tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post2263577928502516578..comments2024-01-11T10:25:57.007+00:00Comments on Labour of Gove: Sir Cyril Smith MBE: Larger Than Life Send Off from Great HallChris Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-74944918793602960652010-09-27T18:42:50.105+01:002010-09-27T18:42:50.105+01:00I am very proud of you for covering stuff like thi...I am very proud of you for covering stuff like this, you are much braver than me. Keep up the good work comradeLouise Baldockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08430662342062143143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-26716248970881000462010-09-22T08:33:39.236+01:002010-09-22T08:33:39.236+01:00In fairness to M.E.N. I received an emailfrom them...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.<br /><br />Unfortunately their system "wiped" my old comments.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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:<br /><br /><br /><br />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.”<br /><br />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"? <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?Rawhidenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-11145528780221131882010-09-21T12:00:57.553+01:002010-09-21T12:00:57.553+01:00Chris, your later comments are now published but m...Chris, your later comments are now published but my earlier ones haven't been.<br /><br />How odd?<br /><br /> <br />Perhaps the Editor will email me. he has my contact details...Rawhidehttp://menmedia.co.uk/rochdaleobserver/news/politics/s/1315977_obituary_sir_cyril_smith_played_larger_than_life_role_in_british_politics#commentsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-72578737680634570922010-09-21T11:43:12.625+01:002010-09-21T11:43:12.625+01:00I've posted or rather submitted this:
I am at...I've posted or rather submitted this:<br /><br /><i>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.</i>Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-68855573594631136522010-09-21T11:12:02.204+01:002010-09-21T11:12:02.204+01:00Have also just submitted the following comments on...Have also just submitted the following comments on another article in the Rochdale Observer.<br /><br />Here is the link to the original note made by the Editor to the comments left by "Rochdale born., Witheld"<br /><br />http://menmedia.co.uk/rochdaleobserver/news/politics/s/1315977_obituary_sir_cyril_smith_played_larger_than_life_role_in_british_politics#comments <br /><br /><br /><br />From Rawhide:<br /><br />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.<br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Rawhidehttp://menmedia.co.uk/rochdaleobserver/news/politics/s/1315977_obituary_sir_cyril_smith_played_larger_than_life_role_in_british_politics#commentsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-16426898529279079952010-09-21T10:54:52.689+01:002010-09-21T10:54:52.689+01:00Rochdale Observer refused to publish web comments ...Rochdale Observer refused to publish web comments I left on thir news site last night.<br /><br />I have just posted the following...<br />(Let's see if the Editor of the Rochdale Observer responds)<br /><br /><br />"My post from last night has still not been published on this page. <br />It was respectful and carefully drafted based entirely on the published information from RAP and Private Eye referred to in the above article. <br /><br />"Please could the editor comment on why it has not been published?"Rawhidehttp://menmedia.co.uk/rochdaleobserver/news/s/1328218_cyrils_family_in_fury_at_cowardly_articlenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-4952398664366413542010-09-18T10:25:40.522+01:002010-09-18T10:25:40.522+01:00Absolutely correct Anonymous 08:16.
On the slight...Absolutely correct Anonymous 08:16.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />Clockwork Orange .. Horror Show.Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-23786591879480669082010-09-18T08:16:59.174+01:002010-09-18T08:16:59.174+01:00The Rochdale Observer "exclusive" appear...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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />Any of Cyril's victims would have a clear case for the Press Complaints Commission. <br /><br />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.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-48961952974371101862010-09-18T00:27:58.934+01:002010-09-18T00:27:58.934+01:00PS I also have a number of developments on the MP...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.<br /><br />More anon.Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-41069779113818216052010-09-18T00:08:58.895+01:002010-09-18T00:08:58.895+01:00Yes, I have pointed that out in my submitted comme...Yes, I have pointed that out in my submitted comment which now forms the last update of the post.<br /><br />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 Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-13091554820372687572010-09-17T22:22:44.976+01:002010-09-17T22:22:44.976+01:00The Observer also only reports half of David Steel...The Observer also only reports half of David Steels quote about the original Private Eye story 'not a very friendly gesture'.<br /><br />Now that is poor selective journalismTruthwilloutnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-82095962476499993872010-09-17T16:49:52.994+01:002010-09-17T16:49:52.994+01:00Chris it has to be worth a try - The Observer have...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?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-83061237059163246212010-09-17T16:26:05.651+01:002010-09-17T16:26:05.651+01:00Norman may have made a big mistake I agree Rochdal...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?<br /><br />>><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br /><<<br /><br />Do you think they'll print it?Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-44340366122886302802010-09-17T15:45:25.114+01:002010-09-17T15:45:25.114+01:00So, the first part of this comes from someone call...So, the first part of this comes from someone called Trev? In effect family friends or son of school friends?<br /><br />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 <i>particularly</i> 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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />There is much much more to come out on this theme and many others.<br /><br />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 Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-49540770003075700992010-09-17T15:34:23.954+01:002010-09-17T15:34:23.954+01:00In an "Exclusive" Norman Smith has just ...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.<br /><br />Cowards?<br /><br />Who? Brave victims speaking up about abuse?<br /><br />Cowards?<br />Bullying local politicians who were able to pull in a few favours and make the allegations go away?<br /><br />Has Norman's clumsy defence lifted the can for the worms to finally turn?Rochdale Observer Onlinehttp://menmedia.co.uk/rochdaleobserver/news/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-82348115874564608962010-09-17T14:46:19.953+01:002010-09-17T14:46:19.953+01:00A Rochdale Online forum member called Ray has just...A Rochdale Online forum member called Ray has just posted the following:<br />(Oh the irony of his tag line about forgetting history and making the same mistakes again...)<br /><br /><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Fair fortune. Who luv's yer baby? A nation that forgets its history is condemned to repeat the same mistakes.<br /><br />Edited by - ray on 17/09/2010 14:15:28Rochdale Online Observerhttp://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-41514249433258435952010-09-17T13:16:58.690+01:002010-09-17T13:16:58.690+01:00In Cyril's ghostwritten (auto)biog there is me...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.<br />Suppose it made a change from Norman getting a cushy Senior Ambulanceman job with Rodney Stott. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />Still, could have been worse - Chris D. MEP could have been in a Cheech and Chong road movie. <br /><br />Does life imitate art? Get Carter? The Long Good Friday? Our Friends in the North? Red Riding?Rochdale Rappernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-81665489574763285392010-09-17T12:19:19.860+01:002010-09-17T12:19:19.860+01:00Was Cyril a driver himself? Or did he have a drive...Was Cyril a driver himself? Or did he have a driver when he had this armoured car?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Similar scenario with the fat crook no doubt.Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-8532213394585693592010-09-17T11:46:11.186+01:002010-09-17T11:46:11.186+01:00Methinks the Nottingham University stuff is from P...Methinks the Nottingham University stuff is from PR himself - will dust the old Ob's from around about the time of Cyril's 80th. <br /><br />In the 1970s Cyril had a silver Mercedes with strengthened seat. He also refused to wear a seat belt (health & safety nonsense).<br /><br />He also had a specially made chair.<br />Check ITN Source for the TV report.Rochdale Online Observerhttp://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-85002417124374332342010-09-17T11:03:18.692+01:002010-09-17T11:03:18.692+01:00There is a very strong case for deleting comments ...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.<br /><br />Please cut it out.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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". <br /><br />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.Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-11307304374446318112010-09-17T10:34:05.390+01:002010-09-17T10:34:05.390+01:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Get Realnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-50903732723115269782010-09-17T09:10:28.102+01:002010-09-17T09:10:28.102+01:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Rochdale Online Observerhttp://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-10085205050486589562010-09-17T08:04:34.113+01:002010-09-17T08:04:34.113+01:00Well ROO, may I call you ROO?, you're being a ...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.<br /><br />Wasn't it New Order who sang of such things at the birth of their own new order? Touched by the Hand of God.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />Phew, long sentence.<br /><br />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 <i>was</i> blessed by the venerable Smith and he has a picture to prove that.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-74943532756908192992010-09-16T22:46:44.107+01:002010-09-16T22:46:44.107+01:00Classic quote from the Chief Executive of the Rama...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 ...<br /><br />"...we have all been touched by Cyril... <br /><br />Really? <br /><br />That is a really serious allegation - a media moggul and Rochdale's former MP both "touched by Cyril".Rochdale Online Observerhttp://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=12614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38067964.post-40422916432600047072010-09-16T18:16:16.825+01:002010-09-16T18:16:16.825+01:00Thanks Tim, that's a good point. All are guilt...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.<br /><br />For the record:<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />Always a ducker and diver with a smarmy patter and prepared to flex the rules to get things done was our Cyril.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Smith" rel="nofollow">Smith's wiki</a> is currently in fairly good shape in reflecting these revelations and re-revelations.Chris Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15679067503215414300noreply@blogger.com