CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE?

WHY has the media failed to expose the evil cabal?

Why have they largely ignored the corruption and wrong-doing at Henshaw's city council, despite the current council leader handing a secret dossier last year to the chief constable?

Why have the media been largely silent on the waste of millions of pounds in public money by the current city council and the Culture Company?

Is the answer to any of these questions explained by the ownership of the media?

("You might think that, but I couldn't possibly comment," Francis Urquhart)

That's what members of the National Union Of Journalists think anyway.

And it's what many in Liverpool think when they see the cosy deals being done between unholyTrinity Mirror and the Culture Comedians and the local media's failure to hold the Harbarrowboy to account.

Any chance that commercial considerations could be interfering with editorial integrity?

Journalists are today reduced to a cross between call-centre workers and data processors. Stuck at their desks re-jigging press releases. Who knows what corruption, lies, and law-breaking is going on in the corridors of power – no-one has the time to look. Or is even encouraged to delve a little deeper.

Except the occasional brave blogger...

Members of the NUJ descend on Manchester on November 5 to urge their bosses to stand up to greedy media owners.

The NUJ is organising a lobby of the Society of Editors conference at the swanky Radisson Hotel on Peter Street, Manchester.
Union president Michelle Stanistreet said: “The media is owned by a smaller and smaller group of extremely wealthy corporations.
“They make big profits but they want more. So journalists face a constant round of job cuts and dwindling editorial budgets. This means that more and more news is just recycled press releases.
“We want our editors to join with us and stand up to the culture of cuts. If they believe that journalism is important for democracy and for local communities they must take a stand.
“They are meeting on a site that was developed to commemorate the Peterloo massacre. We hope they will take courage from history and seize the moment.”
The Manchester event is one of the focul points of Stand Up For Journalism Day which will involve events all over Europe.
There will be lobbies at the European Parliament and in towns and cities across the UK and Ireland.
In Manchester journalists and their supporters will gather outside the offices of the Manchester Evening News on Hardman Street, off Deansgate at 12.30pm on November 5.
They will march to the Radisson Hotel, on the site of the old Free Trade Hall, to lobby the editors’ conference. There will be a rally in defence of journalism at 1.30pm in the Friends Meeting House on Mount Street.
Michelle Stanistreet and NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear will be among the speakers. For furtherinformation visit http://www.standupforjournalism.org.uk/

LETTER OF JANUARY 19TH TO COUNCILLORS BRADLEY AND STOREY REGARDING TONY PARRISH'S QUESTIONS...

My last post concerned my Freedom of Information request to find out what questions Tony Parrish (pictured, ed) asked and the council's answers.
The council refused to comply with my request.
I then decided - in the interests of open government - to write to the current Leader of the Council, Councillor Warren Bradley and the former leader of the Council, Councillor Mike Storey to ascertain if they could shed any further light on these matters.
This is my letter of the 19th of January....(to be continued)

Dear Councillor,
Please find below a response I have received from the city council to my Freedom of Information request.
I had asked what questions Tony Parrish had asked the council and what the council's response had been.
As you will see from the reply, the council has been unable to respond with the information I requested.
In my view, there are three potential explanations for this:
1) The council's record-keeping systems and processes are so chaotic and disorganised that they simply do not know.
2) They are trying to frustrate my enquiry because it will produce information which will only embarrass them further by revealing their consistent and repeated failure to obey the law on Freedom of Information. (Presumably they don't want the council to appear in court again.)
3) They are trying to intimidate Mr Parrish with their 'ongoing investigation.'
(It is also a convenient excuse for refusing to impart such information, isn't it?)
I doubt whether 3) will work.
However both you gentlemen should be aware of an apparent "ongoing investigation".
Who authorised this?
What is its justification?
How much has it cost?
Who does it involve?
What is its purpose?
When did it begin?
When will it be concluded?
I am sure that you may wish to put these and a number of other questions to the current chief executive.
I should be interested in the answers.
As a council taxpayer, this seems to me yet more evidence of the unacceptable activities of an officer class within the city council, who are both out of control and unaccountable, as well as lacking in judgement and common sense.
It also raises yet again the intriguing question of who is actually running the city council - democratically elected politicians, or unaccountable civil servants?
I suspect the answer is fairly clear.
I can only presume that at the end of the day any "investigation" being conducted by the city council may eventually lead to councillors also being interviewed, leading to the possibility of further action.
I imagine there will be many people who will be willing to provide additional information.
Perhaps you yourselves will be able to shed further light on all these matters in order to assist Mr Hilton in his enquiries.
In the meantime, I would like answers to my questions about Mr Parrish's questions - and the council's response.
Perhaps you can use whatever influence you may have to try and resolve this matter?

regards,

AKelly

HERE IS COUNCIL LEADER WARREN BRADLEY'S BUSY TIMETABLE IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE AFTER HE MAKES £50MILLION WORTH OF CUTS - TAKEN FROM THE OFFICIAL GUIDE

THE CITY COUNCIL IS PLANNING ON MAKING £50MILLION WORTH OF CUTS TO SERVICES. AT THE SAME TIME COUNCIL LEADER WARREN BRADLEY AND COLIN 'COVER UP' HILTON ARE SWANNING OFF TO CANNES IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE. (cost unknown)

Here is the undynamic duo's official timetable (We have drawn attention to some events of particular interest): SEE www.liverpoolmipim.co.uk FOR ALL THE DETAILS

The events programme for 2007 will include the following:-

LIVERPOOL WELCOME - Supporters Only
This is an informal event to help kick start the MIPIM week. All Liverpool @MIPIM supporters are welcome to attend.

Date: Monday 12th March from 19.00
Venue: Liverpool Yacht
Format: Informal drinks reception.
Audience: Sponsors/Partners/Associates

STAND BREAKFASTS - Supporters Welcome
This is an informal continental breakfast served each morning on the Liverpool stand. An ideal way to start the day.

Date: Daily between 9 – 10am
Venue: Liverpool Stand
Format: Continental breakfast
Audience: All welcome

MEET THE CITY - Invitation Only
Our traditional meet the city event will once again take place on the Liverpool yacht and gives supporters the opportunity to meet and network with key representatives from the city. Attendance will be restricted to the agreed supporter allocations.

Date: Thursday 15th March 12.00 – 14.30
Venue: Liverpool Yacht
Format: Buffet lunch and drinks
Audience: Sponsors/Partners/Associates (as per allocation)

LIVERPOOL TEAM DINNER - Invitation Only
The Liverpool team dinner proved to be one of the highlights of MIPIM 2006 and for 2007 we will once again be dining at the excellent La Potinier du Palais. This will be a fairly informal dinner, hosted by Cllr Warren Bradley (Leader, Liverpool City Council) and Colin Hilton (Chief Executive, Liverpool City Council). Invitations will be issued according the agreed supporter allocations.

Date: Thursday 15th March
Venue: La Potinier du Palais 13 Square Merimee (opposite the Palais des Festivals).
Time: 19.00 – 22.30
Audience: Sponsors/Partners/Associates (as per allocation)

LIVERPOOL@MORRISON’S PARTY - Restricted Access
The Liverpool@Morrison’s party is guaranteed to be the best event in town, offering the ideal opportunity to unwind with guests at the end of a busy MIPIM week. We have once again secured private access to the street and as well as live music from the Mersey Beatles, there will be bar facilities both inside and out.

Date: Thursday 15th March
Venue: Morrison’s Irish Pub
Time: 21.30 – ‘til late
Audience: All supporters plus invited guests


OUR MESSAGE TO THE CITY COUNCIL?

BAN THE
CANNES!

Colin 'Cover Up' finally admits: "TONY PARRISH TOLD THE TRUTH"

Liverpool city council have finally admitted that Tony Parrish told the truth on his legendary liverpoolevilcabal blog.
The admission comes in a confidential report compiled by the city council's own internal audit department and endorsed by chief executive Colin 'Cover Up' (Colin Hilton, ed)
The 12-page report sets out to try and prove that the city council's former media chief, Matt Finnegan was the real Tony Parrish.
Readers will recall that Finnegan had worked for the council for six years as Director of Communications before Henshaw suspended him on trumped up charges over his pension row with council leader Mike Storey.
The internal report was leaked to the Liverpool Echo before Christmas by the city council's smiling assassin, Executive Director Phil Halsall (left) in an unsuccessful attempt to try and damage Finnegan.
The Echo however chose not to swallow the bait and pointed out the report was littered with half-truths, speculation and conjecture, the council itself admitting that it was inconclusive.
However, what has surprisingly been ignored is the report's description of events within the council which lead to the sudden appearance last summer of the liverpoolevilcabal blog.
For the first time, we can reveal the circumstances in which the legendary Tony Parrish gave birth to the blog.
And they give a fascinating insight into what was going on inside the Municipal Buildings soon after Sir Diddy (chief executive, Sir David Henshaw, ed) was made to walk the plank and retire early.
One page of the report is headed: Access to Council Material

It describes how five Freedom of Information email requests were made by "Tony Parrish" to the then acting chief executive Colin 'Cover Up' (Colin Hilton, ed) on 20th April last year. (Henshaw had departed on March 31st, ed).
The extremely detailed questions, which were about The 08 Place, The Summer Pops and internal audit's lack of activities, requested official documents about all three. (The council has still failed to respond - a flagrant breach of the law, ed)

But the internal report goes on:

"One of the five emails...asked for documentation relating to the sub tenancy of The 08 Place. Although, at that time there was no evidence as to the identity of Tony Parrish, the belief was that these requests had been provoked by information provided by council sources. " (You betcha bottom dollar, ed) In an email to those involved, the chief executive (Hilton, left) stated: 'I received five requests from the same person under the Freedom of Information Act in relation to this complaint and The 08 Place. In view of the information in the requests it is reasonable for me to believe that only those directly involved could have supplied information to this third party ." (Our hero, Tony Parrish, ed)

So, you will be asking, who were those 'directly involved'?
Well, Colin 'Cover Up' was one. The now discredited and pensioned off Head of Internal Audit, Gerry Callaghan was another.
And there were two councillors - former leader, Mike Storey and current leader, Warren Bradley. (Take your pick folks, ed)
All four had met to consider allegations made about The 08 Place, Henshaw blackmailing the city, The Summer Pops, The Kensington One Stop Shop, etc, etc.
(It is revealing, isn't it folks? that Hilton already appears at this point to have been more interested in trying to trace the source of the leak than properly investigating the specific allegations which had been made at such a senior level. Warren should have been warned then, ed)
It was thus as a result of Hilton's failure to respond to lawful questions and to properly act against corruption and criminality that the liverpoolevilcabal blog was born.
Clearly Tony Parrish was determined that the evil cabal should be publicly exposed.
So that's when all the fun started.
The report goes on to say:

"A significant amount of the material on the liverpoolevilcabal website related to Council business that was not in the public domain or public knowledge. Examples not necessarily exhaustive, include:

• Allegations in relation to 08 Place, which contained detail that was only available to a handful of individuals within the city council (guess who folks? ed) including a reference (27th July 2006), to detailed documents being presented to the Chief Executive and Head of Audit. (ah-ha, as Alan Partridge would say, ed)
• The posting of 3rd July (told you they were following every word, ed) which reproduces extracts of Councillor Antrobus's account of events, referred to on the website as "Henshaw's attempted coup - by Coun Antrobus") (This was Henshaw threatening to report Storey to the Standards Board unless he quit, ed)
  
• The postings of 21st and 22nd July which reproduce extracts of Councillor Clark's account of events, referred to on the website as "Henshaw threatened Storey's job - shock new evidence" and "Henshaw's blackmail note". (Aaaaah, this takes us back to exciting times, ed. As the sun beat down, Tony Parrish lazed about with his laptop, sipping Chablis and detonating one grenade after another as the stunned council recoiled. It was almost Dickensian in its scope and cast of sordid characters as the seedy underbelly of Henshaw's evil cabal was revealed in all its full horror, ed. Those were the days, ed.)
• The Cream proposals for running the Summer Pops. (This was the attempted stitch-up with CMP and the Harbarrowboy, ed)

It is reasonable to conclude that material such as this could only have emanated from Council sources" the report concludes, (with amazing insight, ed).

Here's the thing though - what was Hilton doing about the allegations which were emanating from such senior council sources? (Bugger all - he banned the blog instead, ed)
'Cover Up' was clearly aware of the allegations being made - particularly about Henshaw blackmailing the city council, but repeatedly failed to call in the police to investigate. Why not? (There could still be more developments on this though, watch this space, ed)
So there you have it.
Tony Parrish was being fed confidential information from inside the council by 'you know who', decided it should be made public and not covered up by Colin.
The blog was born.
And that started the city council's witch hunt against TP (banning the blog to the public, threats of writs, letters to Google, the smiling assassin's pathetic letter to the Information Commissioner, Inspector Clueless wandering around scratching his head, etc, etc)
Oh what fun it all was.
And there's a nice little postscript.
The confidential report can barely disguise its disappointment when it describes how it had intended to raise all this stuff about confidential information with Mattie Finnegan (below) to: "ascertain if he could provide any information or shed any light as to the source(s)."
(We can imagine his direct two-word response to this particular enquiry, ed)
But he thwarted them by upping and resigning in disgust before they could question him. (Apparently Callaghan had been practising his 'hard cop, soft cop' routine in an office mirror for weeks in readiness for this confrontation, ed)
The report concludes:
"In the circumstances, in the absence of any further information, it is not possible to draw any conclusions as to the source of Council material used in e-mails or on the liverpoolevilcabal website."
And we daresay that there are one or two senior people at the city council today who are gratefully breathing a huge sigh of relief.
(We just thought you should know the truth....ed)

THE OFFICIAL "I'M TONY PARRISH" AWARD 2006

BY popular demand, the Liverpool subCulture blog is pleased to announce the first ever 'I'm Tony Parrish' Award, 2006.
Nominations are invited now for those people who have spent the last year standing up for truth, justice and democracy (or all three at once).
They should also have demonstrated a healthy disrespect for officialdom (in the form of the city council and/or the Culture Company) and a willingness to cause as much trouble as possible, whatever the personal consequences.
It would also be an advantage if they had shown a healthy sense of humour and a deep and abiding contempt for the evil cabal and all its followers.
The winner of the award will receive a suitably plastic trophy (we haven't bought it yet), together with a very special prize (ditto) at a glittering ceremony somewhere in a coffee bar in Liverpool. Probably Starbucks.
Please nominate your entrant and describe (in more than two words and less than 6,000) why they should recieve this prestigious award in honour of our now legendary hero. The closing date for entries is Dec 15th.
The award will be presented by a very special guest (who we haven't told yet).
The blog's decision will be final.
Sir Diddy will not be invited....