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?

Freedom of Information: Tories Had Done Deal With Labour

Don't get me wrong. I shall enjoy any bounty from FOI requests on hypocritical MPs of all parties - calling for openness while secretly hoping, or indeed plotting to stymie this. Thanks to Sam Coates for this digging.

The secrets of John Leech, Paul Rowen and other "Freedom of Information champions" in the Liberal Democrats will be particularly interesting given their craven bleatings, the published accounts of their local party units, and their often strange arrangements.

But with or without the FOI exemption the new rules and the increased granularity of expenses accounting are a great leap forward. And although I may have to share some of my receipts with the taxman and/or VATman and my accountant I do not have to share these with the press and bloggers of the nation. Which makes the level playing field argument defunct doesn't it?

Here is the order paper for the non-debate on FOI showing the increased openness being brought forward by the government, lettering scheme as forwarded to me (see update):

Main Business

† 1 BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE [Until 6.00 pm]
Ms Harriet Harman

That, at this day’s sitting, the Speaker shall put the Questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on the Motions in the name of Ms Harriet Harman relating to Payments to hon. Members (Publication Scheme), Members’ Allowances (Green Book), Members’ Allowances (Audit and Assurance) and Committee on Members’ Allowances not later than 5 pm; in each case such Questions shall include the Questions on any Amendments selected by the Speaker which may then be moved; proceedings may continue, though opposed, after the moment of interruption; and Standing Order No. 41A (Deferred divisions) shall not apply.


† 2 PAYMENTS TO HON. MEMBERS (PUBLICATION SCHEME)
Ms Harriet Harman

(1)

(2) In addition, information relating to Members’ expenditure from the beginning of the current Parliament shall be published in relation to each financial year, to the extent that such information is separately identifiable, under the following categories:

(a) Administrative and Office Expenditure:

(i) accommodation costs for offices, surgeries, etc;

(ii) office equipment and supplies;

(iii) telephones and other telecommunications;

(iv) professional fees and charges;

(v) agency and other staff costs;

(vi) travel costs;

(vii) utilities;

(b) Personal Additional Accommodation Expenditure:

(i) mortgage interest;

(ii) rent;

(iii) hotel costs;

(iv) council tax;

(v) fixtures, fittings and furnishings;

(vi) subsistence;

(vii) other household costs, including service charges, utilities, telecommunications, maintenance and repairs;

(c) Communications Expenditure:

(i) websites;

(ii) reports and surveys;

(iii) delivery charges, postage and stationery;

(iv) advertising;

(v) equipment;

(d) Staffing Expenditure;

(e) Travel Expenditure in relation to travel by Members:

(i) car, including third party vehicle rental and mileage;

(ii) rail;

(iii) air;

(iv) other UK and European travel;

(f) Resettlement Grant;

(g) Winding-up Expenditure;

(3) The Committee on Members’ Allowances shall keep the categories listed in paragraph (2) above under review and may modify them from time to time as the committee may think necessary or desirable in the interests of clarity, consistency, accountability and effective administration, and conformity with current circumstances.

† 3 MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES (GREEN BOOK)
Ms Harriet Harman

That this House approves the Guide to Members’ Allowances (the Green Book), published as Annex 1 to the First Report of the House of Commons Members Estimate Committee (House of Commons Paper No. 142) and endorses the Principles set out in Part 1 of the Green Book as the basis for all claims made by Members;

That the rules set out in the Green Book shall govern all expenditure on Members’ allowances with respect to all claims for expenditure arising on or after 1 April 2009;

That the Members Estimate Committee shall carry out a review of the provisions of the resolutions of this House relating to such expenditure, make such modifications to them as are necessary to ensure that they are consistent with the provisions in the Green Book, and report to the House; and

That this House thanks Ms Kay Carberry CBE, nominated by the Trades Union Congress, and Mr Keith Bradford, nominated by the Confederation of British Industry, for having acted as the Speaker’s external appointees to the Advisory Panel on Members’ Allowances.

† 4 MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES (AUDIT AND ASSURANCE)
Ms Harriet Harman

That this House approves the arrangements for the audit and assurance of Members’ allowances set out in the report of the Members Estimate Audit Committee to the House of Commons Members Estimate Committee, published as Annex 3 to the First Report of the House of Commons Members Estimate Committee (House of Commons Paper No. 142).

UPDATE 11:33: I've relented and removed the repetition.

The Tales of Squirrel Nutkin: Lianne is Unfit for Council

Being involved in campaigning activity and high level discussions elsewhere in Withington constituency LOL were unable to personally cover the West Didsbury Residents Association hustings on Thursday night. But we did have a special correspondent present to listen in on the incumbent party's bizarre pick for candidate Lianne Williams. And naturally the other candidates also.

First things first. The evening's proceedings were ably stewarded by WDRA's own Ian Findlay with nothing but a flickers of subtle eyebrow work to greet the unfolding Lianne Williams' train crash. This election - rather like the last Chorlton fight - is hers to lose. Indeed with a cushion of around 600 instead of a nominal lead of about 40 and "the mo" even she will be hard pushed to throw this one away.

[aside]Whether the South Manchester Reporter's retelling of the Tale of Lianne Nutkin is honest and scathing or the usual sucking-up-to-Leech cover up will not matter. Most people won't get their paper until tea time on polling day, or indeed the day after polling. Was the hustings put on this date to achieve this very thing? And where were Channel M - our "community TV station"?[/aside]

But of that at least Lianne of all people is capable. Let's start with her tour de force over the Lib Dems' major campaign to Save Marie Louise Gardens which I may come back to anon. Asked about this she reverted to a five year old and gushed about squirrels, gush gush, squirrels, gush gush, squirrels, that she had seen there as a child. The images of reddy grey examples in this post, from LOL's own collection and shot in MLG, are a tribute to Lianne's squirrelly gushy inner child.

Earlier in the debate Li-anne's not-so-gushy outer child was particularly found out when she (a) answered first and couldn't say "me too" and (b) hadn't been given a crib sheet by her handlers.

Who could have anticipated candidates for council being asked whether as councillors they could actually achieve anything on behalf of their constituents?

That one comes right out of the blue, from left field, who would have thunk it? Lianne's conclusion? Nope. If elected councillor, Lianne muttered and stumbled her way to the conclusion that ... she'd be able to achieve nothing whatsoever. "The Party" would. And she works in John Leech MP's office (presumably getting paid by our money) and he was like a councillor for the whole area. He could get things done.

Labour Dave followed, demolishing this nonsense with the correct response. He would get things done. Working with local people. Working with local organisations like WDRA. Working with council officers, executive members, and the Labour group. Not standing on the sidelines and jeering like some Squirrel Nutkin*. Tory David Bean likewise was coherent, likeable, amusing even comedic - he's Mr Bean, why wouldn't he be? - and one hundred times better than Lianne.

And here's another one right out of left field. Given the credit crunch and the existing and accelerating closures of shops on one of the ward's main shopping centres Burton Road what could Lianne do about it?

I expect you can guess? "Oooh, we do have some nice shops on Burton Road. Really good shops. But, Oooh, let me see. Oooh, I don't know what we should do about it. I don't know. I really don't. Oooh, er, no, sorry I haven't a clue. We couldn't do anything."

Once again the two Dave's on stage right had useful, thoughtful, positive answers. And Greenie Geoff Evans, perhaps infected by the childish Lianne on stage left, or perhaps just a natural lightweight in his own right, had little to say.

Clearly Lianne can read answers prepared by others. Bit singalong naturally. But she can read alright. But has she an idea of her own? Nope. Can she think on her feet? Double nope. Is she suitable councillor material? Nope and Treble Nope.

Let's hope that the people of Didsbury West see through the deep-lying fog of Focus trash and realise that Lianne represents the Lib Dem tendancy for Stepford Councillors. Simply ciphers, photo opportunists - she points a good pothole does Lianne - and leaflet deliverers for uber-councillor John "Hospital Hoax" Leech.

* BEATRIX POTTER FOOTNOTE: Don't know your Squirrel Nutkin from your Samuel Whiskers? Spoiler alert. Both escaping great jeopardy. The Wiki for Nutkin is here and you can read the whole thing in facsimile thanks to the Gutenburg project right here. The Tale/Tail (geddit?) is very appropriate.

A wise old Owl (which might be the electorate of Didsbury West) eventually getting fed up with the teasing and taunting and useless malarkey of scrumping Squirrel Nutkin (the useless Lib Dems) sets out to skin him alive. Nutkin did of course escape - Beatrix Potter is not a death cultist - but he had lost most of his unbelievably bushy tale/tail.

Lost his seat you might say.

UPDATE 12:15: Mister Bean has reviewed too with engaging combination of fellow feeling and triumphalism, and also provided some retail therapy with bold claims of unique solutions.

Rochdale Lib Dems: 2nd Home Tramp Squatting in Office

For the duration of the last push of Transport Innovation Fund campaign LOL did not publish anything about the hysterically-bad-Rochdale Lib Dems. We even took down a goodly portion of our Rochdale archive to save upsetting the children as we pushed for a Tram for Wythenshawe, and the rest. This wasn't noticed or reciprocated by Dave Hennigan, full time politico, fully paid we understand by the tax payer.

We may come back to that. It is rare to see a man provide a running commentary by email to an increasing circle of observers as he loses his marbles with beer consumption. Rare indeed. We'll see. We also have some catching up to do as Rochdale Lib Dem perfidy and stupidity has not in fact ceased over the last two months.

Here's a start.


If you live in glass houses the general consensus is that you shouldn't throw stones. So why is Mr Dave Hennigan (above, once the LOL graphics department have sorted out the night vision photograph) using his generally red-faced and always hopeless little Frankenstein monster Paul Rowen MP to throw stones at the government? About secrecy over MPs expenses of all things?

Rochdale Alternative Website, a cowardly bunch of anonymites, have the story, like a little birthday present for LOL:

Rochdale Lib Dems in second home expenses scandal?

On the day the Paul Rowen MP hailed a Lib Dem victory in ensuring MP's expenses are made public, his troubled Agent David Hennigan has stumbled into controversy.

The clearly tired and emotional Spin Doctor was seen in Rochdale Town centre in the early hours of this morning. The dishevelled public figure smelt of intoxicants and staggered up Drake Street clutching a pizza whilst inpecting the failed regeneration project sites of the Rochdale Development Agency.

He was spotted entering the Rochdale Lib Dem offices at 1.30am. It appears he spent the night there. Was this on party business? If so how is Paul Rowen ensuring his staff abide by the Working Time Directive? After all, Mr Rowen is shadow, shadow DWP No.2.

Rumours persist that Mr Hennigan has slept in the Rochdale Lib Dem Drake Street offices on a number of occasions in similar circumstances.

It is understood Mr Hennigan left his marriage and Stockport home last year to spend more time with his politics. In doing so he decamped to a flat in Heywood. His landlord is Lib Dem Councillor Peter Rush. Dave publicly remarked that his move to Heywood would be a positive thing for the town. Despite his arrival the local economy has declined and several pubs have closed.

Mr Hennigan's nocturnal habits and sleeping arrangements pose a problem for his boss Paul Rowen MP. The politics of yob culture and binge drinking issues aside, his public stand on ensuring MP's expenses are fully accountable may backfire.

In the spirit of openness that Mr Rowen has nailed his colours to, will Rochdale's MP answer these simple questions?

-Is Dave Hennigan's salary paid for out of MP's expenses? If so, what pay scale is he on? How does this equate to other members of his staff?

-Is any of Adam Power's wage paid for by Parliamentary expenses?

-How much has the rent for the Lib Dem offices increased by? Has this increase been paid for out of Parliamentary expenses?

-If Mr Hennigan sleeps at the Drake Street offices, does this comply with planning conditions (for office use only) and Council Tax. And what about the smell for co-workers the morning after?

-If this Drake Street address is classed as a second Parliamentary home, will he disclose his John Lewis list?

-Does the Drake Street office have recycling bins to deal with domestic waste (cans, bottles, pizza boxes etc?

Rochdale Lib Dem Mohammed Shafiq, Cheif Executive of UK's leading Muslim youth organisation, the Ramadhan Foundation, was unavailable for comment.

Panorama have been informed.

If I were Paul Rowen, Dave Hennigan and secret helper/intern/non-employee/liar Adam Power I'd be standing by my beds for some FOI enquiries over expenses and the like.

The Graveyard Shift: St Helens Lib Dems in Facebook Row

St Helens Lib Dem in networking website row (Liverpool Echo)

Jan 22 2009 Marc Waddington

A LIB DEM councillor is accused of using an internet networking site to make political capital out of the deaths of two rival Labour members.
St Helens Cllr David Crowther and former Lib Dem leader Neil Derbyshire chatted on Facebook about the deaths of St Helens Cllrs Mike Doyle and Ken Pinder, who died within days of each other in late December.
Cllr Crowther, a member of the council’s standards committee, was joined on the website by Mr Derbyshire.
They talked about how the Lib Dems’ advantage would be served by the need for two by-elections, saying that they would “seriously distract them (Labour) for a couple of months”.
And Cllr Crowther added: “It could be three soon - at least one other is rumoured to be seriously ill”.
Cllr Doyle’s widow has called for Cllr Crowther’s resignation, and St Helens council leader Cllr Brian Spencer has said an investigation will now take place.
She said: “These comments are a disgrace. It shows a total lack of empathy or judgement.
“Mike was a man who cared not just for the residents of St Helens but also for the office he held – these comments are despicable and Cllr Crowther should consider his position. These comments show he is not fit to hold public office.”
Cllr Crowther apologised today. He said: " I agree the remarks are insensitive and on reflection that is not the kind of thing that should have been put on Facebook. I apologise for any distress that may have been caused.”
Lib Dem council leader Cllr Brian Spencer said: “I understand the comments were made in a private communication between two individuals.
“Any inappropriate comments should not have been made and I will be investigating the issue.”

If it was a private communication there wouldn't be a problem so I'm guessing that belittling of the offence is further bad judgement from North West Lib Dems. And the St Helens Star report confirms that it was public and has more details.

Lib Dem Squeeze: Don't You Just Love Them, O O O!

Labour's PPC in Manchester Withington, Lucy Powell loves the Lib Dems so much that she could squeeze them. Until the pipsqueaks squeak.

Heathrow Expansion: Geoff's Plan A Rocks, Emma's Plan Z Sucks

The Heathrow decision caused quite a fuss of course. John Maccy D got rattled and Luke Akehurst wore his heart on his sleeve as mealy mouthed condemnation, whataboutism and ridiculous conspiracy skipped hand in hand.

THIS POST is worth a link for the extraordinary conceit of making Runway Three and Terminal Six "Brown's Iraq". What utter drivel that is. Disgraceful drivel. Any new improved airport and road infrastructure is always going to be a hard sell. Closing things, anything is always a hard sell too, whatever the merits of the alternatives. And closing a Gurdwara, a Cemetery, village shops en masse, and flattening 600 houses? Let's not be-little the challenge of selling that lot.

But Heathrow is knackered.

Almost on 100% capacity. Cramped. A moderate to poor passenger experience. Inflexible and leaden-footed in the event of delay. The alternatives of a new airport at Foulness, or letting London use its primary hub status and routes to Frankfurt or CDG or Brussels hardly save the planet now do they?

It seems to me that in broad terms we can tackle our contribution to climate change either by Plan A or Plan Z.

Plan A involves having a wealthy, successful economy, with full employment, with a helpful caring state, and a CSR conscious private and third sector. An economy and polity that choses to and can afford to innovate. With hydrogen fuel cells. With local generation and less grid think. With reducing, reusing and recycling. With sublime train options. Transforming the 94% of energy use that isn't in air travel and air transport. As well as the 6% (2% globally) that is in air travel and transport.

Plan Zzzzz involves overcoming our progress gene completely and going for regression to horses and carts, lighting fuelled with horseshit naturally, and an early exchange economy. With hunter-gathering as an option for horsehair Hollywooders, obviously unemployed following an inevitable crash in the magic lantern business in their model.

How very dare the rich jet-setter Dame Emma Thompson preach to the world on this?

Perhaps I'm sitting on the fence too much here? But I prefer Plan A. As do the vast majority of Tory politicians, Tory activists, Tory voters if they were only honest. Perhaps they will own up ahead of the general election rather than six months afterwards. Some chance of that!

The same green fingered "Brown's Iraq" LabourHome blogger lists the twelve Labour-held constituencies where the greatest employment and economic benefits might be felt. Along with even more magnificent iron birds criss crossing their skies, connecting the world by modern magic. The most startling thing for me is that all these constituency names start B, E, F and H.

Where's the BEEFH?! In Battersea, Brent North, Brent South, Brentford & Isleworth, Ealing Acton & Shepherd's Bush, Ealing North, Ealing Southall, Feltham & Heston, Hampstead & Highgate, Harrow East, Harrow West, Hayes & Harlington is where.

Today the Tories are busy trying to claim Obama's clothes as the party of hope and change. Ridiculous! They cannot even do basic honesty and brave leadership when it comes to a no-brainer airport improvement. Clearly some of the Labour Left and all of the Lib Dems have the same problem.

Dolly the Bleep: LabourList, Labourist, Bloggerheads and Iain Dale

The pre-rolling Labour supporting group hug that is LabourList has company from a parallel universe name of Labourist.

Tim Ireland is getting stuck in to tiro blogger Derek Draper and the LL ting. Iain Dale seems to be filing these developments under "when the left fall out" though the greatest attacks on the LL Beta have been from (a) himself in various misery memos (b) muppety Tory trolls and (c) so he claims, Donal Blaney's paramilitary Blaney Youth in a denial-of-service prank.

Derek Draper has a lot to learn about blogging and moderating comments and engaging (or not) with Tim Ireland. But I'm not sure Iain Dale is the guru he should seek out.

Leading Lib Dem paranoia merchant Alix Mortimer runs a theory up the flagpole to see if anyone salutes. They don't. But there is universal fascination with it. With the idea that the new site was also on board the Project.

And there is also an emerging counter theory involving the netizens of Message Space as saboteurs. One of these was of course - quite wrongly - blamed for giving Guido the SP on the boy Draper in the first place.

South Manchester Distorter: More Skewed By-Election Coverage

The South Manchester Reporter have a round up of the four candidates in the Didsbury West By-Election HERE. No idea how they determined the order in which they should be pictured and listed. Any ideas? Not alphabetical of surnames. Not alphabetical of first names. Not alphabetical of parties. Or reverse alphabetical of any of these.

Just Leech's cipher first and most prominent is all. Now why on earth is that? She would be my fourth and last choice for the job. South Manchester already has enough useless Lib Dem councillors and it is really about time that the Didsburys and Withington reconnected with the ruling Labour group and gave themselves a better chance of getting things done.

West Didsbury Residents’ Association is hosting a ‘Question Time’ type hustings on Thursday, January 22, from 7.30pm at the Albert Club on Old Lansdowne Road, West Didsbury. So put the date in your diaries and get along and weigh up the candidates for yourselves. Perhaps Channel M, the so-called Community TV Station, could get along and cover that instead of making one hour commercials for David Cameron?

Nudge Nudge Politics: Mr Bean Responds to Taunt with Post

DIDSBURY WEST BY_ELECTION: My, my, my. Go on record critting Tories for advertising an un-updated blog and lo-and-behold you get a speedy update, promising ... no attack politics. Just fitting in a bit of campaigning now and then between a full time job, and opening supermarkets as a Harry Potter impersonator.

Clearly, if the only adult standing in the Didsbury West by-election - David Ellison (Labour) - would win by a landslide as he surely should on the merits that'd be grand. But LOL reckon we could 'turn' co-operative society Bean if he happened to win. God forbid. But we're very happy that Tories are having a go in this constituency. And no-one could actually want Lianne as a councillor if they had met her. Oh My God!

MEANWHILE: Manchester Withington Lib Dems have sent a letter out demanding contributions to their campaign for the cipher known m s . w i l l i a m s (who doesn't do joined up, even in her signature). The Lib Dems say they are going to be spending "thousands". Which is a bit excessive when the limit is a bare thousand don't you think? But they do dough don't they?

Propaganda: Anxious Conservative Babies Hit the Bottle

This £17,000 figure is ever so interesting. Direct mail from our Baby Tory David Bean for the Didsbury West By-Election states that: "Last month, Labour increased borrowing by £17,000 per family, doubling (sic) the national debt to over £1 Trillion." Whereas the above YouTube video claims every new citizen will have a £17,000 share in the National Debt. Is this a coincidence? Is this a magic number?

Are these two separate claims that by some fluke have the same figure at their heart? Probably not, eh? Is it £17,000 extra per family? Or £17,000 per person? Or both of these things? Does this actually represent a doubling of debt? In index terms how does this debt compare with the end of Tory days and comparator countries? It's much less now measured in dollars than it was!!

Over at YouTube comments Conservative Propaganda are getting it in the neck. For promoting bottle feeding ... but I'm not sure anyone has commented on vertical gravity feeding of recumbent infants. Shocking! Almost like water boarding. And we all know they're milk snatchers!

TORY TRAGEDIES: David Bean (right) is not keeping up his blog at the moment, unless he has another one elsewhere for the campaign? This is the address he's putting on his print. He's already up to two leaflets and a direct mail letter - with multiple copies in multiple envelopes with multiple reply envelopes to family members - very green don't you think? Rob Adlard (last post August, lives in Longendales, pretends to be in Manchester) is the poor boy's agent so what do we expect?

And like Adlard he seems confused, in this case with appropriation of the cooperative movement and the refutation of the shareholder profit motive. How vile that must be for Tories.

In another contradiction with the Tory Centre Mr Bean appears to be representing Dave Cameron's promise last week that we get ALL the TIF money with a climb down to around 60%.

A third distortion is his pretence or ignorance on what the TIF proposals comprise. Missing from his chart is a massive investment in our trams NOT dependent on the TIF process.

AGE DISCRIMINATION: Wouldn't normally comment on this. But people on the doorstep are picking up that wee Davey McBean looks about 13 years old ... And that the Lib Dems' Li anne Williams cannot do joined up writing ... so I think it is only fair to point out that young people can make a reasonable contribution to Council.

Just not these two please. Though strangely it is Mr Bean that seems to have the more useful experience and a bit of a clue about life, compared to John Leech's cipher Ms Williams.

More Propaganda: Donal Blaney is Potty Calling Kettle Black

Our dear friend Donal Blaney excelled himself yesterday. Not only does he drag in old Adolf Hitler as a substitute for having an argument for the second day on the trot. But he also throws some fierce stones from a very fragile grass house.

Essentially he is complaining about a fella from Rochdale - name of Mohammed Shafiq, Head of the Ramahdan Foundation and as I understand it an advisor to Nick Clegg on community relations and a Lib Dem candidate to boot.

On four main counts:

One: Shafiq is whoring himself around the media as a rent-a-quote on anything and everything connected with being a Muslim in Britain, even though he has not been elected as a spokesman for these communities.

Whereas Donal Blaney whores himself around the media as a rent-a-quote on anything and everything connected with being a Muslim in Britain, and other matters, even though he has not been elected as a spokesman for these communities.

Two: In a debate on BBC Radio with fellow unelected media whore Donal Blaney Mr Shafiq refused to condemn; or possibly even spoke up for Hizb_ut-Tahrir which is a rather right wing islamist organisation, a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, though committed to exclusively non-violent means.

Whereas the Tories and Donal Blaney are yet to provide any excuse, apology of disciplining/ejecting of those involved in a cynical collaboration of Hizb_ut-Tahrir with the official Tory machine in Whalley Range Manchester in last year's council elections.

Three: Mohammed Shafiq, is director of a sinister muslim youth organisation called The Ramadhan Foundation.

Whereas Donal Blaney is Chief Executive of a sinister conservative organisation called The Young Britons’ Foundation (YBF) which seeks to develop hatred and dirty tricks among Future Conservative front benchers. If they don't get chucked out first.

Four: Mohammed Shafiq allegedly attempts to smear those he disagrees with as racists

Whereas Donal Blaney demonstrably uses Hitler's name in vain along with charges of anti-semitism for the same job

Donal has a point of course about Shafiq being an unelected careerist loud mouth ... But then he's not elected himself now is he? In fact he probably has rather less in the way of official status than his foe?

Just a right wing dick head shouting his mouth off? Bit of a careerist? Willing to go on media at the drop of a hat? Passing on his ideas to future generations? Willing to get deep into smearage? Description fits both of these brothers in arms like a glove.

As we wrote yesterday: Propaganda: Donal Blaney is a Right Wing Islamophobic Loon where you will find disclaimers and background on the photoshopping.

POSTSCRIPT Tues 12:18: Yes, this is the very same Mohammed Shafiq who buddied up to Sir Cyril, was marginalised by Paul Rowen and David Hennigan, but has now it seems kissed and made up.

Labour Blogosphere: Does Derek Draper Have the Elusive X Factor?

Has Derek Draper got the X Factor needed to found and nurture a mass readership Labour enthusiast blog? Tap Dancing, check. Gift of gab, check. Self importance, check. Comrades in arms, check. Commitment to cause, check. Technology, via Jag Singh, check. We'll soon find out if the package adds up to more than the sum of its parts.

Ken Livingstone's former Chief of Staff - Simon Fletcher - has provided the first words over the parapet at the "dummy" for Derek Draper's proud organ LabourList.

Blogging expert Iain Dale gets all anal on Derek Draper's ass with unsolicited and pretty miserable words of discouragement.

All ready for the "told you so" follow up. And describing Gaby Hinsliff's Guardian.co.uk online exclusive as an Observer piece. That he was in effect spoiling. Which it may well be tomorrow of course. But it's already a Guardian Online scoop, so sorry Iain.

Here, with my useful annotations, is Iain's anthology of the five other early blog comments:

At Spectator Coffee House James Forsyth thinks it may be more like the official Tory Party Blue Blog than the lazy comparator of ConservativeHome.com. Truth is it could rise up somewhere in between. More like Lib Dem Voice in that respect. Semi-detached.

Guido Fawkes is pretty encouraging actually. Look forward to opening a new front in the blog wars. Continuing his Hate-Hate relationship with Dolly.

ConservativeHome too is encouraging. Pointing out that they formed and developed under a low budget scenario. Thereby correcting one of the three bleated strands of Dale's misery memo.

Cllr Bob Piper teases the Labour Party's Favourite Tory Blogger over his premature raining on Derek's parade, pointing out that Luke already has the Number 10 line sewn up.

And Jon Worth's EU Blog makes some good points about both the technology choices and the danger of aloofness and consequent disappointing market penetration.

What about LOL? Couple or three points for now:

Danger! Danger! Potential Progress Version of Compass Online.

Opportunity! Opportunity! Rather than spelling end of Labour Home experience I can see a huge synergy and possible coopertition; even formal links.

Danger! Danger! As Amadeus was told with no justification: "Too many notes" may be the cry. Vide Compass papers, and the three legged mutual masturbation machine of the Clarke/Milburn Project (now Toten Hosen - not even cached).

Why does everything have to be termed the New X anyway? This should not be seen as either the New ConservativeHome or the Improved LabourHome. This should surely be seen as the one and only LabourList?

Catching Up With Luke Akehurst: Game of Two Halves

HOME

During my seasonal blogging hiatus I have missed Luke's round up of local opposition nightmare stories. Bit surprised the rather Dodd-ery disgraced ex-Lib Dem leader Mike Storey is still it seems to be the disgraceful next Lord Mayor of Liverpool. Despite being found guilty of a pretty serious breach of standards. Amazed that he got off on the conspiracy charge to be honest. The Bloga-fidavit's on his machinations have him bang to rights.

I'd have to agree with Luke that there has been an odd choice in the New Year Honours list i.e. an OBE for a splitter. But really the whole carry on needs a re-think.

AND AWAY

Naturally Luke ain't going to agree with LOL over the Gaza thing. But I'm surprised that he has just "me too-ed" indiscriminately to someone else's blog coverage. Linking to the blog in general rather than to a post he finds particularly representative of his own views.

According to the Guardian today Israel have admitted that Hamas did not fire rockets out of the UN compound they fatally mortared. Just one example of some news Luke's surrogate has not recorded, having rushed into the opposite story. And the IDF's use of YouTube may be radical and ground breaking in principle. But in practice it is pretty disturbing. With the propaganda around the UN school way out there, occupying unacceptable territory. I may come back to that.

YOUR LOCAL STORIES for future editions of the new Opposition / good practice round up to local_labourblog@yahoo.co.uk.

Tory Totty Homewreckers: Pauvres Cons Misrepresented by NOTW

Where's poor Norma? Jamie Lyons of the News of the World blog team published some tosh which, natually enough, Mark Pack at Lib Dem Voice linked to and re-published rather smugly. This suggested that ipsos MORI had discovered that both Tory Women and Tory Men were busily stopping pretty Tory laydeez making progress up their slippery pole.

Tim Montgomerie wasn't so sure and blogged his doubts immediately and then did the research and confirmed those doubts. Not saying that the NOTW is completely wrong mind, but they have got some of it wrong.

They should have talked to Tim's one time favourite Tory MP on the distaff. That was the self-effacing and rather shy Mad Nad Dorries. She knows what goes on in the poisoned minds of the Tory men and women she meets. Particularly once she got her second, or was it third?, divorce through that is:

It never ceases to amaze me how many women suddenly fall madly in love with their husbands as I am taken over to be introduced.
They may not have held their husbands hand for weeks, but will be seized by a sudden urge to hang on to his arm, hold his hand and brush back the imaginary stray hairs from his almost bald head as they talk to me.
Her body language yells through an imaginary loud hailer ‘step away from the husband, he’s mine’!
I want to say stop, don’t worry, he has a pot belly, bad breath and a face only his mother and apparently you could love. You really aren’t in any danger of me or any other single woman running off with your clinically obese husband, he really is all yours.
But of course… I don’t.
It’s enough to see the sudden involuntary arch of his eyebrows as he laps up attention from the wife who forgot who he was until five minutes ago.
I never spend too long talking to couples, it's never that comfortable - but as I walk away I always want to turn around and say, "you should fall asleep holding his hand every single night. You should hold his hand often, every single day, because you're very very lucky".
But of course….. I don’t. I walk away and over to the next couple....

http://blog.dorries.org/Blogs/2007/Nov/07#07

She's back on the loose again. Lock up your sons and nephews!

Readers' Homework: End of Year 2008 Lists

LOL are even now producing lists of:

1. The Twelve Fibs of Dorries
2. The Twelve Gaffes of Dale
3. The Silent, Deadly GuFs of Staines
4. Cyril's Dirty Dozen
5. Hennigan's Howlers
6. Leechy and Lousy Libdem Low Life
7. Bullingdon Bull

So if you have a favourite fib, gaffe, guff, dirt, howler, low life or bull please drop an email to idea@mcr1.poptel.org.uk. Also polite requests for other lists and compilations will be considered.

Vote Blue Go Bean: Tories Select a Wordy Candidate

The Tories have selected the oh so wordy Mr Bean as their candidate for the Didsbury West By-Election (Thursday 29 January). He appears to have been chosen by a committee in a two-horse race. Very likely with a resident of the Longendales chairing it. Local democracy!

The incumbent Lib Dems are yet to announce their candidate, though tongues are of course wagging just a little bit. Li-anne Williams is fresh from getting caught out with a lying campaign and naturally a thumping at the ballot box in Chorlton and still can't do joined up writing, Cheetham Hiller Sufiyan Rana who gave £2500 and suddenly became an Old Moat candidate may have ruled himself out by turning officially Conservative like his brother Sham, and Robert Mackle (no relation): surely too new on the scene to inherit the earth quite so soon?

The Labour selection, between three utterly brilliant candidates naturally, will be made this evening. I'd expect the Greens and UKIP to re-run their candidates - both PPCs if I'm not mistaken. Will the BNP have a go? Not sure they'll get enough signatures for a nomination.

With all three Labour hopefuls relatively spring chickens and the Tory and Lib Dem selections about eleven years old, to judge by their writing, this could be the ward election with the lowest combined age in the history of history. Even with old Gutfiend-Walmsley.

Mr Bean's Story: Part One; Part Two; Part Three. Told you he was wordy.

The result last time was close enough to suggest a close three-way tussle is at least a reasonable possibility under by-election starter's orders, with even Tory Bean an outside chance. If that is he works hard and can nick a couple of hundred votes from the Lib Dem on the back of an albeit faltering Cameroonie revival:

Alden, James (Green) 281; Bean, David Michael (Conservative) 451; Gutfreund-Walmsley, Robert (UKIP) 81; Lennox, Jenny (Labour) 620; Shaw, Graham (Liberal Democrat) 1,283*

Another Mr Bean - actually called Slipper - won for the right in a dirty Oz campaign.

Leechy: More Geographical Travails For Hospital Hoaxer

According to Lib Dem Troll "Steve" John Leech has not been carpeted by the Commissioner for his many and varied misdemeanours because he is "innocent".

Same as he was innocent over distributing Christie Closure Hospital Hoax leaflets to patients waiting for chemo- and radio- therapy sessions at the hospital?

Or innocent of sitting on the splintered fence over Transport Innovations?

Anyways, it appears that my informant, the one who received the Focus with the out of area photo opportunity, and out of area campaign on the cover, and the Westminster "Big Ben" Tower graphic replacing his customary portcullis, that informant, got off rather lightly.

Others received a remarkable befuddled letter about the Transport referendum. Posted by hand through their letterbox YESTERDAY, FIVE FULL DAYS after the referendum closed and more than 20 days after the voting opened. This little gem fudged the actual issue and in essence called for a vote against despite Leech's supposed vote Yes position.

But the letter will have delighted people in Withington constituency and Chorlton ward with some very useful maps on the reverse of it.

These show how sterling efforts from John "Hospital Hoax" Leech and Paul "They're All Bastards" Ankers has moved the boundary of the "inner ring", which now may never happen, outwards to cover four or five extra streets.

These streets being OUTSIDE JOHN'S CONSTITUENCY NOW AND AFTER BOUNDARY CHANGES and what's more OUTSIDE PAUL "TBA" ANKER'S WARD TOO. They're in a different constituency, not even adjacent to Leech's current constituency, in a different ward, and even in a different local authority area.

Perhaps Paul "They're All Bastards" Ankers is planning to follow the dogged, now-Tory former Lib Dem PPC Faraz "Buzz" Bhatti and stand for parliament there?

Let's not mention the Christmas Card shall we? Graphics to follow.

Lib Dem Leech Flouts the Rules: Commissioner Sits Idly By

We are still waiting for the Parliamentary Commissioner to treat scowly John "Hospital Hoax" Leech (right) like any grown up MP who persistently flouts the rules and protocols of both the House and the Electoral Commission.

- Persistently flouting the rules by delivering parliamentary reports outside his area;
- Persistently flouting the rules by touting for casework outside his area;
- Persistently flouting the rules by representing himself as "your MP" outside his area;
- Persistently flouting the rules by issuing hybrid Portcullis (supposedly non-partisan) and Party Politics leaflets;
- Persistently flouting the rules by using Tax Payers money for Party Political material, in content and timing ... designed to get Lib Dems elected;
- Persistently flouting the rules by hiding the location where and even the name and address of the true printing contractor carrying out his money laundering printing;
- Persistently flouting the rules by hiding his true spending levels and fundraising mechanisms;

But perhaps the Commissioner thinks that Leech is so feeble that he should be given any number of let offs and quiet words instead of facing the music like a proper MP.

Other MPs have been officially carpeted. And we think John leech deserves to be properly treated and officially carpeted too - he is a real MP is he not? How can he be let off like some cheeky little chancer instead of as a real MP?

The High Master of Manchester Grammar School apparently chucked the naughty boy John Leech out as he would any other evil little MGS scrote referred to his justice. Why cannot the Commissioner also treat a miscreant equally with other miscreants?

Mr Leech's latest missive in Chorlton - barring the recent tax payer funded fount-of-lies survey on Education and Health - is a three-fold down to A5 which features Leech and his muppety cohort Paul "They're All Bastards" Ankers - as one of those "parliamentary reports (right) before PTABA was elected - on the cover.

Standing in a park which is in Trafford MBC's turf and Stretford MP Beverley Hughes' constituency. Facts which are not noted anywhere on the leaflet. And which have this pair of clowns once again interfering outside their ward and constituency boundaries.

But inside, what's this?, where the illicit portcullis letter with green ink header on mustard paper usually lurks we have some Lib Dem "passing off". Same green ink, same heading "John Leech MP, Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington" but instead of the Portcullis a little pen and ink clip art treasure ... the tower housing Big Ben itself.

Blatant piss taking over the rules. Something that has been a persistent feature of the conduct of John Leech MP both before and during Mr Leech's temporary tenure.

Like the way he outspent all the opposition in 2005 with many times the tonnage of propaganda. Some say five times as much, others nearer ten times, and that was without the leaflet so naughty that it had to be burnt on a pyre.

With just the one donor (£23,000, allowance for election = £11,000) actually declared and a grand total of just £17 for one person's mobile allegedly the total 'phone spend. Although they had at least three landlines at the HQ. The HQ he didn't even exclusively pay for. With mum leading the effort all election day, hammering the 'phone knock up all day. Just one example of Leech's campaign mendacity when it came to his expenses.

The famous bar chart fills a whole page. A throwback to 2005 rather than recent ward data showing him trounced in the area in 2008. Advertising the fact that Mr Leech has a parliamentary majority of just 667. Half of which was sliced off last time in that one ward alone. The number of the beast plus the devil himself. Mr Leech of course did not have a vote in the constituency as he lives elsewhere.

He still doesn't live in the constituency, despite an estate agently press release saying he and his mysterious long term partner Catherine were to shack up on Chorlton Green.

As ever the full process colour, full bleed, glossy leaflet was allegedly "Printed by Withington Printing Society ... at 8 Gawsworth Avenue, Manchester, M20 5NF". Which happens to be the address of Mr Leech's parliamentary offices and also the home of the Lib Dem constituency association. All very cosy.

CALL FOR PUBLIC SPIRITEDNESS: Did you go to MGS or Loreto with John Leech? Or perhaps to Brunel University or any other seat of learning? Do you have a story to tell? Or perhaps you're outside his constituency but he's pretended to be your MP? Or written to you anyway? Or perhaps he's used parliamentary stationery to address a private or party matter? Do drop us a line won't you? Thanks.

And Honest John obviously welcomes openness and says a hearty xmas thanks too:

Third Runway: Do Lib Dems/Boris Seek Return of Foulness?

There's nothing Lib Dems like better than laying the law down on something over which they have little or no agency. Which means anything on the national scene. Unless the electorate decide to dabble with a hung parliament and coalition in these difficult times. Just take a look elsewhere before you try that is my advice.

According to Norman Baker - but any fool know - there are some cabinet differences over the politically sensitive Heathrow Third Runway.

Irrespective of where we stand on this issue - I'm for more capacity used more lightly myself - it would be useful to distinguish between capacity and flights, and present and future. Which Lib Dem Voice and most of the Critical Mass do not attempt.

An airport running at 65% of capacity with three runways not only has the same number of flights as one at 99% with two but also spreads the noise load, can get the same action into a shorter noise day, can improve service, and is better able to cope with interruptions and weather in terms of catch up. We would also do well to factor in improvements in technology and retirements from service of tired old polluters over the next 5-10-20 years.

AND ... Does anyone at Lib Dem Voice really want Boris' return to the Foulness agenda?