Apologies to those awaiting a post on Wednesday’s full council meeting at Tower Hamlets, but I’ve been a touch busy with my day job. I intend to write a lengthy post about it over the next couple of days – and yes, there is plenty to say about what happened: the meeting was among the most poisonous and uncontrolled affairs I’ve been to.
In the meantime, Tory group leader Peter Golds has asked me to publish a personal statement from him following the bizarre and disturbing comments made by some people on my previous post here. These comments extended to some borderline homophobic insults hurled at him by some senior political activists in the public gallery of the council chamber on Wednesday night (but, as I say, more of that later.)
Here’s Peter’s statement:
It is clear that a number of your correspondents do not understand what an elected politician should or chose not to understand.
I received an enquiry from a resident regarding Medialink and raised that enquiry. This is what councillors do in every local authority up and down the country and of course what Members of Parliament do each and every day.
Before I received a response the head of Medialink telephoned me four times in one afternoon to discuss my enquiry. It was obvious that had been told the details of my enquiry. This could only have come from within the council and breaks all protocols.
Having received the actual response, which was not confidential, I shared it with the original enquiry and Ted Jeory who was also interested in the subject.
I then received increasingly threatening calls and messages from the same person. On Wednesday I met with the council’s Chief Executive and monitoring officer who were quite clear that my enquiry was right and proper and that as the response did not break commercial confidentiality I was entitled to share it.
It should be noted that I have raised many enquiries regarding consultants engaged by the Council, including Verve Communications who once had a very large contract. Strangely no one has attacked me for raising that particular company.
It should also be noted that at council on Wednesday night a member of the administration let slip that he had knowledge of an enquiry raised by another councillor.
There is to be a full investigation into how this is happening.
As a matter of fact on another issue, I have served on many appointments panels. On one occasion I ensured that the panel did not reach a decision until we had women and BME candidates to consider and on another I refused to serve because the assembled panel was entirely male and we would be interviewing women for a position. I would treat any candidate who submits a dishonest CV in the same way, and in most organisations such a CV is grounds fro instant dismissal.
The attacks of racism against me are puerile and totally wrong.
I am more than happy to engage in debate with anyone, but attacks and lies for people who hide behind pseudonyms and are often the same person deserve to be treated for what they are. Sock puppets is the usual term. The sort of people who used to write poison pen letters, often on green ink.
For those unfamiliar with Verve Communications, it is the PR consultancy that used to run the press office and East End Life at Tower Hamlets Council. It was headed by Lorraine Langham. Following a series of investigations by Peter and me, when I was at the East London Advertiser, a council committee concluded that Verve had been allowed to exploit its position for commercial gain. Ms Langham subsequently left the council and is now the number 2 to ex Tower Hamlets CEO Christine Gilbert at Ofsted.
See here for more info.
Trial by Jeory 
For those who can’t wait for Ted – see http://towerhamletswatch.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/cllr-oliur-rahman-spills-the-beans-on-members-enquiries/ for an account of what happened at the meeting and discussion of member enquiries
I wonder how long it can be for it becomes essential for Council Meetings to be televised (with date and time clock running):
1) to permit access for democratic purposes – so we can see how members (and the public) behave while in the Council chamber
2) to produce an accurate record of what is said by Councillors.
The post identifies which member “member of the administration let slip that he had knowledge of an enquiry raised by another councillor.”
Now this should be really interesting!
Why is Cllr Golds feeling so insecure?
I don’t think Golds understands the term ‘sockpuppet’.
And Ted, why are you and Golds really gunning for Media Link?
You mean you don’t see a commercial firm trying to intimidate a councillor as good reason for concern?
THIS COMMENT BY RIPA BEGUM IS BEING DELETED.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Comments by “Ripa Begum” are being deleted because they breach my comments policy, which I have explained in previous posts.
“Ripa Begum” – I suggest you stick to one name. The following 15 names have been posted from your Be Un Limited IP address on this blog:
Fact&Fiction
TH Resident
E1 Resident
Shahid
Lena
Tony R
Ripa Begum
Betty
Real Kabour
Rayed
Vote King
Aktar
Laura
Junior
Joyce Williams
You have accused others of sock puppeteering. I suggest you look up the word irony.
This is your last chance; stick to one name otherwise I will mark your IP address as spam.
Who are you Frank? You certainly seem to hate Jews and will not respond to my previous criticisms of you. I was very specific but you have, as yet, not come back
Terry, you must have the wrong Frank, cos I haven’t a clue what you’re going on about.
YCMIU. Pls describle what you mean by ‘intimidate’. Someone ringing a cllr four times with a private number?! That Cllr Peter Golds is insecure like school infants when they complain to ‘Miss’ about other kids also playing foul!
leave Oli alone! He is under a lot of pressure at the moment and his mind was not there at the council meeting!
After all Oli is a civil servant and trade unionist! Of course he is against privatisation you fools! Sometimes people are under a lot of pressure either work related or within their personal life and you shouldnt make a big deal out of something like this knowing Oli is NOT for privatisation! Oli is the best.
Cllr Golds definitely doesn’t understand the term ‘sockpuppet’ lol. His friend Gilligan is a sockpuppet.
Cllr Peter Golds may be a council confidentiality breaching sockpuppet but Cllr Abbas is a real useless puppet whose failure to win the Tower Hamlets mayoralty has taken Labour into Opposition for at least the next 8 years! What’s worse???
Ted, has Peter Golds ever passed you any confidential members enquiries or documents? Have you ever received any confidential members enquiries or documents from other councillors?
Takki Sulliman has got some questions to answer here
Abdul Alim, you should be busy campaigning in Spitalfields, why are always complaining about retarded loony Cllr Peter Golds? After all, your master Cllr Abbas has an intimate relationship of leaks with Cllr Golds!Haven’t u got to get 1500-2000 votes on Thursday?!
I think its about time that we exposed Peter Golds & Josh Pecks for what they really are. I hope Ted will be fair enough to prove that he is neutral on this matter. Lets find out if Ted is willing to publish facts on both of these characters.
News 1
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=16158
VIOLENCE AT BRENT COUNCIL30.10.1997
That this House deplores the attempt by Brent Conservative councillor Peter Golds OBE to strangle fellow Conservative councillor Jack Sayers following an argument about town twinning at Brent Town Hall on 27th October 1997 which resulted in Councillor Sayers receiving medical treatment for the injuries he sustained; notes that Councillor Peter Golds was honoured for ‘political services’ and that his violent behaviour is but the latest disgraceful example of yobbish and thuggish behaviour by Brent Conservative councillors; and calls upon the Conservative Party to expel Councillor Golds from membership and to hold an inquiry into the behaviour of the Brench Conservative group.
This is governed by Parliamentary privilege and so allowable. However, Peter Golds has full right of reply on subsequent developments.
I think somebody forgot to include a couple of salient words with that last remark – click the link and see for yourself
“Ken Livingstone”
Speaks for itself really.
I’ve always been under the distinct impression that when ANY political party (or its acolytes) start to attack individuals in a thoroughly nasty and vitriolic way that:
(1) they’re really on the ropes and
(2) they’re trying to distract attention from something they’ve done or has been recently highlighted by the individual they are attacking.
Now who’s really “on the ropes” in Tower Hamlets I wonder?
Cllr. Golds has had to put up a great deal of abuse. Racism actually.
Shame on all of you. You know who you are.