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Manchester Evening News: Must Dig Deeper on Paul Rowen MP
The expectation was that the Manchester Evening News would do better than Rowen Online when it comes to fisking PR Paul's allowances chits. Today's start is very thin pickings indeed. There's got to be more than that people. Come Monday/Tuesday we're expecting an in depth roasting for this Rochdale rogue.
Literally thousands upon thousands of pounds have been finding their way from the tax payer into Lib Dem party coffers thanks to PR Paul Rowen ... and they say this is legal decent and honest? Office rent - actually laundered into party funds. Adverts - used to pay for party political printing. Football hoarding - supposedly on PR Paul Rowen's own sponney, but actually on the taxpayer. Communications allowance - used by PR Paul Rowen to buy off local web publisher.
Let's be blunt shall we? Get off the fence? PR Paul Rowen has trousered around a million pounds for himself and his cronies since 2005. Not including Council of Europe and other funded jollies. Not counting Councillor allowances. PR Paul Rowen still claimed those when he was actually Chi-Bill-Lling in his luxury flat in London. And Annie's bar, natch. Couldn't get much farther in opulence and comfort from Milkstone and Deeplish.
PR Paul Rowen has signally failed to distance himself from the evils of the regime ancien of Sir Cyril "Slapper" Smith MBE. "More slap up meals than you've had hot dinners" ho ho ho. Was that ever funny Henn? PR Paul Rowen's now desperately trying to play catch up. Cyril's weaknesses were particularly marked on Asbestos.
The Magic Mineral that proved to be Cyril's greatest publically owned weakness ... apart from XXXL cheese and onion pies. PR Paul Rowen has failed to campaign against Spodden Valley housing plans. PR Paul Rowen has denied there is any asbestos danger in schools. PR Paul Rowen has failed to join the chorus of condemnation for Cyril's pathetic sell out to the Asbestos Billionaires. PR Paul Rowen has in general been as useful as a chocolate fire guard in development control and keeping marauding property developers in check.
And instead of honouring his commitment on Gaza it seems that PR Paul Rowen has been more like Gazza. Speaking up for Old Speckled Henn, Gentlemen's Relish and other boutique beers. Worrying about the traditional booze-n-snooze lifestyle of what he sees as the true Rochdaleian. Even sending a famed piss-head and persona non grata to address a meeting of serious community interests. At a community centre where said famed piss-head etc had already pissed on their parade, and rained on their pilau rice.
Instead of attending or speaking at community meetings he's been in his cot or off gallivanting. Again he has been a lightweight, belying his comfortably upholstered frame. He has talked the talk part time. But not walked the walk at all.
And instead of calling his Town Hall denizens to order over the redevelopment of Rochdale Town Centre PR Paul Rowen has let them fester and drift, often shopping himself in the gold-paved streets of the capital or, some say with fury, PR Paul Rowen actually out shopping with mum in Bury Town Centre. And all the while he's pretended it all coming along gradely.
How much of PR Paul Rowen's million-plus pounds of taxpayer sterling has found its way by hook or by crook into party funds? What actually happened to PR Paul's Councillor allowances when he had two jobs at once? Has he not claimed much for food because pork scratchings on Annie's bar bills are excluded, and many kebab shops don't give suitable receipts you'd want to share with the nation? Could that be it? He really has piled on the pounds now hasn't he?
Isn't PR Paul Rowen looking rather like lightweight John Leech's unnamed colleague who put on A STONE PER YEAR living off the fat of the land? PR Paul Rowen may manage TWO STONE PER YEAR. He's not fit to serve.
Is the paunchy, collapsing in the street, ruddy-faced, sweaty betty that is PR Paul Rowen really putting in 80-100 hour weeks? What has he got to show for this? Apart from piling on those precious pounds? Does PR Paul Rowen mean 80-100 hours working? Or just not actually comatose? As he supposedly was when the Gaza debate was raging at Lib Dem conference? Sleeping off a late night bragging session they say. And how much of this supposed 80-100 hour week - 12-16 hours every day that is by the way - is dealing with the (im)pure party politics? And how much the almost invisible and so boring constituency MP stuff?
If LOL were pushed to guess we'd say PR Paul Rowen's typical 24 hours would come out: 10 hours kipping, 5 hours travelling to and from mystery address, 4 hours in various hostelries and fast food emporia, 3 hours party politics, 2 hours doing his real job. How would you split PR Paul Rowen's typical "working" day?
ONE LAST LITTLE MYSTERY: PR Paul Rowen claimed in an interview with Rowen Online on Friday that he had to leave his precious second home at 5:30 AM to get to work in Westminster in time. Where the chuffing hell does the man live? The Mumbles? Newcastle-upon-Tyne? Leeds? Lille? Bruges? LOL really think we should be told.
7 comments:
Interesting to see the byline on the MEN article on Rowen's expenses.
Amanda Crook
Hasn't shadow, shadow deputy DWP spokesperson Paul Rowen ever read his Work & Pensions brief?
He says he 'works' 80-100 hours a week.
Has he never heard of the Working Time Directive?
Breaking into a sweat chipping away at a stone wall with a toffee hammer could take 80-100 hours a week but it could hardly be described as work or effective use of taxpayer's money.
Keep it up Paul. Shawshank could have a little room with your name on the cell door.
As with Al Capone, it could be the little things that could be cheeky Paul Rowen's undoing.
Cash and tax.
This is far from over.
For far too long, local politiciians who 'toe the line' have had a very easy ride locally.
Rochdale Observer has been a disgrace for years. That's why RAP was started.
Rochdale Online has got far too many question marks hanging over it too.
Between them they fit too easily into the Richard Street Masonic triangle.
But that is a matter for directors and senior board members rather than the kids on the coalface.
It will be interesting to see how proper journalists wiithin the GMG will react if the lid gets blown off Paul Rowen MP's shenighans.
Rowen has just been caught lying on Rochdale Online.
The intrepid priest, Father Daly, has pointed out that Rowen actually remained a councillor for two years after he became MP and not one, as he has angrily claimed when being quizzed on the councillor expenses he claimed as an MP.
Meanwhile RAW are reporting on Rowen's attacks on said priest (a fearless exposer of Lib Dem lies) and asking what tax benefits he received from allegedly giving his councillor expenses to charity?
http://rochdaleraw.blogspot.com/
Was the post actually from Paul Rowen.
An angry tirade at 2am in the morning?
Sounds like someone else to me. Perhaps someone who shares his facilities but not his facalties.
what about Rowen's (or Dave's) moonlighting as "new columnist for Transport Matters magazine"
http://s204732428.websitehome.co.uk/2009/05/05/transportmatters-magazine-3/
The mag has a rather unfortunate tagline- "if it moves- it matters" !
Isn't that similar to the logo for Rochdale VD clinic (and Lancashire welcome signs)? "a place where everyone matters"
also reminds me of an old army sergeant advising on the gentle art of lovemaking- "if it moves hump it. If its still, hump it till it moves".
VD and humping aside, there is a serious question about Paul Rowen's activities as Chair of the Parliamentary Light Rail Group and new columnist for Transport Matters magazine...
Is any cash being handed over or declared for Paul's 'work'?
Where does Paul get his inspiraction from for his opinions on transport? Lobbyists? Industry? Policy bods? Officers?
Keep your all receipts Paul.
Which charities does he say he gave his allowances to?
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