Stop Being Silly

And so to the surprise of absolutely no-one the news arrives that Steal Holdings, sorry Peel Holdings have pulled out of the pipedream that was Wirral Waters International Trade Centre scheme.
We think Peel do protest too much when they claim that the split with investors Sam Wa is “amicable” and that the Chinese company is “squeaky clean” and that Stella Shiu is a “proper business person”.
Apparently Sam Wa are “going through due diligence to move the construction finance into the UK” which obviously means that if there is a failure of “due diligence” everyone involved in this debacle can turn around and blame the dead hand of bureaucracy

However Council leader Power Boy Pipsqueak Davies and degeneration, sorry regeneration maestro Kevin Addled seem determine to plough this fallow land.
Apparently by the sounds of it Stella the bankrupt from Sam Wa is going to fund it all by herself – probably from the profits made from selling giant marrows – who knows? Certainly Pipsqueak and Addled don’t seem to know as their far from convincing statements to the press prove. Check out  Pip doing his usual Pollyanna routine : HERE

“As I understand it, the way forward now is that Sam Wa who were going to be partnered with Peel, are going to be sole partner who are going to invest all of the money themselves……I’m still pretty confident it’s going to happen but now it will just be that Sam Wa will be landlord as whole on its own…….I think everybody always knew it was going to be a difficult deal to put together but I have spoken to Peel and I think they are confident in Sam Wa having got the financial muscle and Stella Shiu has the absolute determination and wants to make the Trade Centre happen……..”

Meanwhile Utterly Addled added: (see HERE)

“We have not been told by either Peel or Sam Wa that the ITC is not going to happen and on the contrary we have been told there is still the determination by Sam Wa for it to go ahead in Wirral.”

Well, that’s alright then!!  Determination will win the day!………or should that be the delusion?

Makes us want to get Eldritch to drive the Bentley down to Wallasey Town Hall to approach Pip and Addled and like the Sergeant Major in the Monty Python sketches halt proceedings by saying:
“Right stop that! stop that!.It’s gotten very silly , very silly indeed“.

It’s not loss of credibility that appears to be the most prominent issue here for Pipsqueak and co – there wasn’t any to begin with – but loss of marbles……

Reign of Shame

Foulkesy : What’s up wid ya Eric, la, you’ve got a gob on ya like a smacked arse.Just sign deez 4 cheques for 48 grand and then we can all go for a bevvy….

And so last week Wirral Council’s reign of shame came to an end as Mayor Foulkesy handed over the chains of office to Tory councillor Les “Tiny” Rowlands – who we hear is a man of conviction!.

As you can see from John Brace’s XXX-rated footage  HERE 

Foulkesy brought his supposed  “lovable” rogue persona to proceedings during his rambling farewell speech at Wallasey Town Hall – eulogizing about how proud he was to show people round the (lavishly refurbished) building – but not proud enough to have his own mayor making ceremony there obviously!

However, in a failed attempt at being profound and poignant,he saw fit to randomly make reference to carvings in the civic hall which he’d been told represented the past and the future.

We’d have thought any reference to Foulkesy’s past should have been best avoided – but this is one politician who’s living proof that history is (re)written by the victors.

Foulkesy was on more secure territory when he claimed he’d been requested to tell the assembled throng a few jokes as if he was auditioning for a slot as the new Bernard Manning on the bill at the Wheeltappers & Shunters Social Club.

Keeping it classy as usual he regaled the audience with a tale of a Birkenhead north ender who’d discovered a dead body but couldn’t spell the road he’d found the body in – so he’d moved it to one he could spell , so he could tell the police where to find the body.

Thereby reinforcing negative stereotypes that people from his ward are callous and stupid ( takes one to know one).Actually they recently voted this end of the pier and bottom of the bill clown back in – so actually he may have a point there.

But my how everyone laughed……” he’s such a colourful character isn’t he?” they all docilely nodded. ” Yes  – red and bloated” chipped in Her Ladyship.

He then mentioned that he’d help raised the not inconsiderable sum of £32,000 for “charidee”  – including such selfless tasks as a fundraising curry at the tandoori in Claughton village – my goodness such personal sacrifice – a curry ,a few beers and a stagger home afterwards – much as any other Friday night in Foulkes World we would have thought.

Obviously being a connoisseur of medieval literature Foulkesy then tried (and failed miserably ) to raise the tone by quoting from “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” :

“We’re described, the Wirral’s described as a mysterious, forested place inhabited by man and beast that God cannot love. It’s good to see the Wirral PR team still in action in the thirteenth century!”

With the Wirral’s  former PR guru currently “indisposed”  and  seemingly “disposable,” this was obviously an in-joke for those in the know. We have to say that Foulkesy and co certainly know how to kick someone when they’re down.We’re just left wondering whether such remarks will come back and bite the Council in the courtroom…..

This snide remark seemed particularly ungrateful when we consider that he failed to give specific thanks to the people that enabled him to hobnob over the hoi polloi and have the dubious honour of being  Wirral’s civic representative along with his consort – the Lovely Lainey – this past year. We were particularly surprised that he didn’t specifically thank Frank, George, Phil, Emma, Gary or Liam…..

However, these are but a few of the people that allowed this mayoral appointment to be made and to continue full term .Other than the councillors brave enough to publicly oppose Foulkesy ( take a bow Cllrs Blakeley and Cleary) all the elected members who colluded with this charade should be ashamed of themselves.

<After Foulkesy was ousted as Leader of the Council in a vote of no confidence it seems to us that allowing someone drunk on power to once again take the position of high office is like sending someone to rehab only to drive them straight to the pub after they've been discharged……….

Suspension Suspense

Following the time-honoured tradition of burying bad news it was announced (or rather it was dragged out of them) just prior to the elections ,that the North West Labour Party had suspended Wirral Labour Councillor Louise Reece Jones pending a further investigation.As you can see from the press report they are desperately trying to keep this one on media lockdown. HERE

Consequently, we have been asked whether we know why Cllr.Reecejones had been suspended – and needless to say – we do.

This is Wirral Council we’re talking about – where leaks are in direct proportion to secrets.

We publicly stated on Twitter that we wouldn’t want to jeopardise due process (an alien concept at Wallasey Town Hall) so we’ll keep a watching brief on this development for now.

We expect the usual – a report to be released on Christmas Eve stating how robustly Labour Party investigated the matter and there will be press release stating either a) there is no case to answer or b) appropriate sanction will be made as such misconduct will not be tolerated (unless you’re Cllr.Steve Foulkes or Cllr.George Davies).

Talking of which we were excited about new kid on the blog “The Morton Distortions” written by Wirral Council whistleblower Martin Morton but somewhat like Cllr.Reece jones that currently also seems to be in a state of suspended animation.

From what we’d read there were a couple of revelations about the Wirralgate scandal which we didn’t know about – but much of it we already knew and had already disclosed.

We’re just waiting information from a couple of sources and we’re ready to publish “The Definitive Guide to Wirralgate”.

Might we suggest that it might be useful to her if Cllr Reecejones reads the guide so as to understand what conduct the local Labour group think is or is not acceptable.

Failing that we think her only hope is to foster a friendship with Frankenfield very,very quickly or her days are numbered.

Animal Crackers

As Mayor Foulkesy nears the end of his mayoral reign the tributes begin to pour in.  Readers are invited to enter our caption competition and win a stay at at award winning top notch Wirral love nest Mere Brook House.

Christmas Caption Competition: I’m Dreaming of A Whitewash Christmas

 

 “A good conscience is a continual Christmas.” – Benjamin Franklin

Please send your captions to : wirraleaks@gmail.com

Please note do not make comments on Facebook page as apparently last time that led to someone banging in a hurt feelings claim to Wirral Council….(no we don’t know how that works either).

From everyone at Leaky Towers we’d like to wish all our devoted readers a very Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with truth and justice.

 

Christmas Tradition

As Wirral Leaks crashes through the quarter of a million hits barrier whilst being on WordPress we celebrate the age -old Christmas Tradition of  Wirral Council appearing in the Christmas edition of Private Eye. Let’s face it Rotten Boroughs is to Wirral Council what stuffing is to turkey.

The article itself  titled “Stella Performance” takes centre stage with a box and a cartoon all of it’s own. As the title suggests the story concerns Wirral Council’s globetrotting exploits from the wooing of Shiu  to the beano in Reno.

Private Eye writes :

“Despite all the evidence that Wirral Council was being had , it’s regeneration director Kevin Adderley insisted all ” due diligence” had been done,while council leader Phil Davies pathetically insisted: This is not a myth ,they are real companies with real investment plans.” Alas,nothing has been heard of Ms.Shiu since. Never mind,Onward!”

The story may well not be new to Wirral Leaks readers but it’s certainly the first time we’ve seen Addled and “due diligence” in the same sentence (shurely shome mishtake?!)

And we must say the word “pathetically” clings to Power Boy Pip like a limpet to a sinking ship. Leader? – the only way this guy leads the people of Wirral is up the garden path. Witness his pathetic history – ” There’s nothing we can do – they’ve all  left…” he said wimping out after it was revealed that council officers had departed cheque in hand after failing to tell councillors that oops! they’d run up £30 million +  in toxic debts. Byeeeee! And didn’t he chair a disciplinary hearing when he exonerated and let off  two of the main protagonists involved in this financial mismanagement?

As Private Eye says: I think we should be told!

Witness also his ongoing support of Foulkesy and Georgy as Wirralgate unravels…..”I can’t defend that” he apparently said after hearing the Wirralgate recording.
Oh but he has and will continue to do so as long as he clings (pathetically) on to power ( cont. p.94).

Christmas Post

 

As we predicted earlier this week it wasn’t long before a copy of that email landed on the Leaky Towers doormat…and not just one copy either! When we say email the author Martin “Mad” Morton actually describes it as “An Open Letter to Wirral Council ( & Frank Field) and there was a collective wry smile here when we read the line from one of our leakers about the leak itself which went: ” I’m sure it is what he would have wanted.” We thought it made it sound as though Morton had shuffled off this mortal coil.Although to be frank actual assassination (as opposed to character assassination)  may be Wirral Council’s best option.We predict that there may come a day when we read John Brace’s forensic examination of Wirral Council’s accounts and find a payment to the contemporary equivalent of committed Marxist-Leninist hitman Carlos the Jackal.

Now we haven’t had the go ahead (yet) from the man himself to publish the letter so instead Verity is going to extract the pertinent points from the letter which are primarily concerned with “Wirralgate” and add it to what we already know from a variety of sources to bring you a Christmas cut out and keep “Wirralgate For Dummies” special.

What we can reveal is that the opening line of the letter reads : “The Mayor of Wirral Cllr Steve Foulkes and Cllr.George Davies are unfit for public office”……..which isn’t exactly news but we are wondering why Morton stopped there – we would have thrown in Frankenfield and Power Boy Pip for starters and anyone who puts their head in the sand in the hope this scandal blows over.

What is particularly shameful is that considering the length of time this has sorry saga has gone on https://wirralleaks.wordpress.com/2013/09/11/exclusive-wirralgate/

is that the likes of “Foulkesy” and his sidekick have been able to be involved in decisions involving redundancies,cuts to services and closure of Lyndale School when they should have been exposed and ran out of town (hall). Remember it was Foulkesy who originally chaired the Committee to “consult” on the closure of Lyndale and at a previous meeting it was Davies, G who seconded the motion for closure.

Indeed here he is this very week for voting for closure.As far as we’re concerned that should be grounds enough to have the closure decision overruled.

 

 

Death By A Thousand Cuts

This week Wirral Council agreed to £2.5 million worth of cuts (disguised as “budget savings) to local services. Despite the fact that the “refreshed” Corporate Plan gave “protecting the vulnerable ” top billing it’s clear from where the axe fell that this claim is nothing more than a miserable lie. It is clear that the vast majority of the cuts were aimed at vulnerable people – namely respite services for disabled adults and children and the scrapping of Council Tax discount to pensioners over 70.

The Council meeting where these cuts were discussed appears to be a rather tense affair judging by the footage on John Brace’s blog

Mayor Foulkes seemed particularly tetchy telling lone Green Councillor Pat “Green Not Mean” Cleary that he couldn’t address Council because he didn’t have a seconder (which is a bit difficult when you’re on your own) :  ” I’ve made the decision.Sit down….” he yelled before going on to tell another Green ,by name if not by nature,this being the Tory leader Jefferson, to : ” Sit down. I’m speaking…” .

Foulkesy then went on to relent ” as it was Christmas” and obviously regretted the decision as Cllr Cleary’s impassioned anti-austerity speech drew rapturous applause from the public gallery. ” I won’t be ambushed again” pouted the titty-lipped tinpot dictator.

It’s clear from the public’s reaction  the Green Party is cultivating a groundswell of support (geddit?) and long may it continue. Anything that disrupts the political hegemony which has blighted Wirral for far too long is alright by us at Leaky Towers.

There was another speech of note from  Cllr Janette ” Millie Tant” Williamson who railed against the coalition government and their policies which was very much in the Labour tradition of blaming the government for decisions made by Wirral Council. What is always missing from the ” it’s all central government’s fault”  default position is the fact that the coalition government did NOT dictate to  Wirral Council how to implement the Bedroom Tax or their increasingly reprehensible approach to Council Tax discounts and exemptions or their continual scapegoating of disabled people – talking of which will this inglorious history continue tonight when Cabinet finally decides the fate of Lyndale School?

What’s more is Cllr.Williamson aware of the national Labour Party’s stance on austerity?
It is clear from  policy statements made by Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls that if Labour succeed in getting into power following the next General Election then Labour have promised yet more austerity measures.

Who will Wirral Council blame then?

He Wouldnt’ Let It Lie

News reaches us that Bob Mortimer  (wacky sidekick to Vic Reeves) lookie-likie Martin Morton has been whistleblowing again.

” That man’s cheeks must look like Kim Kardashian’s arse” piped up Eldritch rather ungraciously.

Apparently there’s an email doing the rounds detailing further calamities at Wirral Council.  Astonishingly we’ve been told it has absolutely nothing to do with this gobsmacking Freedom Of Information request:

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/cover_up_of_financial_abuse_of_d

It just makes us want to ask – what exactly is up with these people at Wirral Council?

Are they just living in hope that the guy spontaneously combusts?

Fear not dear readers – it’s only a matter of time before the email gets leaked…….

The Mayor Reacts

Sheena Is A Non-Shocker

Let the battle of the sexes commence as the self-serving “public servants” line up to sip from the poisoned chalice that is the Chief Executive post at Wirral Council.
Following our lead (and you know you do you clueless bunch of bottom feeders at Wirral Council ) but we suspect that the next Chief Executive will probably be of the female persuasion.

We understand the first to throw their hat in the ring is Sheena Ramsey – the former Knowsley Council official who left with a tidy £200,000 kiss off. SEE HERE

She then failed to get the top job at Bradford Council and is now sniffing round for the consolation prize at Wirral Council and may have already had a heart to heart with Comrade Burgesski to see whether it’s a goer.

Well when we say heart to heart they’ve probably got their calculators out and compared how much money is to be made from sitting there and taking the flak for a never-ending series of fuck-ups. No doubt Burgesski told her just to repeat the words ” Common Purpose” at regular intervals and she’ll be a shoe-in….

We also hear that Becky “Well Hard” Hellard, Finance Director at Liverpool City Council may also be interested in taking the Ferry Cross The Mersey.It may seem to be a bit of an ambitious punt for a mere Director – but the Liverpool connection will no doubt stand her in good stead.

Meanwhile  we wonder whether Addled  still thinks he’s in with a shout ? – we think it may be a case of wrong sex ,wrong time but we are living in very strange times so anything can happen…………………………… we’ll keep you posted on any developments.