Monday 26 June 2017

R.I.P Councillor Sammy Lee

I am so sorry to hear of the passing of Sammy Lee. Sammy was my local Councillor from the year 2000, until Knowsley Council decided to get rid of the Longview ward.

Sammy was an old school Councillor, the best kind, and one of the only Councillors who would actually have a reasonable and sensible discussion with me, rather than the ones now, who just stare at you and have a pre-conceived (wrong) opinion.


Here he is talking to me in 2013, calling me nuts and crackers. Sammy called me many names, but our discussions were never heated or aggressive because there was a mutual respect.



Sammy knew what I was about, and knew many of my views. Many views that we agreed on, some that we never, but he'd always take the time to chat, every time we crossed paths.

I wish our local Councillors nowadays were like Sammy, sadly they are not. I never see my local Councillors anymore, when I do it's always a hostile environment.

The last time I spoke to Sammy was caught on video strangely enough, by the Knowsley Council leader Andy Moorehead. Sammy was in very poor health at the time, but still took the time to have a chat with me. Andy Moorehead says he filmed us because he was worried about Sammy's safety when talking to me, a resident he had known for 20 years or so. I think that says more about Moorehead, than me.



Sammy will be sorely missed. I'll miss our chats and discussions. Deepest sympathy to all Sammy's family and friends.

Rest in peace mate x

Saturday 24 June 2017

The bulllying double standards of Merseyside Police and Knowsley Council

Knowsley Council Leader Andy Moorehead seems to think it's perfectly okay to film local residents from behind his office curtains, when he really should have been working on Council business. You know, the usual destruction of 51% of Knowsley's greenbelt, and figuring out how to save all of their skins from bankruptcy.

LINK to video

But when he is filmed at a local election count standing by Knowsley MP George Howarth, he gets Police to back him up, and they do. Even though they haven't got a leg to stand on, and no law to support their oppressive view, they try their best to bully, provoke and intimidate. But they end up looking rather silly.






Monday 12 June 2017

Constitutional law on hung parliaments

"If she cannot get her Queen’s Speech through Parliament at the first attempt – constitutional law makes Jeremy Corbyn the Prime Minister by default, without the need for him to do the same."

In a 2015 article on the law site Head of Legal, Carl Gardiner looked in detail at constitutional law, how it applied in those four examples and how it would apply to a hung Parliament in 2015. For the detailed legal analysis, read the full article – but his examples and key conclusions are:


1924: then-leader Ramsay MacDonald was immediately invited by the king to form a minority Labour government when the Tories – the largest single party – could not pass its King’s Speech. MacDonald did not have to seek a coalition or demonstrate a functional majority

1929: MacDonald was again invited to be PM, even though Labour had won only 287 of the then-615 parliamentary seats, after Tory PM Baldwin resigned upon being unable to command a Commons majority. Again, MacDonald did not have to demonstrate a functioning majority

1974: Harold Wilson was invited by the queen to form a government after Edward Heath’s attempts to agree a coalition with the Liberals failed. He immediately formed a minority government in spite of stating firmly that he would not seek nor enter any coalition

2010: Then-PM Gordon Brown resigned immediately it became clear that he could not command a Commons majority, even though David Cameron had not yet agreed a coalition with the LibDems’ Nick Clegg. The coalition gave Cameron a functioning majority – but before the deal with the LibDems was finalised, he was summoned to the Palace ‘as a matter of course’.



Saturday 3 June 2017

List of Police Officers and other Public servants charged and/or convicted of a criminal offence 2009 to 2017 - V32

Here's the latest list of Police Employees and Public Servants sacked, or charged or convicted of an offence 2009 to 2017. Version 32.

LINK: Police Officers charged/convicted of an offence 2009 to 2017 Version 32