tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post6777292752291011708..comments2024-01-11T10:25:57.007+00:00Comments on Labour of Gove: Oldham East and Saddleworth: Debbie Abrahams is Labour PPCChris Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-6251876054544277552010-12-21T20:34:53.664+00:002010-12-21T20:34:53.664+00:00His attendance was abyssmal.
But he did take the ...His attendance was abyssmal.<br /><br />But he did take the allowances.<br /><br />Some of which he gave to his party under their tithe system.<br /><br />But which they have not declared since December 2004.<br /><br />At which point they declared £24,000 at one go.<br /><br />Since which time they've - until recently - had more councillors and must have been churning a fortune in taxpayers money into political sponney.<br /><br />Legal of course. Apart from the not declaring.<br /><br />Some say this creatures use printing societies to avoid declaring gifts.<br /><br />Which if true would show what a shower they are; on the run from the transparency and honesty they claim to crave.<br /><br />I did work out the attendance rate and the donations at one point. But to be honest, like Elwyn, I can't be arsed to look those up at the moment.<br /><br />Too much of a faff.Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-90112842764535106242010-12-21T20:21:33.750+00:002010-12-21T20:21:33.750+00:00What was Elwyn Watkins's attendance rate whils...What was Elwyn Watkins's attendance rate whilst representing Healey ward as one of its councillors well before he was selected as PPC for OES?<br /><br />If he couldn't be bothered to attend Rochdale Town Hall meetings then why should Delph, Diggle and Dobcross expect anything more than false promises and wind?Derker Digglernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-35300455125428692972010-12-21T12:08:36.851+00:002010-12-21T12:08:36.851+00:00Agree entirely with this last comment.
The peopl...Agree entirely with this last comment. <br /><br />The people of Oldham East and Saddleworth face a choice inm all seriousness between three individuals and three political traditions.<br /><br />In alphabetical order:<br /><br />Debbie Abrahams - a life time of service to public services, hard work, contribution and ability shine through. A clean campaigner in Colne Valley;<br /><br />Kashif Ali - a respectable local solicitor who did well for the Tories and did not stoop to the shenanigans that have afflicted both Labour and Lib Dems in this sub region for decades;<br /><br />Elwyn Watkins - a man of mysterious employment who having had the chance to serve the people of Rochdale as a local councillor scarcely turned up, who lost by a far lower margin than he ought to have arguably *because* Woolas promoted him and because Mrs Duffy influenced Lib Dems to abandon Rowen who counted his chickens, and who is implicated in all the Rochdale Lib Dems chicanery and cowardice and maladministration.<br /><br />On the parties:<br /><br />Conservatives - cutting local and national services to ribbons on the back of a mythology about necessity which doesn't stand even the most basic inspection;<br /><br />Labour - all sorts of errors and achievements both behind them, not least a war many of us opposed, but also a pretty coherent response to world economic events which we are still benefitting from before the ConDem destruction takes hold and possibly takes us the way of Ireland;<br /><br />Lib Dems - see Tories above and add absolute betrayal of many of their key commitments and complete failures in local government too.<br /><br />The religious allegiance or culture, the gender, the sexuality, the race and ethnicity, the family life, the details of work done, the age and so on really should not be front and centre in this campaign as the anonymous muppets above would wish to see them.<br /><br />There are serious issues and, let's have it right, the MPACUK attack on Lorna went way way way beyond what was legal, decent and honest.<br /><br />She was a war supporter - sincere in her belief that this was the right thing to be doing - and a right winger in Labour terms in many regards, but the racism and personal abuse she received should be condemned by all parties without reservation. Lib Dems were very much associated with that however much deniability they like to build in now.<br /><br />MPACUK themselves have apologised. Will the Lib Dems who associated with them and even worse their extremist and irresponsible allies also apologise and cease and desist from the same whispering now?Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-50837794738968299042010-12-21T11:21:27.017+00:002010-12-21T11:21:27.017+00:00So there we have it. An election in the fringes of...So there we have it. An election in the fringes of old Lancashire mill towns and what is the blog noise about? Tuition fees? Scrapping winter fuel payments? Bankers' bonuses? The wholesale sellout of the Lib Dems in their "Lust for Life" as cabinet ministers? The facical way that cuts and redundancy in public sector services will grind Britian to a halt?<br /><br />Oh no. Just a big push to "get the muslim voters angry" with talk of Palestine and thrid party slurs about a woman with a jewish sounding name being a zionist. <br /><br />All this focus on the Holy Land is probably quite appropriate given there is a need for at least three wise men. But I don't think that Elwyn fits the bill, even with all his pontification and hot air.<br /><br />Time for a woman to get on with it and do the job as OES MP despite the tribal, sexist and religious bigotry.it takes a woman to do a man's worknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-68435566784375248602010-12-18T23:00:49.032+00:002010-12-18T23:00:49.032+00:00I don't think someone's ethnicity/race sho...I don't think someone's ethnicity/race should affect the outcome in any election however regarding Lorna Fitzsimmons and Rochdale 2005 - I can understand MPACUK's stance they took towards her. <br /><br />We forget the context the elction in 2005 was fought on...Iraq War, Israel and the treatment of Palestine etc and I guess it would cause bitterness to see fellow Muslims (the innocent civillians as opposed to Saddam Hussain) being killed by the West and Israel (let's be honest here, if it wasn't because Israel felt threatened by Saddam Hussain then the Iraq War will never have happened + oil too). And these events, whether people choose to accept or not did radicalise a whole swathe of the Muslim population in the UK and did make them more bitter towards the West and Israel. <br /><br />So it doesn't help that Lorna Fitzsommons, in a seat with a large Muslim population was Chair of Labour Friends of Israel (a country whose government is seen as being hostile to Muslims in states next to them and in Palestine), acted as the mouthpiece for the Israeli government in Parliament... and in fact she is now the Director of Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre. <br /><br />Did she support the concerns that the Muslims in her seat held about what was happening in Israel, Palestine, Iraq - probably NOT so why should they support her!! Perhaps the same goes for Phil Woolas, another Former Chair of Labour Friends of Israel.<br /><br />PS You should watch the CHannel 4 'Dispatches' episode about the Israel Lobby in the UK and the L Friends of Israel etc!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-43157184382374724652010-12-17T11:40:48.220+00:002010-12-17T11:40:48.220+00:00The reason that religious/ethnic affiliations matt...The reason that religious/ethnic affiliations matter is that we are all a composite of DNA and experience, with personal qualities and failings that derive from these. Voters know of the vibrant industry which seeks to influence us; by polishing here and rewriting there, replacing neutral descriptions with euphemisms and burying any association with negativity, and storing a whole bucketful of denials ready for any breaking news. It is better to let it all hang out than to be caught at the last moment having to explain.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-66023293036331761332010-12-17T11:09:39.669+00:002010-12-17T11:09:39.669+00:00Why should it matter what religion or tradition De...Why should it matter what religion or tradition Debbie Abrahams hails from?<br /><br />Unless bigots' votes matter more than ordinary decent citizens who judge people on their merits and not on tribal affiliations?<br /><br />Is that very issue what 'helped' the Lib Dems in Rochdale in 2005 and what Woolas' staff very crudely expressed in a stupid and crass email just before the last general election?<br /><br />Of course, Elwin Watkins, even as a very absentee Rochdale ward councillor (spending a lot of time for his mysterious Saudi Sheik boss) wouldn't be interested in pandering to MPACUK. But did he know some of the Rochdale movers and shakers within that rabid circle? There is bound to be a degree of deniability built in to how these things operate. <br /><br />Now if there was a clear link between Elwyn and Hanif and Dean for All then things would be very interesting... <br /><br />What happens to all than plausible deniability then?The Milkstone Sheiknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-13608200765546312132010-12-17T11:05:26.128+00:002010-12-17T11:05:26.128+00:00Ms Abrahams' cv indicates that she has spent h...Ms Abrahams' cv indicates that she has spent her entire "working life" as a conductress on the NGO/"academic"/government gravy train, wasting paper and fuel, and putting more gas into the atmosphere than a herd of Friesians. All her bread and butter, and blouses and tampax are contributions from the taxpayer.<br /><br />When oh when is the penny going to drop?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-74581881651835547912010-12-17T10:30:30.427+00:002010-12-17T10:30:30.427+00:00I think it would help voters and even possibly &qu...I think it would help voters and even possibly "opinion formers" if candidates were more forthcoming about their ethnic/religious affiliations. If Ms Abrabams is Jewish this should be made explicit rather than leaving it to innuendo.<br /><br />The attacks on Nick Griffin and David Irving speak of an underlying fear: a fear that they may be more popular than the author would wish, a fear that they may be more right than the author would wish, or simply a fear of inferiority on his part? I wonder what Freud would have made of it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-52274348537869089982010-12-16T12:24:26.566+00:002010-12-16T12:24:26.566+00:00The last donation registered by Rochdale Liberal D...The last donation registered by Rochdale Liberal Democrats from the Rochdale liberal democrat Council Group was on the 31/12/04 and totalled £ 24,266.00.<br /><br />Despite the Councillor tithe still being ongoing since that date, one does wonder why no further donations have been declared in the last 6 yearsTruthwilloutnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-48190224840380541362010-12-15T21:57:08.170+00:002010-12-15T21:57:08.170+00:00Well Derker Diggler, Elwyn was indeed elected to b...Well Derker Diggler, Elwyn was indeed elected to be a ward councillor in Rochdale but his attendance was appalling and his constituents were not happy. <br /><br />Also his financial arrangements - along with those of his accomplices in the Rochdale Lib Dem Party at large - ARE questionable, whatever this strange court may feel about them.<br /><br />Woolas simply concentrated on the wrong things. The incredible volume of leaflets to be exact.<br /><br />Watkins offered appalling value for money for his council allowances as he was like some absentee landlord, not putting in the time at the council-face.<br /><br />Woolas could and should have tackled him for that. No one likes a shirker do they?<br /><br />Watkins also we must assume contributed regularly alongside his accomplices in the sordid Lib Dem regime to their tithe system. 10% off back bench basic, 20% off special responsibility. <br /><br />Rochdale LDs have resigned the whip just to escape this, yet so far I've been unable to find these HUGE collective donations recognised in the reporting structures such as at the Electoral Commission.<br /><br />Woolas could have gone after him for that.<br /><br />Because of the huge tithes coming in - made public through resignation - there can be no doubt that Rochdale Lib Dems MUST be over the turnover threshold for submitting accounts to the EC. Perhaps two or more times over that. Watkins is clearly a part of this organisation and so collectively responsible for any dodgy acccountancy and lack of filing of these things.<br /><br />To be fair the last ones they did file, around the time of the 2005 election were hugely revealling over their little incestuous rent contrivance and also on their attitude to the payment of political operators.<br /><br />Woolas could have gone after him and them for that failure.<br /><br />There was of course that rather inconclusive business of the cash in hand payments - were they slave wages or generous expenses to volunteers? - but whatever the underlying facts and fugures there there was a pattern.<br /><br />Watkins lost at least one experienced worker - taken on by Rowen as it goes - after issues with payments.<br /><br />Woolas could have gone after that.<br /><br />Meanwhile .. Over at London Muslim some anonymous commenter - and this is a moderated stream - has been allowed to simply post:<br /><br />"she is a zionist"<br /><br />I would dearly love to identify the culprit for this, and I think the blogger LM is a fool to run it. I have asked them to share the IP as I'd like to check it against some of the anonymuppets flirting about in East Lancashire.<br /><br />It's <a href="http://londonmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/12/labour-stitch-up-as-debbie-abrahams.html" rel="nofollow">HERE</a>.Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-52980357563051383092010-12-15T08:20:26.780+00:002010-12-15T08:20:26.780+00:00Which chippy wraps their produce in Elwyn's CV...Which chippy wraps their produce in Elwyn's CV?<br /><br />I want to be able to read about his record on his past as an elected representative from him. <br /><br />Wasn't he a ward councillor in Rochdale?Derker Digglernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-6920985903950522542010-12-15T08:04:08.465+00:002010-12-15T08:04:08.465+00:00Anonymous 13:04. The correct link to the London Mu...Anonymous 13:04. The correct link to the London Muslim blog is <a href="http://londonmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/12/labour-stitch-up-as-debbie-abrahams.html" rel="nofollow">right here</a>. I have submitted a comment. Afzal accepts the short listing and selection, why can't they who have only second and third hand information, speculation and whining to go on? They should be ashamed of themselves making mulsims in general and Afzal in particular look like a bad loser. He is not. 60 candidates were put forward, at least 14 were selectable and were interviewed, but only one can win selection. Doh!<br /><br />There have been sour grapes elsewhere also. Grow up people.Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-43938815820806512642010-12-14T21:55:33.878+00:002010-12-14T21:55:33.878+00:00Good luck to the lass; she seems normal and stuff....Good luck to the lass; she seems normal and stuff. There seems to be the early bit missing off her CV as I used to work for the Yorky public health observatory and they're quite tough gigs to get.<br /><br /> Seriously though, good luck to her. My Labour oppo proper hated Woolarse for about 20 years and to say he laughed his head off would be an understatement - he bought all the drinks the night he was booted out!<br /><br /> I did a bit of work for Macca so Colne Valley was always gonna be difficult but she played fair. <br /><br /> No, good choice; is it a shoe-in? Yud kinda think so.Dick the Prickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02683095612320513712noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-21214526922369838912010-12-14T13:04:57.072+00:002010-12-14T13:04:57.072+00:00You're on to something here, Chris
http://lon...You're on to something here, Chris<br /><br />http://londonmuslims.blogspot.com/2010/12/labour-stitch-up-as-debbie-abrahams.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-76231290291907376882010-12-14T08:50:20.714+00:002010-12-14T08:50:20.714+00:00Elwyn's CV? anonymous 21.55. It's wrapping...Elwyn's CV? anonymous 21.55. It's wrapping chips??<br /><br />Radio Ga Ga .. behave.<br /><br />Anonymous 06:49: I do hope MPACUK and their local friends and the Lib Dems who associated with both keep that kind of ugly shit out of this campaign.<br /><br />Hometruths: If Hennigan gets involved this can only be helpful. Manchester lib Dems are beginning to go the way of Rochdale's. Five elected as LDs voted with Labour last Wednesday, three more abstained. This was on EMAs. One of each group already left LDs, one to Independent (Labour hearted0 the other to Conservatives (for whom he appears to be a disciplinary problem). Latter not directly down to Hennigan to be fair.<br /><br />But they're going feral. Thanks Dave matey. You utter fool!Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-11627195870841862482010-12-14T08:46:12.970+00:002010-12-14T08:46:12.970+00:00Then there are the dispossessed Rochdale Tanky mal...Then there are the dispossessed Rochdale Tanky malcontents that smear lies and inuendo about anyone who dares to challenge their warped views.<br /><br />Cross cross-dressing Jack Brassington is hard at it as "Diane Nutall" on Rowen Online. <br /><br />And in a late Saturday night forum posting 'choirboy' Dave Hennigan's past lambasts of Phil Woolas sound hollow when the former Rochdale Lib Dem agent continues his sad attempts to smear Rochdale's Labour MP with vague references to his private family life.<br /><br />Rochdale's own special coaliation of disgraced Lib Demmers and ousted Lambrini "socialists" - a bunch of sad no-marks who enjoy the fight and the booze rather than doing something positive for local people.Hometruthsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-1137203258911592192010-12-14T06:49:21.387+00:002010-12-14T06:49:21.387+00:00I wonder if MPACUK will attack Ms Abrahams in the ...I wonder if MPACUK will attack Ms Abrahams in the same way Lorna Fitzsimons was disgusting attacked in 2005 (which, by dint, helped get Paul Rowen in as Rochdale's MP)<br /><br />"Lorna is a f*ucking Jew" was one particularly strident line pushed by some ugly bigots in Rochdale back then. Rants about zionism abounded. The end of election night at Rochale Townhall in 2005 ended with the defeated Ms Fitzsimons requiring a police escort for her own safety from the count.<br /><br />I wish Ms Abrahams well and hope she is judged by her energy, talents and merits not because of her name, background or gender.<br /><br />Oh the irony.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-85139668760654221712010-12-12T22:33:50.364+00:002010-12-12T22:33:50.364+00:00This looks like what used to be called a "fac...This looks like what used to be called a "face made for radio."Radio Ga Ganoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-64259335619538953262010-12-12T21:55:37.582+00:002010-12-12T21:55:37.582+00:00Where's Elwyn's CV Chris?Where's Elwyn's CV Chris?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-29739761482368867922010-12-12T21:45:07.937+00:002010-12-12T21:45:07.937+00:00And your point is? Debbie is certainly firmly in t...And your point is? Debbie is certainly firmly in the keep public services public wing of the Labour party. This was/is also evident in the Comment is free link I posted. Which dated from 2007.<br /><br />A new generation indeed, and a complete breath of fresh air compared to that often rather right wing new labour warrior Mr P Woolas wouldn't you say?<br /><br />It is customary to cite your sources with links BHT. You make it appear that this resignation occurred a week ago. <br /><br />You should have a word with yourself trying to mislead people like that. Or join the Lib Dems ..!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=9144" rel="nofollow">Socialist Worker</a> from 1 July 2006.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.keepournhspublic.com/pdf/Patchworkprivatisation.pdf" rel="nofollow">PDF download: from keep our NHS public</a>. Also available <a href="http://www.unitetheunion.org/pdf/A4%20Privatisation%20Report%20(JN670)%20(3).pdf" rel="nofollow">from Unite</a>.<br /><br />We at LOL *like* this approach to public services. Although we are very much pro- Co-op we don't really like the Foundation Hospitals model as much as some in the movement and the Labour Party. And we think the idea of workers' co-ops in the NHS i.e. privatisation of delivery, now being touted by the Tories and Libdems is fundamentally wrong.<br /><br />Patients first. And prevention and public health over fire fighting when people get ill.Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-40937611785361875172010-12-12T21:13:01.667+00:002010-12-12T21:13:01.667+00:00From elsewhere in blogland i understand that ..
&...From elsewhere in blogland i understand that ..<br /><br />"The chair of a Greater Manchester primary care trust (PCT) resigned in protest at the government’s plans for the NHS last weekend.<br /><br />Debbie Abrahams, chair of Rochdale PCT, chose a 500-strong Keep a NHS Public rally in Manchester to announce her decision.<br /><br />She told the demonstrators, “During my period as chair of Rochdale PCT, I have seen a steady stream of national policies introduced – foundation trusts, choice, independent treatment centres and now commisioning a patient-led NHS – which threaten these values and the future of a NHS that is equitable and free at the point of need.”.benchilltorynoreply@blogger.com