The wrong side of the M6. And with far more affinity with Liverpool, where he had been a parliamentary agent.
Now, I don't know whether anything the kid - who is the Tory PPC in Rossendale, above with Dave Cameron, says can be trusted at all. But what I do know is that via Blackburn Labour we have learned that Cameron's man in Rossendale has allegedly been in talks with the BNP. Part of an alleged attempt to gain a defector for the blues.
Intriguingly Mr cameron will be in the Rossendale constituency this very afternoon. Could be interesting."Lawyer"? He'd say "solicitor" if he was one. So has he been some kind of Legal Executive or Conveyancing Assistant?
More like an estate agent than what most people understand by the term "lawyer"?
UPDATE 21:42: Thanks to David Boothroyd. << A search of the Roll of Solicitors confirms that James Jacob Gilchrist Berry is on it: admitted 15 September 2003 as no. 314052, and now working as an assistant for Halliwells LLP in Manchester. >> My apologies to JJGB for questioning this. CCHQ confirms. I'd change the CV to "solicitor" though.
Also spent the afternoon in and around Bacup. Bit surprised that the three different local papers I picked up in the newsagents opposite Bacup Conservative Club DID NOT have any coverage of this story. Though the GMG one "Rossendale Free Press" had coverage of the Q & A at Stacksteads. My hunting dogs McBride, Draper and Hennigan had a lovely sniff on the East Lancashire moors.
UPDATE: This news report has been running all day on local radio
Hat tip: Blackburn Labour.
7 comments:
It would be odd for someone to defect from the Conservatives to the socialist left wing BNP.
No no no, Man in the Shed, you're not paying attention now are you? the proposal is that someone from the so-called socialist left wing etc BNP defect to the Tories, and indeed be welcomed as a local government candidate.
Perhaps you are mistaken about the essential nature of the BNP?
Mr Holt who was the BNP PPC against Jack Straw in Blackburn and cannot be considered a shrinking violet said:
"I believe the biggest threats to our country are the Labour Party and trade unions which is why I found it so easy to be a Tory."
The Tory party have suspended him - feigning surprise at his hidden history, which was unfortunately visible on some 80,000 ballot papers in 2005 and also over and over and over again in local politics.
What a crappy excuse: "We didn't know! How could we? He was only a PPC in our area? Getting more than 2000 votes."
A search of the Roll of Solicitors confirms that James Jacob Gilchrist Berry is on it: admitted 15 September 2003 as no. 314052, and now working as an assistant for Halliwells LLP in Manchester.
Thanks David. I'll amend the post. He was working on property stuff back in '06. He should change his CV to say solicitor IMO. Apologies to James Jacob Gilchrist Berry, Solicitor.
Presumably Jake the fake is a freemason??
"out dogging with young Hennigan"
-why does that have a familiar ring to it?
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