So Long, It's Been Good To Know You

What links Mike Storey & Nick Clegg today? Well, apart from belonging to the same political party, they'll also be toasting the departure of Warren "War Zones" Bradley from the Fib Dem leadership in Liverpool (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/apr/18/liverpool-lib-dem-leader-quits-row-son ).
Electoral fraud is a serious charge & it is one Bradley now faces. 
David Bartlett has republished Bradley's resignation statement (http://blogs.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/dalestreetblues/2011/04/in-full-warren-bradleys-resign.html ).
As parting shots go it captures Bradley's gift for self-delusion, self-pity & a tenuous grasp of political reality (not to mention tortuous syntax). He writes that "although I fully intended to stand down this May to persue my fire service career, I will be with immediate effect standing down as the Leader of the City Council Liberal Democrat Group (hooray I hear from some)".
Casting himself as a sacrificial victim (anybody got a cross for him?), Bradley continues:
"Sincere apologies if this issue causes you more electoral problems (I think the national party have already done that -- but I am now the scapegoat!), it is the last thing that I would want. Electioneering was never about me, but the Lib Dems in Liverpool, it is such a pity the same cannot be said for some."
Such venom, such rancour, such bile. Such a shame it had to end like this, eh, Warren?

Oldham Echo Links Up With Cameron & Clegg

Expect the Oldham Echo's editorial policy on the ConDem cuts to soften over the coming weeks. Why? Simple. They've jumped into bed with the coalition (http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=46972&c=1 ).
The government's Regional Growth Fund is hailed by its cheerleaders as the catalyst for private sector job creation (you know, those private sector vacancies that will suddenly appear while the public sector shrinks).
Along with the Western Morning News, the Echo will, according to the Press Gazette, "launch competitions inviting small and medium-sized businesses -- particularly those hit hard by the economic downturn -- to apply for grants. They will be run over an 18-month period and each paper will be empowered to allocate between £10,000 and £100,000 from the RGF to distribute to the winners.
"Press Gazette understands that each title will have at least £1m worth of grants to allocate."
Big Al Machray is quoted by Hold the Front Page (http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/campaigns/110413growth.shtml): 
"We are delighted to have won government backing for our campaign. We are planning to announce details very shortly."
However, there is a fly in the ointment for Big Al, a bloody big bluebottle actually, as Hold the Front Page's piece continues:
"Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has praised the Echo for the launch of its intiative...
"Mr Clegg said: 'It is absolutely fantastic that the Echo has taken the initiative.' "
Warm words emanating from a source that even Warren "War Zones" Bradley views as toxic are likely to make the minions on Oldham Hall Street (already uneasy about the whole charade) run to the bathroom.
The Regional Growth Fund, trumpeted by Cameron & Clegg as a successful alternative to the Regional Development Agencies, has been greeted with scepticism, if not hostility since its inception last year (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/oct/28/labour-attacks-regional-growth-fund-pathetic-fig-leaf ).
The notion of the Oldham Echo picking winners, as it were, who will suddenly create private sector employment to even ameliorate the fall-out from the public sector jobs cull on Merseyside belongs to the realm of Lewis Carroll. Alas, the farce doesn't end there. According to the Press Gazette, staff at the Echo "will provide 'mentoring, consultancy and business support' for the winning bidders."
So the business which sacked 100 local printers as it moved its printing operation outside Merseyside & which continues to lose readers will mentor & support the lucky winners? Poor bastards.
As one commenter on Hold the Front Page's article remarks, it beggars belief that Trinity Mirror should be chosen for this lunacy.   

Pleasing Their Corporate Constituents

Recommended reading: a piece by Peter Wilby in today's Guardian; it's unarguable in its case & cogently put as he considers the wider issues thrown up by the phone-hacking exploits of Murdoch's empire (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/apr/12/politicians-control-over-corporate-interests ):
"This affair is just one example of how politicians have lost the authority, the will and the moral compass to control corporate interests. They consider only the most modest proposals to bring banks to heel. They make it laughably easy for multinationals to avoid tax. They stand by as supermarkets drive out small retailers. They introduce 'reforms' to education and health that allow corporations to take over the provision, if not the ownership, of our biggest public services. The corporate sector gets what it wants. Why shouldn't Murdoch? It's business as usual.
"The Labour Party was once the political arm of the organised working-class. All three main parties are now the political arm of the organised corporate class. This is not a peculiarly British phenomenon. Almost every advanced democracy, and particularly the US, struggles to control the corporate sector. It is not just that politicians depend on its donations to finance election campaigns but also that they lack the staying power to withstand corporate pressure."

The Professor Has A Scoop

The Professor has the first draft of Warren "War Zones" Bradley's "we're all doomed & it's your f***in' fault" email to Nick Clegg: http://profchucklebuttychronic.blogspot.com/2011/04/exclusive-leaked-first-draft-of-that.html ).

Warren's Worried, Very Worried

An email sent from Warren "War Zones" Bradley to Nick Clegg has been leaked to the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-13043023 ). It urges him to pull out of the ConDem coalition.
It's a far cry from last May when Bradley was waxing lyrical about the protection the Fib Dems would accord the city, despite all the evidence to the contrary (http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/05/hes-still-there-you-know.html ): "[Bradley] said Liverpool should not expect savage cuts from the Tories like it suffered in the 1980s. And he added: '(Deputy Prime Minister) Nick Clegg has given me assurances that will not happen.
" 'Social justice that Liberal Democrats believe in will be a golden vein that runs through the coalition government.' "
Looks like that "golden vein" has well & truly run dry for Warren, as he contemplates the once unthinkable notion of Labour gains at the Fib Dems' expense in areas like Childwall.

An Unfortunate Discovery

Not before time, Liverpool Discovers have apologised for their unsubstantiated claim that Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech was penned at the Adelphi (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-12977162 ).
The, erm, brains behind the organisation now sheepishly admit they were taken in by our famous Scouse wit. However, I can provide Liverpool Discovers with this astonishing revelation about local history: Liverpool people have always been keen to hoodwink gullible souls from further afield who'll swallow any old crap.

Treating Hearsay & Rumour As Fact

Picture the scene: Liverpool in the early 60s. Crowds flock to the Cavern, Anfield & Goodison regularly attract 50,000 fans through their turnstiles & the planners assure inner city residents that moving to the new towns of Kirkby & Skelmersdale will be the answer to their housing woes. Meanwhile, in a room at the Adelphi Hotel Martin Luther King sits down to compose his memorable "I have a dream" speech (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk ).
Still with me? No, I haven't been on the Ossie Whites at Yates' Wine Bar, but I suspect a few characters in the city council, particularly those in the tourism department, may well have been. How else to account for the bizarre claim that Dr King penned his most famous address at the Adelphi (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/8426617/Liverpool-tourist-chiefs-stand-by-Martin-Luther-King-claim.html ): "The allegation has been made in a guide to a major art event entitled 'Liverpool Discovers', commissioned by amongst others, the city council. "A map in the guide shows how more than 20 locations where famous people were born along with places associated with celebrities and events in their lives.
"The guide proclaims: 'Martin Luther King visited his supporters in Liverpool three times, and the first draft of his famous
"I have a dream" speech is alleged to be written on Adelphi Hotel headed notepaper.' "
Note that word, "alleged". Here we have a jaw-dropping case of slack, lazy assumptions being tarted-up as historical fact. Forget the fact that no evidence has been produced to justify the claim.
The Telegraph report quotes the city council's defence, which is, by twists & turns, contradictory, defensive & puerile: "All of the facts we had came from a public consultation where we asked people to submit what they knew about Liverpool.
"They are not official; they are just things about Liverpool that many people may not know.
"As you will appreciate it is sometimes difficult to prove historical facts, and we have run the map by local historians to best verify what appeared.
"Although biographers such as those associated with Martin Luther King may not be aware of such a fact, with all due respect to them, that in itself does not prove it to be untrue.
"Many cities reference stories about their history that cannot be absolutely proven -- and in this case the word 'alleged' informs the reader that the fact is not set in stone."
So this "fact" concerning Dr King came from "a public consultation", did it? And I presume that describing this "fact" as "not official" is another way of admitting that it's complete bollocks, particularly when the local historians approached by the idiots who dreamt up this story have no knowledge of the claim & no evidence for its veracity. Moreover, the phrase, "to best verify what appeared" is code for "We know this claim is crap but we'll run with it anyway". There's also an obnoxious arrogance displayed towards biographers of Dr King; "with all due respect", the city council should issue an apology to them.
Liverpool has many links with America. Those links have been historically verified & the requisite evidence duly provided down the years. This claim is as bizarre as it is self-servingly squalid & it should be withdrawn immediately.

End Of The Road For Hicks?

Some may have blanched at my description of Hicks & Gillett's reign at Anfield yesterday. However, here's confirmation that the wheels appear to be coming off for Hicks in his own backyard (http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2011/03/kpmg_sued_for_giving_tom_hicks_clean_audit_a_year_before_525-million_loan_default.php ).

The true nature of this charlatan & Bush buddy should be clear to all. However, it shouldn't be forgotten that Rick Parry & David Moores still have everything to explain for their tawdry actions in agreeing to the sale of the club in 2007, Moores, in particular, given the £90m he pocketed from the transaction.

New Owners, Same Old Problems?

After the ruinous & fraudulent reign of Hicks & Gillett Liverpool fans could have been forgiven a sigh of relief for their unlamented departure & the arrival of John Henry's NESV outfit. However, in today's Digger column in the Guardian, Matt Scott warns that the club could conceivably be drawn into a conflict of interest which would delight the lawyers & dismay the supporters (http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/mar/30/roma-thomas-dibenedetto-liverpool ). The miasma of byzantine & secretive structures surrounding the club's new owners is detailed by Scott who concludes his piece by asking: "Why so secret? Surely fans are entitled to know who owns their club, whether they are baseball or football fans, because sometimes it just might have an impact on the integrity of a competion."

Is It The Final Voyage For Peel's Public Money Scam?

There have been further developments surrounding the "Cruise Wars" saga (http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/11/public-money-to-pay-for-ports-plan.html & http://condensedthoughts.blogspot.com/2010/03/peels-press-gang-plan.html ). It emerged earlier this week that Southampton's civic leaders have held meetings with ministers & mandarins in Whitehall (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-12880551 ) over Peel's brazen plan to finance a private project with public money. The BBC report notes: "The government is taking a new look at Liverpool's application, which had previously been rejected. "It needs to approve the plan because a £9m EU grant helped pay for its cruise liner terminal, which cost £20m." The "final decision" on this interminable farce will, the report states, be made "within weeks".

When The Vultures Swooped Down On Liverpool

Culture year. Remember that? Oh, come on you must, surely. It was the global event of 2008 & provided the foundation for a prosperous & idyllic future for Liverpool.

Well, that's what Oldham Hall Street claimed.

Sevenstreets carries a piece about a soon to be released film by the City Picture collective (http://www.citypicture.co.uk/ ) concerning the distortion, corruption & mendacity surrounding 2008 (http://www.sevenstreets.com/performance-and-film/capital-of-vultures ). Sevenstreets notes of the film, Liverpool08-Capital of Vulture:

"An unflinching, honest and --at times-- acerbic snapshot of where we're at, the documentary posits whether, in the wake of the Capital of Culture, the city's artists (so essential for the regeneration of run-down post industrial areas) have experienced anything approaching a legacy, or whether the event did little more than hijack their community for a year long knees-up at our expense."

I think we all know the answer to that one. The notion of there being an 08 legacy is as risible as that of Oldham Hall Street undertaking investigative journalism. That reality notwithstanding, Sevenstreets plays an unnecessarily even-handed approach:

"It's a thorny subject, for sure, and one that elicits more heat than light: there are as many versions of the 08 story as there were tattered flags lining Edge Lane. For some, it was a platform to showcase the city as a cauldron of creativity, for others a PR excercise of cliques and canapes that failed to ignite any real sense of inclusion or momentum."

Before it fades further into the realm of urban myth & sepia-tinted nostalgia, it's worth reminding ourselves that the heat elicited by culture year continues to emanate from Oldham Hall Street, the city council, the main players in the late, unlamented Liverpool Culture Company, the parasitical PR agencies, "Professor" Phil "Big Society" Redmond, et al. Any creativity within the city was either sidelined or ignored; community projects & initiatives in areas like Kirkdale, Speke & Norris Green were conspicuous by their absence from the city centre-based itinerary.

Culture year was little more than a Bread & Circus scam, dispiriting in its content & corrupt in its organisation. Don't believe me? Track Jason Harborrow down, if that's possible, ply him with a few drinks & discover the truth of that eternal phrase, in vino veritas.

Safe In Their Hands?

As well as Captain Ska's "Liar, Liar", this inspired rap was played a few times on Saturday's demo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dl1jPqqTdNo .

Not So Much Ouside The Bubble As Cocooned Within It

I'm happy to contradict myself. Having said that I wouldn't link to asinine articles about Saturday's march, I really have to do just that with a piece which reeks of ignorance, defeatism & stomach-turning timidity. In fact, this counsel of despair missive reminds me of the "dented shield" argument propounded by many in the 80s when Thatcher's cuts were facing millions. Want to know the provenance of this pale, pathetic piece? Look no further than the Daily Ghost, soon not to be a daily, according to those in the know. David Higgerson, author of the "Outside The Bubble" blog, pens a script that could have been issued from Downing Street (http://blogs.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/outsidethebubble/2011/03/will-the-cuts-protests-just-ma.html ) Higgerson writes: "Cameron, at around the time of the TUC conference in Manchester last September, alluded to the fact he wanted to work with the unions. Not much has been said on that since. It perhaps suits the unions to be at a distance from the discussions which are taking place about cuts. "But at the same time, if those doing the cuts aren't listening, to traditional protests, then surely the trade unions also need to move their positions too. The cuts are coming, no two ways about that, so how about trying to minimise the impact of those cuts. A little less King Kanute [sic], a little more Florence Nightingale." To which one can pithily reply, a little more standing up to the Tories, a little less planning for that trip to Dignitas. Or perhaps, a little more Terry Fields, a little less Neil Kinnock. Higgerson's dull, defeatist mantra stands in stark contrast to Nick Cohen's thoughtful piece in yesterday's Observer (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/27/nick-cohen-protesters-government-spending ).

Misreading The Mood

Today's reflections on Saturday's march in London have been as predictable as the tide. Most aren't worth referring to, let alone linking to, due to their synthetic outrage & puerile pontificating. Indeed, it seems that the mainstream media doesn't quite know how to handle a story like this. Even the Guardian's Michael White can't help balancing the march with the clashes that took place elsewhere (http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/27/britain-decent-demo-mob ). More perceptive observers are now acknowledging that the role of civil disobedience, as opposed to the trashing of Top Shop, is a tactic that will gain in currency & viability. As the cuts bite, the traditional tactic of marches may look insufficient; Ed Miliband (or "Ed Millipede", as he was called by one marcher) has stated his view that the ConDem cuts will prevail for the full term of this parliament. Such an opinion could look discredited & defeatist before the end of this year. Apropos the marchers, I noticed an array of banners & placards which deviated refreshingly from the stereotypical norm. One marcher at Waterloo Station held a placard which posed the cerebral, but intriguing question, "What would Gramsci Say?" Another was less subtle & damningly direct, showing a picture of Nick Clegg with the words "Rent Boy" underneath. Despite the many different reasons given by people for their presence in London on Saturday, & they ranged from the Spirit of Shankly group to the Women's Institute, one refrain was notable for its ubiquity: this is just the beginning.

The Big Society Comes To Town

Contrary to the sadly sensationalist BBC reports throughout Saturday evening, London was not in the throes of unbridled anarchy. I should know, I was having a pint just a few molotov cocktails away from the highly localised disorder in Picadilly. Regrettable? Yes, of course. Worthy of hysterical live coverage on the BBC News channel? You must be joking.

All Together Now

In anticipation of tomorrow's march here in London, I suspect this catchy ditty from last year will get an airing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQFwxw57NBI .

No Comment

Recommended reading: a piece by Dave Hill on the Guardian Comment is Free site earlier this month: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/mar/11/democracy-bloggers-tweeters-councils ).
Although it concerns itself with Barnet Council in North London, it certainly has wider relevance, stretching, ooh, 200 miles north-west, of London, wouldn't you say?

Leaving A Sour Taste In The Mouth

Those of us attending Saturday's march in London against the ConDem cuts (http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/ ) will have our numbers augmented by workers from the Burton's confectionery plant on the Wirral, soon to be closed by its owners. Indeed, the question of who actually owns Burton is raised by John Harris in a piece for the Guardian's Comment is Free site (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2011/mar/22/union-moreton-burtons-factory-jobs-video ).
As Harris discovers, the ability of Unite, the union representing Burton's staff, to establish the identity of the company's owners turns out to be anything but straightforward; global capitalism has, he concludes, made it necessary for a globally-organised & coherent programme on the part of trade unions around the world. Utopian, perhaps, but, as he ruefully remarks, Saturday's "march for the alternative" won't have one unless it recognises the necessity of an international approach. Problem is, such an approach is light years from both the understanding & inclination of the Labour Party & TUC leadership.
Illustrating the need for working people to broaden their case as widely as possible is the case of the state government staff in the US state of Wisconsin (http://huffingtonpost.com/news/wisconsin-protests ).

Royal Recognition For Procession Of Coffins

Steve Bell's cartoon in today's Guardian unflinchingly reflects the reality behind the decision to bestow royal status on the town of Wootton Basset (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cartoon/2011/mar/17/steve-bell-on-wootton-bassett ).
It's sure to stick in the craw of those who continue to support an illegal war in Iraq & an unwinnable conflict in Afghanistan, but that's their problem.

Daily Ghost To Go Weakly?

Far be it for me to rain on Trinity Mirror's parade as they bask in the glory of civic recognition today (all that lobbying paid off big time, eh, Alastair?). However, storm clouds are, alas, on the horizon in the form of Roy Greenslade's blog which today suggests that the Daily Ghost could soon be a weekly paper (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2011/mar/09/local-newspapers-trinity-mirror ).
Remarking on the Ghost's appropriately spectral circulation figures, Greenslade links to a blogpost by Steve Dyson, a 20-year veteran of the regional newspaper business (http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/blogs/110309dysonblog57.shtml ).
Dyson takes a dim view of the Ghost as a product in the market place, in particular delivering a forensic critique of the edition for Wednesday 16th February. Enjoy the wine & canapes at the Town Hall, guys.