The Beacon Newsletter - Summer 2009

Summer 2009

www.achanceforchange.co.uk Please accept my apologies for the delay in producing this edition of the Beacon. This is due partly to the volume of work I do on your behalf and the fact that I wanted to produce and deliver my first annual report to every household in the ward. I have been encouraged by your initial response to my report and would like to thank those of you who have contacted me with your comments (good and bad) – it makes it all worthwhile when I receive so many positive comments. Once again I have set the standard by becoming the first Councillor to compile an annual report and hope that others will follow my lead but I somehow doubt it! Finally I would like to extend my best wishes to the new Mayor of South Tyneside, Cllr John Anglin, whilst I don’t share his political views I hope he enjoys what is rumoured to be his last year before he heads off to retirement in Portugal.

Allegations of Common Assault Some of you may have read the allegations in the Gazette regarding an alleged common assault. The allegations were made by a close associate of John Szymanski, (Gazette editor), and Cllrs Anglin and McMillan. I will be robustly defending myself against these allegations and I will work tirelessly to clear my name. Inspite of the Gazette’s efforts to muddy the waters, I can confirm that I went to the Police Station voluntarily to discuss this matter and left of my own free will. I WAS NOT ARRESTED, CHARGED OR BAILED. I have since received a statutory summons to appear at South Tyneside Magistrates Court at 2.30pm on August 5th. The hearing is open to the public, so why not come along?

Residents Parking Schemes The Council is beginning to apply its new policy for residents parking schemes and it’s proving less than popular - the idea of having to pay £50 a year to park in your own street is causing uproar! The fact is that this policy has been approved by the council and despite making strong representations on your behalf, the council took no notice of them. The only way to get this policy overturned is to use your vote in May 2010 and get rid of those responsible for the policy. For now though, you can opt out of the scheme if more than 50% of respondents to the Council’s questionnaire say no. If you feel strongly about this issue, make your views known when you receive your questionnaire, if you don’t the scheme will go ahead. PLEASE READ AND RECYCLE

CHAOS AT COUNCIL MEETINGS

Once again the Labour Group on the Council has attempted to muzzle the Independent Alliance and have now stooped to personal abuse to do it. These tactics have been adopted to stop us challenging Labour’s cosy little club and raising serious issues on your behalf. At the last meeting of the Council on Thursday 25th June we saw another example of Labour’s attempt to silence the Independent Alliance. The Mayor allowed the Leader of the Council, Cllr Iain Malcolm, to speak but refused to allow Cllr Jane Branley to do likewise. This was totally unconstitutional and Cllr Branley refused to sit down and shut up. As she spoke she was met with a torrent of abuse from Labour, Conservative and ‘Real’ Independent councillors, their howls and shrieks reminded me of a pack of rabid dogs. The Mayor suspended the meeting for 10 minutes and on returning Cllr Jane Branley refused once again to sit down and shut up. I repeatedly asked for constitutional proof to support the Mayor’s stand, this was not provided. I also questioned the validity of their attempt to force through a motion to remove Cllr Branley. The abuse became more hostile with threats being hurled at us from across the Council chamber. The Mayor then abandoned the meeting. However this was not the end of the incredible behaviour of Labour, Conservative and ‘Real’ Independent councillors. A ‘Real’ Independent councillor yelled racial abuse at me and told me to ‘Get back to where you came from’! This astonishing incident of racial hatred was clearly heard in the public gallery and throughout the Council chamber. Cllr Geraldine White was physically assaulted by a Labour councillor in front of a reporter from the Gazette, the Council’s press officer and Cllr Branley. Both incidents have been reported to the Police and are now with the Crown Prosecution Service.

AND WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE GAZETTE? Some readers may have seen this picture in the local ‘newspaper’, this was a deliberate attempt by its ‘editor’ John Szymanski to tarnish my reputation. Now the Labour party has used the same picture in their Westoe newsletter in a desperate attempt to blacken my name, a bizarre act by desperate people - I live in, and represent the Beacon and Bents not Westoe! Well it’s time I explained the events behind the picture and unlike Mr Szymanski, I believe that the vast majority of fair minded people will not be fooled by the disgraceful behaviour and antics of the local rag. But if the picture offends anyone, please accept my sincere apologies. On Friday June 17th I contacted South Shields Police station following allegations of common assault made in the Gazette, something I knew nothing about until a Gazette reporter contacted me after the paper had gone to print to ask me for a comment. I then contacted the police and made an appointment to see them the following day at 11.30am, I told only 2 people. The only other people that knew about my appointment were the police. Given the Gazette’s tendency to stalk people, I decided to arrive early and not park my vehicle at the police station (I used the Wickes car park). Gazette photographers often get sneaky pictures of people leaving the station and MPs expenses have rightly been in the headlines the courts by hiding in a variety of locations. I was at the station for and just about everyone I speak to is appalled by the about 4 hours before leaving of my own free will, without being ardisgraceful and shameless antics of some of our polirested, bailed or charged. As I left the building I looked around to see ticians. Well it seems the greedy pigs in Westminster if I was being stalked by a Gazette photographer. I headed towards are not the only ones with their snouts in the trough! Station Rd and as I crossed the road (I was in the middle) I noticed Not to be outdone by their Parliamentary colleagues, a green car with its window down and a camera lens protruding some of your local councillors appear to have rather from it. The car was tucked in a corner of the car park and was large snouts too. The 3 Conservatives claimed £7214, partially obscured by shrubs. I looked directly at the vehicle and Labour councillors claimed £15,604, compare this to recognised the person as a Gazette photographer. I was shocked the £1,406 claimed by 9 Independent Alliance to see him as no one other than the police and the 2 people I councillors (I claimed nothing). told knew I was there. This could only mean that the police or These amounts relate to expenses and do someone associated with the police had tipped off the Gazette. not include any allowances paid. No one knew how long I would be at the station for, so the photographer must have been either stalking me shortly after I arrived or had been following me. The photographer was clearly acting on the editor’s instructions and I wanted to make sure that Mr Szymanski knew exactly what I thought of his devious and underhand tactics which some would construe as gutter journalism. The Independent Alliance is putting the finishing touches to its It’s this sort of behaviour that may explain the Gazette’s decline! new website and hopes to launch it by mid August. The new site I had no doubt that the editor would use the photograph and thank includes much more information about the Alliance, incorporates him for doing so - at least people know exactly what I think of his a blog as well as several other features which we hope will allow editorial style and judging by the Gazette’s dwindling readership the Independent Alliance to engage with local people and raise (circulation has almost halved under his ‘leadership’) many of you their awareness of local politics and its impact on our everyday are of the same opinion. lives. For more details visit www.achanceforchange.co.uk

Expenses

A CHANCE FOR CHANGE

OUTDOOR PLAY Every Monday between 4pm to 6pm the council runs a FREE outdoor play event for 5 to 14 year olds at North Marine Park (top end). Activities include outdoor games as well as arts and crafts. For further details contact Adam on 0191 4234580 or turn up on the day.

Gazette Watch

It’s right what they say; standing up to the local Labour councillors and their ‘allies’ is a tough task especially when the local press are in the pockets of the council. But that doesn’t mean we should shy away from it. The common perception has always been that if you speak up you’ll suffer, particularly if you are a council tenant, run a business or if you are a council employee. This fear is so widespread that when council employees want to report fraud, electoral irregularities, management abuse or a waste of public resources, they often don’t for fear of victimisation. Whistle-blowing legislation is scant protection and the local media is so far up the backsides of the ruling Labour group that it can no longer be trusted to protect the anonymity of its sources. This means that people are forced to give anonymous briefings or leak information to opposition councillors. Most people cannot help but notice that there has been a marked shift in the Gazette’s editorial policy which has left many people wondering whether the Gazette is just an extension of the council’s press office. You will have noticed how ‘pro Labour’ and in particular how ‘pro Iain Malcolm’ the local rag has become, it’s even referred to as the Malcolm Fanzine in some quarters! In fact the editor of the Gazette has allowed our once proud paper to get so embroiled in the Labour party machine that neither he nor the Gazette no longer pretend to be fair and unbiased, it’s

join me on

TWITTER

Back in March I became the first councillor in South Tyneside to use Twitter in an effort to engage with local residents and to provide people with regular updates about my work as a councillor, upcoming meetings, personal opinions and a few snippets about what else I get up to. You can find me on Twitter at www.twitter.com\councillorkhan Unfortunately my enthusiasm for Twitter is not shared by everyone in the town hall, senior officers, no doubt under instructions from the leader, have decided to ban access to it from council owned computers because and I quote “it can expose the Council to negative publicity”. In other words, if they can’t control it they don’t want it!

now just another tool for the local Labour party to use to silence the opposition. When the Labour Group cannot interfere in your life directly, they will stop at nothing to damage your reputation and the best way of doing this is to use the Gazette. To use a political metaphor, they must first kill the name before the person. South Tyneside Council is one of the biggest spenders with the Gazette (it spends around £100,000 a year on advertising etc). The Gazette reporter has a privileged seat in the Council chamber right by the centre of the action yet the coverage of scrutiny of the Labour Group by opposition councillors is barely evident. Can you find any references in the Gazette to the £10.9 million pounds lost in council contracts? Or the £6 million payment made to 2 former employees of Newcastle Airport approved by the council leader? What about the £3 million pounds that should have been spent on a flood defence scheme and was moved to another budget? Then there’s the small matter of a council employee selling millions of pounds worth of Tyne and Wear pension assets so the money could be reinvested elsewhere, all done without any reference to elected members? What about the overspend in Adult Services? Or the imaginary 1000 jobs that was going to be created at the Garlands Call Centre? These issues (and dozens like them) were raised by me and other opposition councillors at numerous council meetings, all to no avail - so why bother sending a reporter? Of course, for an individual to criticise the Gazette, like criticising the Labour Group, is an action not to be undertaken lightly! Lets face it, Labour has ran this town into the ground and no matter how much spin and gloss they put on it and no matter how many ‘awards’ the council wins, they are not going to stop me standing up for what is right, nor criticising them or holding them to account no matter how much they attempt to blacken my name. If your going to ‘wrestle with pigs, you must expect to get covered in muck’. From now on I will be keeping a close eye on everything the Gazette does. I will be monitoring the stories it publishes, the mistakes it makes, the half truths and innuendos it reports on and will publish details in my newsletters and on the Alliance website. I will provide details of the letters it refuses to publish and let you know about the stories it fails to cover, like the one where the council held a civic reception for the Gazette at your expense but then deliberately kept silent about it. I will also provide you with details of the editor’s ‘troughing habits’, he loves nothing better than a plateful of sausage rolls, providing someone else is paying!

Double STANDARDS Until 2008 the Standards Board of England (based in London) was responsible for administering the Councillors Code of Conduct. In May 2008 this responsibility passed to local council standards committees who became responsible for receiving complaints about a councillor’s conduct. People expressed concern that the new system would be used by the ruling group to silence the opposition and stop any criticism. Others were concerned that the new system would be used for political purposes by those in power. In South Tyneside the only effective opposition to Labour is the Independent Alliance & you’ve guessed it, the Alliance has been deliberately excluded ADVICE SURGERIES from the Standards Committee and is not allowed to play any part in After a year of experimenting with different implementing the code. Could this be because the ruling Labour group times, days and venues for my Advice and their ‘allies’ are afraid we will find out what they really get up to? This Surgeries I have now implemented my committee takes a secretive approach to public standards and holds all it’s findings. With immediate effect, my weekly meetings concerning the conduct of individual councillors behind closed Advice Surgery will be held every Saturday doors. It never reports it’s finding publically and despite provision in the at South Shields Town Hall (please use the council’s constitution that allows any councillor cleared of misconduct to ask for Beach Rd entrance) between 11am - noon. a press release to be issued, they won’t. The Monitoring Officer (the council’s If you can’t make it, don’t worry I am happy solicitor, Brian T Scott, the same person responsible for the missing ballot box to make home visits on request. debacle) wriggles like a maggot on the end of a hook in an effort to get out of issuing a press release in case it upsets the ruling group. Now compare this to these allegations made against Independent You will not be surprised to learn that since the responsibility Alliance Councillors: the editor of the Shields Gazette, John for the code passed to South Tyneside Council, there has Szymanski lodged a complaint after his biased reporting was been a huge rise in the number of complaints and most criticised in our newsletters. Ironically he was appointed regional of them involve members of the Alliance. If by challenging the chairperson of the Society of Editors whose core beliefs include ruling group, as we do, by asking searching questions, refusing recognition of the universal right to freedom of expression, the to accept Labour’s deliberate and calculating manipulation of importance of the vitality of the news media in a democratic the system and by giving you an alternative view to the verbal society, and the promotion of Press and broadcasting freedom diarrhoea and spin that emanates from the town hall, it means and the public’s right to know. We were also reported for we get reported to the Standards Board, then so be it. The people talking about a local political blog called www.mrmonkeysblog. elected us to challenge the cosy little member’s only club wordpress.com which attacks the ruling group, its supporters and we intend to do just that! and exposes things that the council would rather you didn’t know In the past year or so these are some of the allegations made about. Other complaints included spreading rumours, taking part against Labour councillors: wife beating, assault, bullying in protests, failing to respect fellow Councillors and commenting disabled members of the public and council officers, about a ‘Labour friendly’ resident’s group in a newsletter. victimisation, intimidation of council officers, drink driving, Guess what? The Standards Committee decided to election fraud, financial irregularities involving multi million investigate all these allegations! pound payments to 2 former directors of Newcastle Airport, I have now decided that enough is enough and I am sick and failure to respect councillors, members of the public and council tired of the double standards that appear to have been adopted officers. What action did the Standards Committee take? by those charged with ensuring fair play. I have asked for a Absolutely nothing. review of the role of the Standards Committee and have made it clear that whilst I accept the need for a code of conduct its time these ‘kangaroo courts’ were stopped and that the whole process was opened up to public scrutiny to stop the cynical manipulation For nearly a year I have been constantly asking questions and political gerry mandering by the Labour party. I have about what will happen to the old Asda car park once nothing to hide from the public, but I will no longer be party Asda moves. The answer has always been the same, it to a system that was designed to increase public confidence and will remain as a car park because of a planning condition accountability in local government yet does it’s upmost to keep attached to the site. Judging by the barriers that have things hidden from them. been erected the ‘condition’ appears to be worthless The Standards Committee will continue to have my 100% unless the council takes enforcement action and this is co-operation providing the details of any complaint against me not going to happen, instead it looks as though it will are made public and that any subsequent investigation and remain closed. hearing is held in an open forum so that anyone that wants to attend can do so.

Old Asda

YOU CAN CALL COUNCILLOR KHAN ON: 07827 305162 or 0191 456 0326. Email him at: [email protected]