Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Rowen, Knob of Butter MP: Bullies Obbie Into Redaction




Joke doing the rounds in ever decreasing Rochdale circles:

Q. So, what is the difference between PR Paul Rowen MP and a 40p Banana?
A. One is Yellow and Crooked, the other is just a Banana.


This is appalling of course. But hey ho. I've cleaned it up. And you have to take every little scrap of relief you can get in benighted (and be-knighted) slap down Lib Dem Sir Smith Rochdale.

We're not sure what it could be in this tepid Rochdale Observer (ex-) news item (also above as it now appears) that could be either wrong or more to the point both wrong and actionable. But like the Parliamentary Fees Office the GMG paper has adopted their best forelock tugging deference and redacted the whole blooming lot.

Their mistake is not moving on from the snacks and morsels to the meat of the story, when it comes to PR Paul Rowen MP and his lager louts. Only time will tell whether it's all within the whacko rules, or not, but PR Paul Rowen's arrangements certainly have a whiff of the sewer of sleazishness about them:

  • Office rented from Lib Dem Party and/or Lib Dem flavoured Company, most of the rent recycled one way or t'other to the political party;

  • Extraordinarily over-priced little adverts on party propaganda, meaning the tax-payer pays for Lib Dem fibs and distortions;

  • Tax-payer funded advertising at various sports grounds, with PR Paul Rowen MP having let it be thought that he'd paid from his own pocket;

  • An unaccountable "Printing Society", also taking in dirty laundry;

  • An industrial specification envelope stuffer;

  • Agents, as they call themselves, instead of Caseworkers;

  • Web Design contract given without any pretence of tenderising to a local media outlet that is almost always nice to PR Paul and horrid to his rivals;

  • FOOTNOTE: then there's all the snacks, morsels and beverages. Even the 40p banana. The fact Rowen's flat cost twice that of his chum John "Bull" Leech MP. A few hard to explain payments here and there.


  • PR Paul Rowen MP is making a big mistake in being so, ahem, heavy handed with the local media. Just like Sir Cyril Smith MBE. Though, in public certainly, Cyril never did turn his horny size 12 hands unto the Obbie, did he?

    And the Rochdale Observer would appear to have unnecessarily backed down to the bullying nonentity and basically lightweight MP PR Paul Rowen, at least momentarily, and they too could well pay for their redactions.

    The people of Rochdale are furious at PR Paul Rowen MP and his million pound, and counting, spending spree.

    The people of Rochdale are furious at the "redactions" in the official papers. They quite reasonably want the whole story.

    And now the people of Rochdale have every reason to fear that their local paper won't even stick to their guns in reporting even those heavily edited expenses.

    Perhaps the Rochdale Observer are worried about losing the Rochdale MBC advertising? They shouldn't. How would it look if XYZ Lib Dem council withdrew adverts because the local paper would not hide the dodgy stuff in an MP's allowances claims?

    Whatever the GMG thinking, it's not looking very good to this blogger.

    9 comments:

    Get Real said...

    This could end up being a phyric victory that Mr Rowen won't be able to claim on expenses at a later date.


    This could come back to bite Rochdale's current MP on the arse. New editors have long memories. No amount of cold wet sponges off Cyril, late at night, could take the sting of this humiliation away.

    Paul Rowen is not the 'fackin daddy' no matter how much weight he puts behind his scummy complaints.

    Chris Paul said...

    Rowen is toast. The Lib Dems will surely de-select him. Replace him with a millionaire crimper perhaps or a noble Etonian or a fallover ex-Tory hooligan. "Anyone but Rowen" will be the cry. And then from the electorate "Anyone but Lib Dems". At least he'll have a knob of butter to spread on his toast. That's something.

    Getting a page taken down from a website is neither here nor there in terms of redacting the info. the copies of the paper in the chippies and the recycling bins and so have done their work.

    But as the story was so mild, compared to the underlying problems Rowen faces, he's made a huge mistake on this. Huge. Like Cyril's hands. Huge.

    If Cyril'd warmed them before applying them to the poor apprentice boy's scrotum he might have maintained his reputation. Perhaps that poor apprentice boy would not have become a sex offender if Cyril had been more considerate? Allegedly.

    Where do Rochdale Lib Dems get these unworthy, sleazy people from?

    Anonymous said...

    This is remarkably similar to what I have found in Bristol - watch this space

    Chris Paul said...

    Watching. But those nasty Lib Dems in Bristol - my dad's home town, and my home town for quite a while also - didn't do all the arse smacking and bollock grabbing stuff of which Sir Cyril Smith was accused and basically did not deny?

    Though I would predict that a Bristol Lib Dem MP would:

    - Send tithe to the regional party
    - Have an unaccountable printing society and strange equipment sharing nonsense
    - Have 24/7 agents not workers
    - Take expensive adverts in focus
    - Have contrived rents and/or contracts with their party and/or mates
    - Provide a knob of butter or banana or sanitary towel or lippy moment
    - Be a jackass when it comes to TUFs and students and everything

    Anonymous said...

    So I ask again are you willing to bet good money that Labour will regain Rochdale?

    Chris Paul said...

    On the merits of the incumbent candidate and his behaviour he MUST lose. This gagging the press gimmick is back firing. Only early de-selection can prevent PR Paul Rowen MP's heavy defeat at the ballot box.

    Even Sir Cyril thinks he's bringing shame on the party. Imagine that!

    Could Rochdale go Tory? I'm doubting that. Green? Not a chance. So it has to be Labour doesn't it?

    As to making bets with corrupt, cheating, lying, McBridivist, drunken, addled, anonymous, smear merchant bully boys who don't pay when they lose? You can GTF mate!

    Take your money down to Fred Done and put it where your mouth is. Send me a scan of the betting slip and I'll print it. If you have the balls to actually make the bet. And not using taxpayers money mind.

    What's that? The only money you have is taxpayers money? Ah well.

    Meanwhile that fool Elwyn is putting himself up for MP but hasn't managed double figures on committee meetings attended. The Lib Dems of Rochdale must surely be the weakest and most venal and stupid of the whole tribe. And that's really saying something.

    Anonymous said...

    No doubt any talks with the Rochdale Observer will be described as "Fruitful."

    I should charge LOL for my gags.

    Chris Paul said...

    Usual fee ...

    "Fruitful" or "Fruity" or "Greasy" or "Buttery" or "Beveraged"

    Rowen has put up a whining self justification and various spurious comparisons on his "Putting Rowen First" website. Created by Rochdale Online - an apparently very biased local media company - and paid for by we the taxpayer.

    I've just put in a comment :

    What a pompous, self serving git you are sir. Justify all the money finding its way into party political coffers via rent and adverts and indeed the ridiculous decision to give local media Rochdale Online cash to develop this website. It's hard to see any mistakes in the Obbie coverage. Perhaps you could explain what's "inaccurate, misleading and damaging" about what they've printed?

    "Once approved" this "will appear on the site" I'm told. Baited breath.

    Anonymous said...

    Rowen didn't buy the Bugger King meal- A man of his stature wouldn't have ordered small fries.