LABOUR GIVES 'SADLY' BRADLEY NOTICE TO QUIT - AND CLUELESS HASN'T GOT A CLUE!

LABOUR'S historic victory in the Warbreck by-election has served notice to quit on the mis-ruling Lib Dems.

A twenty-year unbroken run of Lib Dem rule in the leafy ward came to a spectacular end, with an astonishing victory for Labour's Richard McLinden.

He overturned a Lib Dem majority of more than 1600 votes, with a thumping 770 seat majority for Labour.

The swing to Labour was more than 33 per cent - a breathtaking achievement and a first for Labour in Liverpool.

It means that since taking over as Fib Dem Leader, Warren 'I'm only a fireman' Bradley has now suffered 12 separate defeats.

Labour, with no-nonsense Joe Anderson as Leader, has meanwhile chalked up a series of 16 separate wins in a row.

The result, which took even the most loyal Labour supporters by surprise, means that Joe Anderson could now grab back control of the city council next May.

And what a fantastic victory that would be in 2008 - the year of Capital of Culture which the Lib Dems have done so much to wreck with their cock-ups and bungling.

The Fireman Bradley was noticeably absent from the election count - he was advised not to turn up for fear that his bottle would go when he saw Labour storming ahead.

Lib Dems feared that he would lose control for the second time and again lash out during an official count.

So Bradley was kept in touch at a safe distance by the mastermind behind the Lib Dem's historic and crushing defeat - former councillor Richard 'Inspector Clueless' Marbrow.

Inspector Clueless comprehensively cocked up the by-election campaign - and his (and Paula Keveaney's, eds) glum expression at the remarkable result revealed his sinking realisation that comeback seats are fast disappearing.

Clueless's stupendously stupid by-election campaign reached the nadir of bad taste, when Inspector Clueless came up with the bright idea of getting a dead woman to promote the Lib Dems from beyond the grave.

(What? eds)

That's right - unbelievably, Clueless got the son of deceased councillor Joan Lang to write a letter to every elector in Warbreck proclaimning that it was her "dying wish" that Lib Dem candidate Richie 'I've got less than half a brain' Roberts should succeed her!

(Is there anything to which the Lib Dems won't stoop to try and hang on to power? eds)

This sickening little stunt backfired spectacularly when the voters told the Lib Dems what to do with their nasty little attempts at moral blackmail.

And delivered another resounding victory for Joe Anderson's principled Party.

ANDERSON DEMANDS STANDARDS BOARD PROBE INTO CLUCAS AND THE IRISH CENTRE

LABOUR Leader Joe Anderson has called for a full-scale investigation into Flo Clucas trying to waltz off with the former Irish Centre on Mount Pleasant. (see Liverpool subCulture, ed)

Anderson has written to the Standards Board protesting that Clucas's actions breach the national Code of Conduct for councillors.

The Standards Board can fine or suspend Clucas from office if they find her guilty (some chance of that, ed)

Anderson tells how Clucas 'intervened strongly' at a meeting with planning officials on 19 December to promote Dance Liverpool's crackpot scheme to takeover the Centre, which is a Grade 2* listed building.

He says Clucas also offered/promoted:

• Objective 1 European funding for the Centre


• city council support for the scheme and/or


• to slap a CPO on the Centre.

Anderson says Clucas failed to declare an interest - she is a Director of Dance Liverpool, according to Companies House records.

The Labour Leader poses six separate questions about Clucas's conduct, including:

• Has Cllr Flo Clucas used her position as an Executive Member to promote a scheme in respect of which she has interest? (of course, ed)


• Was the City Council’s recommendation to reject the (owner's) Planning Application in 2006 as a result of pressure to support the “Dance Liverpool” proposal from Cllr Flo Clucas? (very probably, ed)


• Was there any reasonable evidence to suggest that the alternative “Dance Liverpool” proposal had any realistic prospect of delivery (the report... clearly identifies a lack of funding...for the scheme) (none at all, ed)

Anderson also asks if it was appropriate for Clucas to "promise/promote that Liverpool City Council would bear the costs of any CPO enquiry (as you will be aware developers normally bear such costs)?" (highly irregular, ed)

and

"Promising/promoting that acquisition costs would be funded by ERDS (Objective 1 European Funding) before any application or approval for such funding has been obtained?"(well, she is Chair of the Committee which doles out the Euro dosh, so presumably she should know whether she was going to give herself the money? ed)

Anderson adds: "You will note from the handwritten notes from a meeting, that Cllr Flo Clucas had explored ways in which pressure could be put on the existing owner (which would have the result of encouraging him to surrender the leasehold interest) and in particular, investigating the condition of the fire safety system and demanding that Liverpool City Council serve a schedule of dilapidations on the leasehold owner."

(This one will run and run, ed)

SPEKE HAS SPOKEN: BRING ON THE MAY CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS!!!!!

OUR MAN AT THE COUNT WRITES.......

LABOUR stormed to a thumping by-election victory in Speke last night, overturning a Lib Dem majority of more than 800.
Colin Strickland swept to victory with a Labour majority of almost 800 - giving a huge smack in the face to the council's ruling Lib Dem administration.
The huge turnaround in Speke brought forecasts that Labour, led by no-nonsense Joe Anderson, could now take control of the council in 2008, Capital of Culture year (wouldn't that be sweet? ed)
It was a particularly sad night for Inspector Clueless, bumptious Councillor Richard Marbrow, the by-election campaign chief who masterminded the Lib Dem's stunning defeat (right)
Marbrow was last night celebrating his 73rd birthday (well he acts like an old git, ed) by bringing his shiny new birthday laptop to the count so that he could play at being a real-life election supremo (the pompous fool, ed).
Marbrow sat down with his lap top toy, while various impressionable Lib Dem types ran around trying to look like they knew what they were doing and fetching him pieces of paper.
Marbrow, whose seat in Kensington has already been abandoned in May by Lib Dem leader, Warren Bradley, got glummer and glummer on his birthday as the scale of the defeat sunk in.
Another of our favourite characters, Colin Cover Up read out the result (wonder if he also pocketed an extra £25,000 as returning officer, just like greedy Henshaw? ed) to victorious Labour cheers.
But the shocked and disappointed Fib Dems hurriedly escaped before they could be serenaded away by the triumphant Labour campaigners with a chorus of "Happy Birthday, dear Clueless..."
Now watch the in-fighting break out in public amongst the Lib Dems as they panic over which seats they will lose in May.
And keep an ear to the ground for signs of an early leadership challenge to Bradley.
(Tell me the old, old Storey, ed)

OH SHIT - IT'S ANOTHER 'COVER UP' BY COLIN!

Oh Shit! Colin 'Cover Up' Hilton has spent £17,000 of taxpayers money on a new roof for his car!
This is at the same time that the city council is planning to stop free school buses for 4,500 of the city's kids.
Hilton ordered the cover up to protect his gleaming paint work from the bird shit dropped by the city's seagulls and pigeons.
He agreed that the money should be spent on putting a roof over the free car park spaces that he and the smiling assassin Halsall, who drives a new Porsche, occupy at the rear of the Municipal Buildings in Victoria Street.
The scandal has been highlighted by the Liverpool Daily Post (was the Echo fast asleep again, or just being consistently craven? ed) in a fantastic story today.
Amazingly Council Leader Warren Bradley has defended the use of taxpayers money on featherbedding (ouch, ed) well paid officials like this, accusing critics like Labour's Joe Anderson of being 'mischievous.'
(Here is another lengthy editorial aside: A word of advice Warren. Being Leader of the Council does not mean that you have to justify everything the city council does, nor defend the indefensible as in this case, whatever Hilton tells you. You keep on doing this as though you are performing some kind of public duty - whether it is over the shambles that is Culture, the whitewash over The 08 Place or The Summer Pops. You do not have to keep doing this. It is stupid. Your job is to protect and defend the public interest - that is not the same thing as the council's interests. Please grow up, act like a mature politician, be your own man and use a bit of common sense and judgement, or we will not be so kind to you in the future, ed)
The roof has been built for the cars of highly paid senior executives such as Hilton and Halsall who already enjoy FREE car parking at the rear of the Municipal Buildings - unlike all other council employees.
It seems they can't afford to pay for their own cars to be cleaned so they wanted a roof building instead.
Apparently the fingers of McElhinney can be found all over the roof plan for the pooh park at the MO.
And of course, Halsall would have had to sign off the expenditure as city treasurer.
As Councillor Anderson remarked: "It's like something from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".
In the meantime these luxury loving motorists want to axe free school buses for 4,500 Liverpool children because it costs too much.
See how the evl cabal still survives, folks?
Disgraceful. Write to your local councillor and get the canopy torn down.

ANDERSON CALLS ON COPS TO INVESTIGATE MCELHINNEY

LABOUR Leader Joe Anderson is asking police to investigate what went on with McElhinney's Liverpool Direct Limited.
He has written to Chief Constable Bernard Hogan Howe after the secret report by independent auditors, KPMG made 37 separate recommendations for changes in the way the city council deals with LDL.
Chief executive, Colin 'Cover Up' Hilton has already agreed to implement all 37 recommendations, admitting that LDL has cost city council taxpayers millions of pounds.
But he is still refusing to make the full report public.
Anderson has asked the police to examine why no action was taken by the city council when he first raised questions about the way LDL was being run more than three years ago.
He has specifically asked Hogan Howe to look at the circumstances surrounding the level of charges imposed by Liverpool Direct, under the direction of chief executive Dr David McElhinney (the Liverpool rottweiller).
In particular Anderson is rightly concerned about the £200 PER INDIVIDUAL PHONE CALL charge made by LDL for handling education grant enquiries from the public.
This astronomical fee for every single phone call was imposed after the council's utter cock-up over handling education grants.
Interestingly enough, of course, Hilton was in charge of Education at this time. He agreed the charge.
Anderson is also keen to discover exactly how many millions (to the nearest £100,000 would do, ed) the contract with LDL has actually cost the city council's taxpayers.
His intervention is particularly interesting since, as well as Hilton, it also points the finger very firmly at former chief executive, Sir Diddy Henshaw and the smiling assassin, Halsall as well as former council Leader, Mike Storey.
They were all on the same watch when McElhinney was ripping off millions from the city council.
Why the cabalists should not be held individually accountable for the huge sums of public money lost by their incompetence, greed or corruption, (or all three, ed) is the question which no-one has yet answered, of course.
PS The rottweiller's poodle, the highly strung Councillor Marilyn Fielding (trained observers will notice that she is also a blonde, ed) seems to have escaped everyone's attention in the LDL scandal. This is surprising since she was the Executive Member responsible. She was, of course, busily concentrating instead on making moon faces at her beloved McElhinney, who could do and say no wrong in her eyes, while he ripped off millions behind her back. Council taxpayers should send demands for their money back to Counc Marilyn Fielding, c/o Municipal Buildings, Dale Street, Liverpool. Dr David McElhinney

BRADLEY ANNOUNCES DEATH OF THE QUANGO'S - BUT WHEN?

City council leader Warren Bradley has taken the brave and sensible step of announcing the scrapping of quango-land in Liverpool.
Bradley has called for the abolition of Liverpool Vision, the Liverpool Land Development Company and Business Liverpool. (Just those three then? ed)
No-one knows exactly what any of these three organisations have actually achieved for Liverpool.
Liverpool Vision is a well meaning regeneration quango which has excelled at colourful brochures and billboards but has been remarkably short of delivery on the ground. (It was behind the plans for the Fourth Grace, ed)
Liverpool Land Development Company is busily making a mess out of Edge Lane and some serious question marks are now being raised about the professed antecedents of some of its most senior officials.
And Business Liverpool has so far survived about three separate attempts to try and re-organise it into an effective job creation agency.
What all three have in common, of course, is that they lack any democratic accountability. No elected representatives have any control over these three organisations which together have the power to spend millions of pounds in public money. (Good enough reason for them to go then, ed)
So Bradley has laid down the gauntlet: "This spaghetti maze is getting in the way of the city building its future economy. My aim is to start off with encouraging the big three agencies to join forces, and that will consume a number of smaller agencies, such as the Strategic Investment Area bodies (SIAs). My biggest problem is that Liverpool's record on attracting inward investment is rubbish."
Good for you then Warren, whose views were also echoed by Labour Leader Joe Anderson.
But wait.
All these quangos employ armies of people on ludicrously fat salaries. They are not going to go quietly, are they? (You must be joking, ed)
So watch the opposition start to mount and the PR campaigns kick into overdrive as they all battle for survival.
Warren Bradley announced the abolition of the quangos on October 13, 2006.
Let's give him a year and then see what progress has been made....