Monday, September 13, 2010

Sir Cyril Smith MBE: Larger Than Life Send Off from Great Hall




Sir Cyril Smith MBE is having one last get together in the Great, larger-than-life, Hall in Rochdale Town Hall. Today at 12 noon, all welcome, for what will no doubt be a rather rose-tinted spectacle. About an hour I should reckon. Then a procession to Rochdale Crematorium which is about a mile away as the crows fly, slightly further perhaps via Smith Street and Drake Street. Then, at 1:40pm a friends and family service at the Crem.

The Rochdale Observer, a paper that Cyril Smith loved to browbeat and bully like some hysterical Boss Hogg grand master or godfather, and which was eventually driven from the Town with the likes of David Hennigan and Norman Smith and Paul Rowen still shouting threats and admonishments at them, nonetheless offers quite a generous scene setting.

In fact they don't put a foot wrong. HERE.

I don't think they are publishing any comments despite an invitation to leave our views and anecdotes. Here's mine, exactly as submitted to them:

Doesn't look like you are printing comments. Presumably this is because of adverse comments being made by those for whom Sir Cyril loomed over them "larger than life" in a bad way.

To take three examples from many potential problematic incidents:

1. Cyril was reported to the Police on one occasion over his activities dishing out brutal and by all accounts sexualised punishment beatings and more to residents at Cambridge House, a hostel for young vulnerable apprentices, far from home. A police investigation was completed but strings were pulled at the highest level and Cyril's career was saved. Private Eye and other alternative press carried the story in some detail and Sir Cyril did not rebutt or take action against them. At one point he was on the governing body of more than 250 schools, he was actively involved in all kinds of arts and sport activities, in the organisation of Education borough-wide, in children's homes, and he famously supported Rochdale Childer. These days he would not have passed a basic never mind enhanced CRB disclosure.

2. Cyril was heavily involved in harassing and haranging the police, the lawyers, the prisons and the court in a celebrated case. The end result was that an innocent man was imprisoned for two decades over a sexual assault, rape and child killing that he did not and could not possibly have committed. Evidence was available at the time that utterly exonerated the man. Poor Stefan Kisko's defence barrister was David Waddington who would go on the be Tory Home Secretary. To put it mildly the police were crooked. And Waddington made a complete pig's ear of the job of defending the man. At the time of the conviction of the real killer the Manchester Evening News and others reported an extraordinary link between the murder and Sir Cyril and his political activity, which was a course a thing of great twists and turns, betrayals and defections.

3. Last but not least there's the "magic" also known as "killer" mineral that is asbestos. This much has been carried in some of the notices over Cyril's death. Rochdale's MP was a shareholder, a bit of a Santa Claus in the social, a dining out chum of the management, and their sock puppet - willing to read speeches the killer industrialists had created, resisting health and safety improvements and the crushing weight of evidence of harm, disease and death and to read these on the floor of the House of Commons. David Waddington was again somethingly involved. Cyril too was an industrialist, owning a company called Smith's Springs and becoming a millionaire, though how so is shrouded in mystery. Suffice it to say that Turner Brothers Asbestos is not the only major commercial organisation to which Smith's name has been connected over his assistance to their activities.

Much of this will no doubt be subject of alternative memoirs, leaching out into Rochdale like so much asbestos dust from Spodden killing fields. There is believed to be enough killer dust there - with one particle enough to cause plaques or cancers - to cover several football pitches to chest high on Cyril and his brother Norman.

Cyril may have put Rochdale on the map on one level. Not really in a good way though, as the faint praise of some of the more independent appreciations bears witness. In many ways Cyril leaves a great hole behind him. Largely down to him and his colleagues and despite the staggering efforts of good Rochdale people to rise above the overwhelming grime and poverty and nastiness of life under Cyril.

No doubt his mother loved him.


UPDATE Thu 11:45: Image of news item added. Along with this - the text thereon - to assist seekers of Google truth on the larger than life Sir Cyril Smith MBE, that former Rochdale Liberal MP, and his strange predilections and dodgy career history. There will be more anon:

Private Eye No. 1271 (17-30 Sept 2010)

100 Years Ago

So, farewell then, Sir Cyril Smith MBE. With the lone exception of Times blogger Oliver Kamm – who called him “a corrupt, mendacious mountain of flesh” - the former Liberal MP for Rochdale has departed this world to a chorus of fond tributes. Nick Clegg ventured that he was “one of the most likable politicians of his day”.

Not so likeable, perhaps, if you were one of the children about whom Private Eye wrote in May 1979. The magazine described how Big Cyril had repeatedly dished out sexual “punishments” to vulnerable youngsters living at the Cambridge House boys' hostel during the 1960s. The Eye published details from witness statements obtained by Rochdale's Alternative Paper about his threats to the teenage residents.

“He gave me a choice between accepting his punishment or leaving the hostel,” said one. “He took me into the Quiet Room. He told me to take my trousers and pants down and he hit me four or five times on my bare buttocks.”

As secretary of the Rochdale Hostel for Boys Association, which ran Cambridge House, Smith was a regular after-hours visitor. Another resident recalled: “Cyril Smith found that I had taken some money. He asked me if I would accept his punishment. He then told me to take off my trousers and pants and bend over his knee...he hit me many times... afterwards he came to my bedroom and wiped my bare buttocks with a sponge.” A third youngster reported that Smith has “given a kind of medical examination... he held my testicles and told me to cough”.

The RAP editors gathered seven sworn statements of this kind. Although Smith took no action against RAP or the Eye – or the New Statesman, which also reported the allegations – not a single national newspaper mentioned the story.

It was dismissed by Liberal leader David Steel as “not a very friendly gesture, publishing that, all he seems to have done is spanked a few bare bottoms”.

The Lancashire Constabulary took a different view, and had indeed investigated Smith. A report was prepared but in 1974, during discussions about a Con/Lib coalition, it was taken to London by Special Branch and never seen again. A second copy was sent to the director of public prosecutions but this, too, seemed to vanish into thin air. The DPP stated that he could not “confirm or deny receiving it”.

If all this suggests some kind of institutional cover-up, it wouldn't be the first in Rochdale. For years the powers-that-be knew about sexual abuse at Knowl View, a special residential school for children aged between eight and 16, but did nothing about it.

Knowl View was eventually closed in 1995. In September 2002 David Higgins, a former teacher, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of gross indecency involving young children at the school. His crimes had been committed in the years following its foundation in 1969 by Cyril Smith, who was also a governor.

The full truth may take a while to emerge: Knowl View school records have been restricted from public view for 100 years.

UPDATE Fri 20:03: The Rochdale Observer lead with a by turns alarming and amusing rebuttal by Norman "the enforcer" Smith, brother of the late, great, foul Sir Cyril Smith MBE. In which Norman makes a number of utterly false claims which the Observer print without question. They do however repeat a sample of the accusations. Private Eye would do well to load a five hundredweight van with extra copies of their current edition and go and sell them door to door around Rochdale and surrounds. They could sent a similar vehicle to Liverpool for the Lib Dem conference.

Scan below. And text. Or you can read it in situ HERE. In truth you are rather more likely to find comments here on this blog than over there at the Obbie.



Cyril’s family in fury at ‘cowardly’ article

Katie Storey

September 17, 2010

Sir Cyril Smith's family have hit out at a 'cowardly' magazine article for repeating sexual abuse allegations against the late Rochdale MP.

A piece in this week's Private Eye magazine refers to abuse said to have taken place at Cambridge House boy's hostel in Rochdale in the 1960s.

Sir Cyril, who was secretary of the Rochdale Hostel for Boys Association which ran the centre, was alleged to have dished out 'punishments' to vulnerable youngsters living at the home, but the claims were never proven.

His brother Norman Smith said: "Have Private Eye got nothing better to do than attack a person who's dead and can't respond.

"It's absolutely appalling.

"These allegations were disproved at the time.

"We have had hundreds of cards, 99 per cent of people have said what a wonderful man he was and what wonderful things he did for Rochdale.

"He thought of nothing else than the people of Rochdale.

"At the time these allegations were proved completely untrue and they were dropped.

"The reason that Cyril didn't take legal action was that he was advised by his barrister, that it would have cost the people involved a hell of a lot of money.

"There was no point taking legal action because there was no money to pay and Cyril was told to forget it because the allegations were totally untrue."

The Private Eye article digs up a previous piece, published in the magazine in May 1979, and re-printed in the week of Sir Cyril's funeral.

Then the publication reported that Rochdale Alternative Press – a local underground magazine of the time - had been supplied with seven sworn statements from teenagers at Cambridge House alleging that Sir Cyril Smith had abused them.

One claimed Sir Cyril, who died on September 3 aged 82, spanked his bare buttocks, while another youngster claimed he had given him a kind of medical examination.

Norman added: "The family are so upset by Cyril's death and for Private Eye to come forward with something like this they're nothing but cowards."

At the time the claims were dismissed by Liberal leader David Steel as 'not a very friendly gesture'.


UPDATE Fri 20:46: Here is the comment I just submitted, rather than one in the comments:

Oh come on Observer! What's cowardly is not printing these facts down the years, brow beaten by Cyril, Norman and their enforcers. What's cowardly is a party machine that completely failed in their duty to get rid of this man. In fact David Steel continued that quote to admit that Cyril had done the deed. "Spanking a few bare bottoms" I think he called it. What's cowardly is for Norman to simply make up a response to this story and tell his local newspaper, a paper that served his brother Cyril well down the years, to tell The Observer things he must surely know are not true.

Norman Smith begins his rubbish with: "These allegations were disproved at the time." This is absolute nonsense. The police investigation concluded that there was a case and tried to pass this up the chain. The witness statements that are in the public domain are compelling.

A cracking case was apparently snatched out of the due process by politically motivated interference. None of the accusations was disproved. In fact David Steel himself basically admitted in terms that Cyril had administered these beatings.

Norman Smith offers the fact that there are many well wishers as some kind of evidence of innocence. We all know Cyril was popular. We don't know quite why. But we know it was the case. Then Norman tries again: "At the time these allegations were proved completely untrue and they were dropped."

Once again this is utterly false. The allegations were not proved to be untrue. Far from it. There was no due process that "dropped" these allegations. Allegations don't get dropped. It is charges that get dropped. Because of his friends in high places and in a truly staggering fashion even at three and four decades separation no charges were brought.

Cyril Smith may well have taken advice from a barrister. Perhaps Norman Smith can open the archives of Cyril the renowned man of letters and show us the exchanges. Let's see Cyril's briefs please Norman. Given that his party leader David Steel had already essentially admitted the basic narrative was correct and given the way things were going at the school Cyril had founded - that's the notorious den of child abuse and child prostitution that was Knowl View - and elsewhere on the patch, the advice may well have been to throw his weight about a bit to stop the national papers joining in but to leave Private Eye and the local alternative paper alone.

The allegations were not dropped. The allegations were not proved to be false. The desperate, even tearful Cyril Smith pulled strings and saved his bacon. That was and is a disgrace.

What did Cyril actually do for Rochdale? Apart from founding Knowl View?

55 comments:

The Egg Man said...

As a wee boy Cyril and his mum once shared a single fried egg. At the time they were billeted in a paper bag floating in a cess pit. Not far from Yorkshire to boot.

Chris Paul said...

Been sent a story involving wee Cyril competing with rats and slugs and maggots and carrion crows and who knows what (nazi parachutists?) in the ginnels of Falinge and Town Head - searching for tasty bacon rinds that more affluent neighbours had discarded. Told by Cyril over an extravagant breakfast when he was a Labour Party agent in Tameside one time.

Anyone got any stories about black pudding, sausage, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms or a slice?

Get Real said...

The real story of Cyril Smith is about cover-up.Cover up of corruption and sex abuse.

Not just by "Smith the Man" but his minions.

The conspiracy goes so deep that at first blush it appears fanciful.

The politicians who knew but sid nothing or chuckled behind their hands. The editors who supressed the news and stiffled media investigation - shame on them. The party followers who turned a blind eye to Cyril's "indiscretions". Those who fiddled and abused alongside the 30 stone bully.
The businessmen who gave brown envelopes stuffed with cash and were rewarded hansomely - at Rochdale's expense. The officers who could have made a stand but were too worried about their careers and pensions to do the right thing.

What will the ordinary, decent citizens think when it all comes out? Those who just didn't know the monstrous truth about Cyril Smith and who had it kept from them by those who thought they didn't need to know the truth.

Decent people don't want to see bad in people for no just cause. That is why there was such an outpouring of sympathy at the news of the death of an old 82 year colourful character people vaguely remember for being very, very fat and having a funny northern accent. A figure of fun who appeared on the Russell Harty show.

Cyril was a bully but he was also years before his time when it comes to image management and media messaging. Empty soundbites, gimmics and shameless opportunism.

The story of cover up comes full circle with the Rochdale Observer's sensorship of its Twitter and comments feeds.

The truth will out.

tory boys never grow up said...

Per Nick Clegg

"Everybody in Rochdale knew him not only as their MP but also as a friend."

Apparently not it seems. But then Sheffield Hallam is so typical of the rest of the North that he feels entitled to pronounce on all things Northern on behalf of new best friends.

Did Smith pronounce on the coalition before he died? Of course he always operated his own version of a Condem alliance with his businessman mates in Rochdale as RAP testified in great detail.

Chris Paul said...

Smith apparently told defeated candidate Rowen in their last conversation that he thought the ConDem coalition would be the end of the Lib Dems.

To be fair that was his standard call with any and all coalitions and pacts. He was agin 'em. Though of course on a personal level he would duck and drake all over the place joining, leaving, forming, leaving, joining, merging, slagging off, coalescing, griping, staying put, slagging off, staying put.

This time he could be right. But both Lib Dems and famously Allen Brett's Labour have worked hand in glove with the Tories in Rochdale.

He was a working class Tory who seems to have had fortunes landed on him one way or another. Many folk in the town swear by who his dad were. Quite a rich chap tha know. But apart from his shares in Turner's asbestos he had a few others interests. Including the scot-free offices which the tax payer was forced to rent from him and his cronies. Including they say a tidy bit of business with Redifusion, and another with Wimpys the Builders.

Strangely enough the Tory party - and he did rub along well enough with the likes of Waddington and the other East Lancs masons without apparently ever being allowed to join the Golden Arches - was the main political force he did not enter.

Rochdale would not have elected a Tory at that juncture. However fat, pompous, "charismatic", "hilarious", "larger than life" and reactionary in virtually every regard he were.

Anti Trade Union, Anti Women's Rights, Anti Europe (did he ever set foot outside Blighty? perhaps for a trip to the German twin town for a beer and frankfurter festival?), Pro Hanging, Pro Corporal Punishment, Pro Pollution, Pro Health and Safety Negligence.

One exception possibly being being against Direct Grant Schools in some kind of way. Though even that is hard to credit.

Incidentally, considering the rant above your post TBNGU, there were a few who spoke out. One got a punishment beating. Another got the most impossibly long gardening leave imaginable. My FOIA request on that needs refreshing. RMBC has been dragging their little heels.

Cambridge House, Castlemere Street said...

BBC News and the Rochdale Obscurer have done a very odd reporting job.

Strange camera shots - close ups of the coffin and a tight little bunch of groupies putside the Town Hall. Then a quick pan inside the Great Hall (mostly politicians).

Where were the grieving masses?

In reality there were about 30 people outside. Outnumbered by the press and police.

That said, at least there weren't any placards saying "dirty peadough bastardo". Yet.

Touched by Cyril Smith said...

Paul Rowen's soundbite from Cyril's send off...

"Cyril, big Cyril, the man, Mr Rochdale, my friend, my mentor.”

...“Cyril led and we followed.”

Anonymous said...

You do all talk such a load of twaddle.

All this crap about Cyril would have come out had it been true.

It wasn't! End of.

Now go away and have some bloody respect.

These postings are an absolute disgrace and i wasn't a supporter!

Chris Paul said...

Anonymous 4 am .. is that you Dave? Again?

What you call "this crap" presumably mostly referring to item one *did* come out but there was a cover up and the victims have literally been scared of Cyril and Norman and the journalist involved beaten up. This originally came to light when one of the victims was caught abusing and asked why Cyril got away with it. There was then an investigation. As reported in Private Eye and RAP. Cyril took no action but bullied the mainstream press.

There are other issues of a similar kind which are now also likely to come out into the open. Including the extraordinary gardening leave of employee(s) that complained.

On 2. It is a matter of record that Cyril harangued everyone throughout the Cisko trial and that his friend Waddington did a god awful job as defence QC. It is also claimed by the MEN, to this day, and not refuted that Cyril was connected - via a close friendship and party links - to the real killer in this case.

The Turner connection is also a matter of record and Cyril is unrepentant. In one of the sound bites shown on his death he said that he would not vote or speak on something unless he knew the facts. his excuse for using Turner written speeches (and him being a shareholder and all) was that he DID NOT know what the hell he was talking about.

And it was and is hell for those he might have saved if he taken the side of working people instead of a global industrial giant spouting noxious rubbish in both senses.

Please summon the courage to use your name or at least a consistent pen name if you make comments of substance and claim things are wrong. They are not wrong. As the saying goes .. "end of".

Shame on Cyril. Shame on you "wasn't a supporter" (my arse) anonymous for this pathetic argument-less facile Lib Dem kind of comment.

benchilltory said...

events nearby to Rochdale,in Oldham and Saddleworth are interesting. irrespective of whether the leaflets from Woolas had any influence in the actual result.Is it acceptable for Labour to allow the man responsible for those outrageous leaflets to continue to be a member of the party ?

Anonymous said...

Let the courts decide BHT.

Elwyn, bless him, is having his day on the limelight. He has always been a bit of an arse and a buffoon. At least he can have one last airing of his nice suit in front of the press. It is closure for losing the election.


Some facts worth remembering:

As Cllr Watkins he abandoned his Healey Ward and the council chamber for long periods of time. Over in Saudi?

A bad councillor, and a poor loser.


As for dirty tricks - did Elwyn benefit from the "help" of MPAUK? MPAUK have boasted about being involved.

Remember MPAUK were the ones who bragged about getting rid of "Lorna the f***ing jew" in the Rochdale 2005 General Election. Something Paul Rowen was very coy about. Dave Hennigan had looser lips at times about this sorry episode.

tory boys never grow up said...

Those of us with longer memories will remember some of the lies that were spread about Jack McCann both while he was dying with cancer and during the subsequent byelection campaign.

And perhaps benchilltory should look up the Zinoviev letter before he tries to claim any moral high ground.

Chris Paul said...

The leaflets are pants. But they're fairly normal for that neck of the woods. To have Lib Dems mithering about shabby innuendo and insinuation in them there parts is pretty rich. Like Cllr Elwyn "Useless Layabout" Watkins' Sheik.

Still think Elwyn will lose even though Woolas is still behaving like he's down the Biko. Come to think of it MUSU or now UMSU politics was and is very clean compared to the foothills of filth.

Hennigan probably helped print the leaflets referred to above himself. I'm told that the perps regularly claim they were done on Big Cyril's riso and Big Cyril's office. Perhaps it is true perhaps it isn't. If either the ultra community organisation or the Rochdale Lib Dems would care to make a statement I'll be glad to publish it.

Hennigan is a stop at nothing shameless disgrace, now master minding the final collapse and fall of Manchester's Lib Dems.

They may never recover.

Anonymous said...

Don't know if Rochdale Liberal Democrat Printing Society took cash for Elwyn's leaflets as opposed to taking Parliamentary cash via Paul Rowen for imaginary surgery adverts in "Rochdale News".

Anyway Big Cyril's last redoubt at 142a/144 Drake St was responsible for stuffing rather than printing. Parliamentary cash paid for a spanking new envelope stuffer to give a helping hand to Adam "The Power" Power. Wasn't printing often contracted out to Derby or "John Bull's" mysterious money Leaching printing outfit?

Elwyn was very coy to reporters about where the money is coming from to fund his legal challenge. It sounded as if it was all voluntary and makeshift.

No doubt it will all come out in the wash.

Chris Paul said...

Oh? Only stuffing at Drake Street? I don't think so. I think Drunkagain most certainly had a Riso at his disposal too. Perhaps not such a grand machine at Mr John Leech's which frequently claimed to be able to print full process colour edge to edge on large glossy sheets when until recently all it could manage was smudgy A4 and smudgy A3. He, John Leech MP, has recently upgraded to a 4 colour riso but he has also persisted in putting his name - or WPS rather - to print they cannot possible fettle in his office.

Not least a lot of parliamentary printing for other constituencies. All looks a bit dodgy to me. Whenever I put questions to the man about his printing set up he just gets sarky and mean. Perhaps I should try again?

Didn't they have a Riso there? Certainly had one in the run up to 2005, didn't they? Didn't they print those vile MPAUK leaflets attacking Lorna Fitzsimons with lies? Didn't Hennigan admit as much when in his cups? Don't MPAUK also acknowledge this and lay claim to working in cahoots with Rowen and Hennigan to oust Fitzsimons?

If any of those concerned would like to make a statement I'll be highly likely to print the same.

Wonder what it costs to run a court for five days? And both side's barristers and QCs? Not a great one to be losing, unless there's insurance in place.

Rochdale Rapper said...

Didn't Lord Reynard clear Rochdale Lib Dems in the internal inquiry held after the 2005 General Election?

Or was that about Cyril Smith's innovative cash collection for the "Fighting Fund"? He sent out 1000 letters to local businessness asking for cash. Favours for sailors, nudge nudge, wink wink?

But isn't accepting cash from people who later gain financial benefit from local political decsions made classed as corruption? Wasn't Cyril Smith's methods of collecting such cash then writing a consolidated cheque to the party (and recorded so with the Electoral Commission) a form of money laundering. Either way, aren't such activities against the law?

Then again, it will be interesting to see if or how large amounts of cash have been "squirreled" - away from the taxman and the scrutiny of the Electoral Commission.

What about Cyril's share holding in Rochdale Reform Buildings Ltd?

Does the old spanker still have the old Turner & Newall asbestos shares?

What about donations to the Unitarian Church, Rochdale Childer and other laudable organisations?

Anonymous said...

Who's paying Watkin's legal bill? 2 QC's (not just 1) representing him from the highly acclaimed and rather expensive Matrix Chambers the home of Cherie Booth QC? Is it Watkins personally or the Lib Dem party or maybe even a Sheikh?

Would love to see Watkins income and expenditure. You really need some serious spare cash to donate 30K or so to a local party and then be responsible for the costs of a 5 day trial including 2 QC's you are employing. You could be looking at 100K at least just for his 2 Barristers.

Anonymous said...

Glad to see the Observer are now allowing some true comments about the spanker.

benchilltory said...

Woolas withering in the Saddleworth dock.

Having admitted that the death threats his election leaflets said he was getting from Moslem extremists were from his own imagination (he once had such a threat from a Christian Nigerian!) Phil Woolas MP has now told the court that his Lib Dem opponent was ‘turning a blind eye’ to the work of Moslem organisation working to try to unseat him, rather than being ‘in a pact with the devil’, with extremists as the Labour leaflets had informed voters in May. Quite a difference you may think?

"Anonymous said..." -i think Watkins wont have any financial concerns when, after this hearing is finished, he sues Woolas for libel!!

Anonymous said...

benchilltory - you cannot conduct litigation and incur substantial costs in the hope that you may win and then sue for libel. It does not work that way.

Anonymous said...

OK, question of the day. Which MANCHESTER Labour Councillor is NOT looking forward imminent, bad news headlines?

Anonymous said...

I think "Private Eye's" ubit says it all.

A currupt pedo !

He will not be missed.

GW

Pirate Eye said...

Private Eye No. 1271 (17-30 Sept 2010)

100 Years Ago

So, farewell then, Sir Cyril Smith MBE. With the lone exception of Times blogger Oliver Kamm – who called him “a corrupt, mendacious mountain of flesh”- the former Liberal MP for Rochdale has departed this world to a chorus of fond tributes. Nick Clegg ventured that he was “one of the most likable politicians of his day”.

Not so likable, perhaps, if you were one of the children about whom Private Eye wrote in May 1979. The magazine described how Big Cyril had repeatedly dished out sexual “punishments” to vulnerable youngsters living at the Cambridge House boys' hostel during the 1960s. The Eye published details from witness statements obtained by Rochdale's Alternative Paper about his threats to the teenage residents.

“He gave me a choice between accepting his punishment or leaving the hostel,” said one. “He took me into the Quiet Room. He told me to take my trousers and pants down and he hit me four or five times on my bare buttocks.”

As secretary of the Rochdale Hostel for Boys Association, which ran Cambridge House, Smith was a regular after-hours visitor. Another resident recalled: “Cyril Smith found that I had taken some money. He asked me if I would accept his punishment. He then told me to take off my trousers and pants and bend over his knee...he hit me many times... afterwards he came to my bedroom and wiped my bare buttocks with a sponge.” A third youngster reported that Smith has “given a kind of medical examination... he held my testicles and told me to cough”.

The RAP editors gathered seven sworn statements of this kind. Although Smith took no action against RAP or the Eye – or the New Statesman, which also reported the allegations – not a single national newspaper mentioned the story.

It was dismissed by Liberal leader David Steel as “not a very friendly gesture, publishing that, all he seems to have done is spanked a few bare bottoms”.

The Lancashire Constabulary took a different view, and had indeed investigated Smith. A report was prepared but in 1974, during discussions about a Con/Lib coalition, it was taken to London by Special Branch and never seen again. A second copy was sent to the director of public prosecutions but this, too, seemed to vanish into thin air. The DPP stated that he could not “confirm or deny receiving it”.

If all this suggests some kind of institutional cover-up, it wouldn't be the first in Rochdale. For years the powers-that-be knew about sexual abuse at Knowl View, a special residential school for children aged between eight and 16, but did nothing about it.

Knowl View was eventually closed in 1995. In September 2002 David Higgins, a former teacher, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of gross indecency involving young children at the school. His crimes had been committed in the years following its foundation in 1969 by Cyril Smith, who was also a governor.

The full truth may take a while to emerge: Knowl View school records have been restricted from public view for 100 years.

Get Real said...

Sex abuse, corruption and cover up in Rochdale.

Surely the police must seize all documents that remain in Cyril Smith old home at Emma Street. They must also seize all documents that remain at the Lib Dem HQ at Drake Street and all information relating to the Cobden Bright Trust and Rochdale Refrorm Buildings Ltd.

All documents held by Rochdale Council relating to Cambridge House and Knowl View School must also be seized.

Corruption relating to cash for planning deals and the misappropriation of public money is serious but more so is the apparent criminality of any cover up relating to the sexual abuse of children in Rochdale.

There must be a thorough investigation and public inquiry into the shocking revelations of criminality and cover-up just published by Private Eye.

Truthwillout said...

Maybe our current and most recent MPs can reveal what withheld information they are privvy to?

I am aware that Lorna was certainly given a briefing when she took up her seat about paedophilia cases involving politicians, police and high profile figures in her constituency.

Let's see if any are brave enough to speak out?

Adamant said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Rochdale Labour cover up said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Chris Paul said...

Ground rules:

I will delete any and all throwaway smears against people of any party.

We KNOW Cyril was involved in this, that he was investigated and that the case was killed at the highest level.

We KNOW he took no action when details were published, apart from having some weight thrown about on his behalf physically and metaphorically. This succeeded in brow beating a number of national titles that were and still are party to loads of contemporary details. Contemporary not to Cyril's activity at Cambridge House, but to it being discovered as his foul behaviour led to consequences for later generations of children and young people. Not to forget the victim-perpetrators.

As I have revealed before it was discovered when the victim of at very least an inappropriate and wreckless punishment was caught sex offending themselves. These things run and run and run.

THAT is the great problem with these obvious cover ups and swerves. The victims are not looked after, and some of them offend and so on down the generations.

The men Cyril punished at Cambridge House - and there can be no doubt of that - are now around 60-65 years old themselves. Potentially great grand parents.

I will not put up with Dave Hennigan - who has made some of the anonymous smears in this thread before elsewhere - or anyone else just tuck in and try taking the focus off Cyril and those who are aware of his activity.

I am horrified that this foul man is venerated by many Lib Dems. Venerated. Which is not quite from the same root as it were as venereal. Close but no cigar.

Tim said...

Let's do be careful, as we should be in the Pope's case, not to blur the line between those who molested children and those who merely engaged in a cover up to protect the rapists in their ranks (sometimes to the extent of knowingly putting children in harm's way).

Chris Paul said...

Thanks Tim, that's a good point. All are guilty of course. But not of exactly the same thing. Just as smearers and their aiders and abetters and transmitters are all guilty, though in slightly different ways.

For the record:

1. Sir Cyril Smith MBE was never a member of the Roman Catholic Church, he was a card carrying Unitarian. Arguably that latter church does not get enough credit overall for the activities of some of its members. Quite a few of Smith's friends and associates were catholics of course. Presumably also blackballed by the freemasons lodges that were then less ecumenical than they are today.

2. When the beatings in Cambridge House took place Smith was a Labourist. He took the Mayor's chain as Labour before a summary resigning and forming his own little grouplet. Then of course he went Liberal in time to become the surprise candidate for that party in the by-election caused by the death of Labour's Jack McCann. All looks very finely calculated. Smith would *never* have been accepted as a Labour candidate but he was hugely popular and it's said that as well as the 10 or 12 names needed as official proposer, seconder and nominators Smith had a sort of petition of 5,000 more backers.

3. Smith did already have a criminal record mind. He was caught break gaming and lottery act rules on the maximum amount or value of a prize when he was acting as Fred Ratcliffe's numbers man on the Football Club's raffle. How was he caught? He only sold a ticket feature the illegal level of booty to the wife of the Chief Inspector or Chief Constable or the like!

Always a ducker and diver with a smarmy patter and prepared to flex the rules to get things done was our Cyril.

Smith's wiki is currently in fairly good shape in reflecting these revelations and re-revelations.

Rochdale Online Observer said...

Classic quote from the Chief Executive of the Ramadam Foundation Ltd, muslim yoof spokeman Lord Mo Shafiq when having a dig at former MP Paul Rowen ...

"...we have all been touched by Cyril...

Really?

That is a really serious allegation - a media moggul and Rochdale's former MP both "touched by Cyril".

Chris Paul said...

Well ROO, may I call you ROO?, you're being a bit silly here aren't you? We all know what is meant by Rowen and Shafiq by "touched by Cyril" don't we? Quite different from the cocky wee lads at Cambridge House who were physically "touched by Cyril" all those years ago.

Wasn't it New Order who sang of such things at the birth of their own new order? Touched by the Hand of God.

It is of course fascinating that the Hon Mo Shafiq - media spokesman for the ummah (Lib Dems, Deeplish, Rochdale, Lancashire, Britain and the World) - as well as hanger out with haters (election 2005), and would be smear merchant (current) is getting up the noses of Rowenite and the other Rowenites (i.e. Paul's mum) as they try to regroup and prevent godfather Sir Cyril Smith MBE's godson Dale "Wellyboot" Cricket Mulgrew, the joke entry, gaining the next nomination as Lib Dem PPC by ahem a wellytastic shoe in?

Phew, long sentence.

Shafiq is of course a frustrated local politician, not beloved of the Rowenites, stymied in his attempts to contest a winnable seat, sent out to bat in unpromising locales, but he was blessed by the venerable Smith and he has a picture to prove that.

Like something out of a latter day, only more bizarre, Phoenix Nights. This being made all the more relevant by the self proclaimed millionaire Smith's history flirting with murky nay illegal Football Club fund raising, the running of murky Bingo businesses, and the involvement with all sorts of clubs and entertainers.

More will out on this story but NOT Shafiq or Rowen being "touched" by godfather Cyril, not in the Biblical sense. It's poetic is all.

Rochdale Online Observer said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Get Real said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Chris Paul said...

There is a very strong case for deleting comments like this. I'm thinking about doing so. In fact I will. I'll edit them and stick them back up if there's anything left.

Please cut it out.

In the meantime can I say that I have seen or heard absolutely no evidence that Paul Rowen or indeed his Young Liberal contemporary - though whether they even met is uncertain, they were both about the same age and from Cyril supporting, politically active households is all - Ronald Castree were ever mistreated in any way by Sir Cyril Smith MBE. Apart from, very obviously, any and all political carve ups that SCSMBE got up to. By coincidence Castree was actually unwittingly protected by Cyril as he pushed for Kisko to swing.

If I am expected to leave this tale of Cyril visiting Paul at Nottingham University can we have a citation? Was this in fact just a larger than life Liberal politician visiting a tiny handful of a Student Liberal Club of the day?

Always hilarious those pictures of "crowds" of Lib Dem students gathered to hear whichever muppet MP they have visiting. Rather like Cyril's funeral it's a case of camera angles to make the whole place look full .. with two students.

Doesn't Lord Steel or Lord Alton or one of those other twisting wretches tell the tale of sending out for extra chairs and so on and then being able to say "we had to send out for extra chairs" even though virtually no one came along?

Alton famously carried a stunt mattress around Liverpool with him so he could clear it over and over again from alley ways and streets kept scrupulously clean by the Town Hall of the time. Didn't he? They're full of this nonsense.

In terms of the M1 my understanding is that Sir Cyril liked to let the train take the strain, generally used up two seats, often struck up revealing conversations with fellow passengers and attentive railway staff, e.g. "hello I'm the charismatic bingo, springs, property and asbestos millionaire Cyril Smith, from Rochdale, can I have extra chips with that cheese and onion pie my dear, it's on account of my childhood necritis you know, always so very hungry, blood in my pee, and make that six sugars in my tea".

Of course he just couldn't fit into most automobiles or indeed lifts as he was such a hulking mass of immorality and dark vileness. The M1 line is probably therefore a red herring.

Rochdale Online Observer said...

Methinks the Nottingham University stuff is from PR himself - will dust the old Ob's from around about the time of Cyril's 80th.

In the 1970s Cyril had a silver Mercedes with strengthened seat. He also refused to wear a seat belt (health & safety nonsense).

He also had a specially made chair.
Check ITN Source for the TV report.

Chris Paul said...

Was Cyril a driver himself? Or did he have a driver when he had this armoured car?

Funnily enough when we were first doing City Life and using printers and typesetters in the likes of Blackburn and Preston one of the other founders had an old C reg Volkswagon Beetle. Who knows what happened when he was on his own in it but any passenger was tasked with making sure the battery did not succeed in escaping through the floor - strengthened only with scraps of plywood - onto the road.

Similar scenario with the fat crook no doubt.

Rochdale Rapper said...

In Cyril's ghostwritten (auto)biog there is mention of gormless Norm being employed by Cyril as a driver when Smiths Springs Ltd was started with the intrepid tweedle duo working as travelling salesmen.
Suppose it made a change from Norman getting a cushy Senior Ambulanceman job with Rodney Stott.

Perhaps the film "Oh Lucky Man" was based on some of the travelling salesman antics? I doubt it. All that talk of freemasonry and funny goings on couldn't possibly have happened back then.

Chris Davies has a funny tale about being in a car with Cyril, Gormless Norm and Rodney Stott. He must have felt like wafer thin ham.

Still, could have been worse - Chris D. MEP could have been in a Cheech and Chong road movie.

Does life imitate art? Get Carter? The Long Good Friday? Our Friends in the North? Red Riding?

Rochdale Online Observer said...

A Rochdale Online forum member called Ray has just posted the following:
(Oh the irony of his tag line about forgetting history and making the same mistakes again...)



Posted - 17/09/2010 : 14:14:26 Show Profile Reply with Quote Trev -. I worked in Cambridge House and did know something regarding the 'problem' ( I refer to it in my writings). All I am prepared to say is that these 'occurances' were very low key (by what might be described as 'abuse') and although unacceptable didn't (in my opinion) come under what most would consider to be of a predatory nature or in a class that might be considered as paedophilic.

I have previously given my comments on the man and still consider the good in him far outweighed any bad. I knew him from 1950 onwards, my mother from school in the thirties and onwards. I liked him then and - regrdless of some of his strange predilictions - I consider him one of the good guys. There are far, far worse out there. Ray. And it would have be more sensible had this line of 'postings' been given a miss this time.

Fair fortune. Who luv's yer baby? A nation that forgets its history is condemned to repeat the same mistakes.

Edited by - ray on 17/09/2010 14:15:28

Rochdale Observer Online said...

In an "Exclusive" Norman Smith has just called Private Eye "cowards" and claims to the Rochdale Obscurer that Cyril didn't sue in 1979 because his barrister told them it would be a waste of time becasue the mag had no money.

Cowards?

Who? Brave victims speaking up about abuse?

Cowards?
Bullying local politicians who were able to pull in a few favours and make the allegations go away?

Has Norman's clumsy defence lifted the can for the worms to finally turn?

Chris Paul said...

So, the first part of this comes from someone called Trev? In effect family friends or son of school friends?

To be brutally frank the fact that this Trev - a former Cambridge House worker who was aware of but more or less blind eyed this problem - and his mum say they don't know anything particularly bad about Cyril is non-information. The police got a considerable number of witnesses to report assaults and abuses of power and a sort of inveiglement/duress to submit to these "strange predilictions" and RAP had seven sworn case histories.

There's no kicking this into the long grass by way of unknown people making uncheckable statements giving a dead monster man the benefit of the doubt.

What we know through the various publications is that whatever it was that Cyril did to the perpetrator who went on to name him as his own abuser was sufficient to provide a context for who knows how many abuses.

We also know that there have been HUGE cover ups in other cases to which Cyril is regretably also strongly linked. And we also know that these problems travel like wildfire down generations, multiplying geometrically nay logarithmically.

X abuses 5 children; three of them follow suit, two each abusing 20 children, the other 50 including two murders. We're into 95 victims, two dead from one original perpetrator in the space of only a few short years.

Who can fail to shudder when the passing reference to Cyril the school founder turns out to refer to one of the darkest stories of co-abuse, child-abuse, stranger-abuse, trust-abuse, prostitution and exploitation of minors with special needs, etc, AND lest we forget a very mysterious case of extraordinary long term gardening leave?

I don't really care whether Cyril Smith once leant a man his train fare or joshed with the old folk on the front in Blackpool or sponsored who cares how many boxing matches and school choirs.

Cyril failed to be accountable, his party have forgiven him everything, he has achieved almost nothing of any real positive legacy whatsoever. He made Rochdale into a stereotype for stupid, fat, cheeky Rochdale tub of lard cartoon Northern-ness and corrupt pork barrel and many say brown envelope politics. What's more he failed to protect on asbestos and pushed for the wrong man to dangle on the Saddleworth child sex murder.

People like this Trev were in on at least a small glimpse of this dirty secret. Feeling guilty they talk it down. Like Lord Steel did when Cyril's bollock grabbing and bare handed arse whacking with blackmail came to his attention.

There is much much more to come out on this theme and many others.

There should not be a statue of Cyril in Rochdale. He was foul. He was crooked. He was incredibly fortunate to have hushed up the worst of this and had the career and the considerable financial fortune he has had. Foul, crooked, fortunate to have gotten away with it all.

Chris Paul said...

Norman may have made a big mistake I agree Rochdale Online Observer. Here's the comment I've drafted. Should I send it in or not? Would they publish it?

>>

Can't see how this can be termed cowardly. Those that have known these facts and not printed them when it might have counted more are the cowardly ones. Smith's party colleagues who helped him maintain his position, they are the cowardly ones. Those who put out that he had turned down the House of Lords when in fact he was lucky to get a knighthood, these are the cowardly ones.

There was a police investigation which according to the original stories arose because one of the victims of these beatings was caught abusing a further generation of children. The man in question broke down and asked police why he should be so brutally interviewed and get in such trouble when Cyril Smith had abused him and got away with it. Hence the extensive police investigation and hence local journalists getting sworn witness statements from seven victims. All hushed up at the highest level. Not once but twice. Cyril Smith should never have been an MP. He was a tricky and venal individual with a criminal record for cheating the gaming and lottery act and all kinds of weird and wonderful business shenanigans. He was no Liberal. Far from it. His harrying of the court and all probably contributed in a very bad way to the Stephan Kisko miscarriage of justice. His appalling behaviour reading the weasel words of global Asbestos interests who were secretly and slowly killing his townsfolk and the consumers too in the House of Commons - and Cyril being a shareholder to boot - is absolutely horrendous. He spent little time in Westminster for much of his 20 years. He was just a bunch of gimmicks and no substance and the copious obituaries that mark his passing fail to record any real achievement for the Town. What's this? Founding a school? Sadly this turns out to be one of the worst establishments in the history of education. Oh yeah; he also made Rochdale into a household name synonymous with an extraordinarily gargantuan fool, mugging around being a stereotypical "no nonsense Northerner". Norman Smith may have just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life drawing attention to a third of a page story in a still moderately obscure satirical publication.

<<

Do you think they'll print it?

Anonymous said...

Chris it has to be worth a try - The Observer have published a story today in which Norman calls people Cowards. It is only fair that the public is given an opportunity to respond or would that be restricting free of speech and unfair reporting?

Truthwillout said...

The Observer also only reports half of David Steels quote about the original Private Eye story 'not a very friendly gesture'.

Now that is poor selective journalism

Chris Paul said...

Yes, I have pointed that out in my submitted comment which now forms the last update of the post.

Tomorrow I plan to post the entire Rochdale Alternative Paper stories as they appeared, back in the dark days when the Cyrilspankosaurus ruled the earth.

Chris Paul said...

PS I also have a number of developments on the MPACUK leaflet question to report. In short MPACUK admit that their centre didn't have much control of the volunteers working in their name or of the leaflets printed with their backing - they say by RMA or ARM (A association, R rochdale, M muslim; perm ad lib). RMA/ARM hotheads had a close relationship with Rochdale Lib Dems at that time though MPACUK say they do and did not and give good reasons for that position. MPACUK say the leaflets were printed at an "independent printer". MPACUK also say their people would not have participated in chanting abuse against Lorna Fitzsimons. And they name two individuals from their team who were regularly involved in the 2005 campaign. The Woolas people raised the MPACUK leaflet yesterday in the saddleworth court.

More anon.

Anonymous said...

The Rochdale Observer "exclusive" appear to be very biased with very selective quotes and an oppotunity for a defence of Smith that went completely unchallenged in the article.

What chance would any victim of Smith's past sexual abuse have if they contacted the Rochdale Observer? Did the same happen in 1979 when the Ob refused to make any mention whatsoever of the allegations.

The aggression and goading by the Smith family by refering to Private Eye as cowards was more for loca consumption. The message seems clear - keep your mouth shut.

Any of Cyril's victims would have a clear case for the Press Complaints Commission.

Trinity Mirror Group should also be informed. The long history of cover up and shameless defence of Cyril Smith in the Rochdale Observer has gone on for far too long.

Chris Paul said...

Absolutely correct Anonymous 08:16.

On the slight credit side the Rochdale Observer did put the accusations to Norman Smith, and they did get some careless and stupid answers from him that will do him no good in the long run.

The allegations were not disproven or thrown out. There was a cover up. the guilty man Sir Cyril Smith MBE appears to have ridden on the coat tails of others involved in Ireland and elsewhere who had been victim of a conspiracy of smear.

Difference being .. Sir Cyril Smith MBE was a dirty old bastard and guilty as hell. A sex smacker, a justice miscarrier, a hanger and flogger, a mouthpiece of big asbestos and, close scrutiny of Hansard and council minutes may eventually give up, who knows what other people who asked for his help as Turner Brothers did?

Clockwork Orange .. Horror Show.

Rawhide said...

Rochdale Observer refused to publish web comments I left on thir news site last night.

I have just posted the following...
(Let's see if the Editor of the Rochdale Observer responds)


"My post from last night has still not been published on this page.
It was respectful and carefully drafted based entirely on the published information from RAP and Private Eye referred to in the above article.

"Please could the editor comment on why it has not been published?"

Rawhide said...

Have also just submitted the following comments on another article in the Rochdale Observer.

Here is the link to the original note made by the Editor to the comments left by "Rochdale born., Witheld"

http://menmedia.co.uk/rochdaleobserver/news/politics/s/1315977_obituary_sir_cyril_smith_played_larger_than_life_role_in_british_politics#comments



From Rawhide:

Dear Editor, the article you mention in your note was a complete rebuttal of the New Statesman article allowing Sir Cyril to comment freely without the Rochdale Observer article actually referring to the orginal TBA documents.
This method of reporting inconvenient investigations has just happened again regarding this week's Private Eye article referring to published abuse allegations at Cambridge House and Knowl View School.

Rebuttal articles that don't properly report past published allegations but allow for unsubstantied comments without the opportunity of context or balance ins't fair or accurate journalism.

Neither is the apparent selective refusal to publish awkward but factually substantiated comments that are made in good faith and follow the terms and conditions of Trinity Mirror Group.

Chris Paul said...

I've posted or rather submitted this:

I am at a loss to understand why anyone and everyone - at least most everyone - is buying into this myth of "everything Cyril did for the town". What did Cyril actually do? He founded a school that turned out to be one of the worst imaginable and very short lived. He acted as a PR man for Turner Brother Asbestos even letting them write his speech which he admitted he used because he personally didn't have a clue about the dangers. The speech urged a brake on health and safety measures to save lives. He was a very right wing "hang em and flog em" merchant. With this attitude and much grandstanding contributing I think to the Stefan Kisko miscarriage of justice. Not at all "liberal". Not much to show for Cyril's tenure apart from a seaside postcard type stereotype of Northern banter than has probably held the town back for decades. Rochdale was far better off associated with Gracie Fields and the Rochdale Pioneers. Cyril was actually a pretty appalling parliamentarian and spent little time in Westminster speaking up or getting things done. This cult of Cyril is woefully dishonest and undermining to the town.

Rawhide said...

Chris, your later comments are now published but my earlier ones haven't been.

How odd?


Perhaps the Editor will email me. he has my contact details...

Rawhide said...

In fairness to M.E.N. I received an emailfrom them explaining they were considering the legal implications of my post (rule of repetition etc). After deliberation they decided to publish them.

Unfortunately their system "wiped" my old comments.

Also to be fair to M.E.N there seems to be difficulty actually posting comments. Posts seem to go into en electrinic limbo with the "refresh icon" thingy continously spinning.

Here is what I've posted in response to "Harry'smate". Don't know if it will ever make the M.E.N. website for whatever reasons:



Harry'smate you've hit the nail right on the head when you suggested one of two safe things to assume: “...(1) There was insufficient evidence to bring a prosecution under the relevant legislation and/or (2) It was not in the public interest to pursue a prosecution.”

Could it have been in the 'public interest' not to prosecute a very prominent town politican - long standing Councillor, Alderman then MP regarding institutions that were funded by prominent local businesspeople (Cambridge House) or local councils (Knowl View School)? Why? If so the offcial papertrail should be made available. Don't citizens have a right to know how important decisions are made on our behalf "in the public interest"?

Past criminal over ups have used the public interest test. Thank goodness such past unaccountable decisions have been challenged rather than "keep things as they are" or "let sleeping dogs lie". If not, huge miscarriages of justice such as the Birmingham Six or Rochdale's poor Stefan Kiszko would have died in jail.

Harry'smate, you have made the huge assumption that all "victims" (your choice of patronising quote marks) are either dead or that their testimony of alleged crimes decades ago can't be relied upon. Such a rationale must be a huge relief to some old priests or suspected war criminals.

Did the 'public interest' test also apply to Knowl View school. There are many who attended that hellhole who are still alive and have very vivid memories. Why the 100 year document lock down?

Louise Baldock said...

I am very proud of you for covering stuff like this, you are much braver than me. Keep up the good work comrade