At last ! - some interest in Kingsway Business Park !!!

Kingsway Business Park.
The £350 million "field of dreams" that has become a failed muddy field of nightmares.


They built it, but no-one has really turned up. Until last week when about 60 travellers wanted to pitch their caravans on the cavernous white elephant part funded by European Regional Aid cash and shedloads of grant money trousered by the Rochdale Development (sic) Agency.


Tens of millions of cash spent on levelling hundreds of acres accessed by empty roads.

Take a visit to see where your money has gone. You will feel like you are on the film set of '28 Days Later' or 'Omega Man'. If you are lucky, you might even see an overpaid suited RDA zombie or PR Agent staggering around chanting about "exciting times".

..."This is where the hotel was going to be before they pulled out", "JD Sports are very interested -if the price is right (and the jobs can be moved from Heywood)"...

With tumbleweed blowing past the "Marketing Suite" it is no wonder Travelling Folk had a go at camping on the massive empty site. It is a lovely, very quiet site, just off the motorway.

In today's Rochdale Observer, poor PR Paul Rowen as current "Liberal" MP came out with a raft of kneejerk soundbites bordering on the racist about the "traveller invasion".

Hats off to the Ob for their private joke. Beside the article is a huge photo of a ruddy faced Rowen with the words:

" 'Disgrace' : Paul Rowen MP".

A disgrace indeed. Several months on, "Banana Boy" still hasn't explained where his double bubble Councillor expenses went to. And there remains a huge black hole in Rochdale Lib Dem Party income and expenditure.

The current Rochdale MP's soundbites are another example of a split personality desperate for votes: Devout and Pro-Palestine yet beer swilling "In-ger-land" stout pub defender. An apparent generous donor (with public council expenses) to "Catholic charities yet behind the scenes someone who is trying to get a local Parish Priest "moved on".

PR Paul really does try to bat for both sides.

Local "Born and Bred" politicians love a bit of Gypsy bashing.

Given his own celtic roots and his employment, at huge public expense, of Dave Hennigan, one would think Paul Rowen would be more understanding of itinerant folk, of Irish descent, with no accountable means of support and varied abode?



Leader of the council Alan Taylor braved the chilly weather to join Paul Rowen in "slamming" the "disgraceful" travellers and doing "everything possible to ensure they move on".



The travellers were seen on a number of empty "bombsites" in Rochdale.
There are now quite a few in the borough.

Rumour is the travellers have a copy of the glossy brouchure from gold plated turd polishers - the Rochdale Development Agency. The impressive tome is called the "Renaissance Masterplan". Although full of "exciting regeneration aspirations" the sites that the RDA have got involved in usually turn into expensive muddy fields.

It seems everything this hugely expensive qualgo touches turns to shite. Perhaps John Hudson and the other grossly overpaid executives who waste public money could do with is some lucky heather.

Or do we all need some clothes pegs? Because the waste and mismanagement of Rochdale Council strategic planners and the RDA is starting to stink.

So, if the Travellers know about the other failed projects that have been 'touched' by the RDA 'magic', watch out for caravans in: Rochdale Town Centre, the old Akzo Chimical Works, old Birch Hill hospital, the failed Artisan/Barrett social housing project on the old Dale Mill site off Albert Royds street, the old Whipp and Bourne site in Castleton...

Those who love our town are sick of hearing lame soundbites from dodgy politicians that dare not scrutinise or challenge the real damage done to Rochdale by the inept, unaccountable, vain and grossly costly failure of town planning and "regeneration" .

The last word about the failure of the RDA and Rochdale Council should go to an unnamed spokesman for the Travelling Community:

"Wherever they go they leave a mess.

It is the taxpayer who has to foot the bill for the shite they leave everywhere.

They cost this town a fortune.

There are supposed to be laws to control this lot.

Can't they just bugger off and do their criminal shenanighans in another local authority ?

Half-finished building projects before disappearing with huge wads of cash?

They are just leaches on society -and have you seen the vehicles they drive?!"

Rochdale - libel threats, sex scandals and brown envelopes...

Lessons from history...

On this day in 1987 Jeffery Archer won a libel case.


Several years later, Lord Archole went to jail for perjury relating to said libel victory.



What is the Rochdale connection and what can be learnt from this sorry tale?

The hubris of Jeffery, the litigious politician, regarded a "brown envelope" stuffed with cash paid to a prostitute from Rochdale called Monica Coglan.


The sum of £2000 now has the moniker of an "Archer".



(perhaps 40p will henceforth be known as a "Rowen" - in homage to overpriced Parliamentary soft fruit paid for by the taxpayer?)

Anyway,back to the 1980's. A time of bad hair and dodgy suits...


(Greg Couzens- NB still a tit but NOT linked to this sex scandal)

Sorry, we digress. Back to the future and 1980's sex scandals involving Rochdale folk...

Pedantic Archer thought he was on firm ground. He knew he hadn't had sex with Monica Coglan. There was a lot of talk of an intermediary, Michael Stacpoole, as being the chap handing the cash over in Mayfair's Shepherd Market on that fateful day. However the real story is more complicated- scurrullous rumour has it that Archer himself was the intermediary for, a then, very high ranking cabinet minister. The ambitious author-cum-politician must be congratulated for his loyalty, silence and vigour in "getting on his bike" to defend this mystery recipient of Ms Coglan's services.

The lesson from the Archer perjury case is clear. Being smart with pedantry regarding libel doesn't cut it with the courts. Anyone who threatens libel and wins a pyrrhic victory must be spotless in character regarding the issues litigated on.

That is probably why Cyril Smith NEVER sued Rochdale Alternative Press or Private Eye over the publication of sexual abuse allegations in 1979. The best defence against libel is the truth. The truth hurts, and can be expensive.

Cyril Smith had to eat his words several times in the 1970's after threats to sue R.A.P. for libel.

Can Rochdale's current MP Paul Rowen be so confident regarding his recent pyrrhic victory over the Guardian Media Group's easy capituation over the Rochdale Observer's article on his controversial Parliamentary expenses?

Has litigious Paul Rowen ever signed a statement of truth or made an oath regarding his libel threats? If conflicting facts emerge about his Parliamentary expenses and Rochdale Liberal Democrat party funding then are those who have had to pay out and "apologise" going to have their day in court?

Journalists and news editors who have been threatened and silenced have long memories.



Some say that Paul Rowen has bingo-ing bananas. Has he made a gamble too far?

Is he drinking, alone, in the last chance saloon?

Rowengate: Art imitates life

Who would have thought a 40p banana claimed by Paul Rowen MP could have caused so much trouble?

It seems, as they used to say on Dad's Army- "they don't like it up em".




The 40p banana was one of the reasons Rochdale's current MP threatened the Guardian Media Group with legal action over the Rochdale Observer's reporting of his claimed Parliamentary expenses. Who bankrolls Mr Rowen's lame legal threats? Is it ultimately the taxpayer? It is if the cash came from his Parliamentary salary, allowances, expesnses or petty cash?

Or would the cash for Paul Rowen to threaten libel actions come from his second job working for a Ugandan property company- Corinya- A company with very close links to a Rochdale based UK company that rents houses and offices in Rochdale Borough - including an office let to Rochdale Council. Was this sweet little property deal done when Paul Rowen was Leader of Rochdale Council? Top banana.

Chris Paul has some excellent photographs of a protest by young constituents who thought "million pound Paul" and his bunch were bananas.
Rather than see the funny side and engage with his electorate, the stout defender of free speech and liberalism wasted police time by demanding an escort from the Broadfield Hotel Chamber of Commerce "breakfast" meeting.


Food for throught indeed. The banana is mightier that the sword.





For years, Paul Rowen has jumped on bandwagons with protests and campaigns. He swears he wants Parliamentary transparency and open governance. Yet he has a shadowy crew that have groomed many on the internet with lies, smears and innuendo. And it seems much of this crew are paid for out of taxpayer's cash. Parliamentary and Rochdale Council income - salaries, allowances and expenses? Cash into a slush fund paid in by certain local grateful or expectant "businessmen"?

Now the worm has turned. People are starting to question Rochdale Lib Dem tactics and actions. Constituents want Paul Rowen to come clean on his expenses, secondary wages and all the sources of his local party's income.

How does Mr Rowen react? With silence on the key questions. Or threats, spin and smears.

Rochdale Lib Dems love art. When Cyril Smith was in a spot of bother last year and calls were made in Parliament for him to be stripped of his knighthood, a 6 month old news story about a "new portrait" of Cyril was re-hashed to put the former Rochdale MP in a good light.

Cyril Smith is no oil painting and the unresolved issues about his time as a councillor and MP will not go away.

New street art might not be to the old spanker or his successor MP's taste but it makes a point.

A rat, with portcullis bling, grasping a 40p banana - done in the name of "Spanksy".

A homage to Banksy with a name that reflects the unresolved sexual abuse allegations about Cyril Smith and vulnerable young lads in a hostel?

(The serious claims published by RAP and Private Eye - who were never sued for libel?)

Portcullis bling? Has Paul Rowen used a Parliamentary design (with Crown) on the front of his (sic) Drake Street office in an inappropriate way?

Is the rat grasping the 40p banana on behalf of an unpaid intern?

Does the rat have a tear in his eye? Is is remorse or anger?

Do rats leave sinking ships?

Street banana art. Food for thought indeed.

Rowengate: Parliamentary expenses- the plot thickens...

On June 26th the Rochdale Observer ran a front page retraction and apology to Paul Rowen MP.

Although vague on the precise reasons why the Guardian Media Group did not stand by their original report on the current Rochdale MP's Parliamentary expenses, the Rochdale Observer front page and website on June 26th began:

"PAUL ROWEN has blasted ‘unsubstantiated and false’ accusations he used taxpayers’ money to fund party-political activity".

The rebuttal ended with a powerful statement in bold:

"THE Rochdale Observer would like to make it clear it has no information that Paul Rowen MP was using Parliamentary expenses to fund Liberal Democrat political activities and apologises if any reader got that impression."


Rochdale Liberal Democrat accounts are hard to come by. There is only one set available on the Electoral Commission website. This set of accounts related to the year ending 2005, the first year of Paul Rowen MP's tenure.

Signed off by local party Treasurer Cllr Mulgrew, Jimmy Cricket's son, they stop at 2005- there isn't any more.

The accounts speak for themself.

Click here for the the link to the published PDF on the Electoral Commission website.

Have any of Paul Rowen MP's Parliamentary expenses been used to fund Liberal Democrat political activities?

Rent- previously freely gifted but since 2005 claimed from Parliamentary expenses?

Printing- such as so-called "externally printed party newspapers". referred to in the June 26th rebuttal. But the Parliamentary expenses that have been published clearly show that the "Externally printed" Lib Dem party newspapers that Paul Rowen MP placed expensive adverts with were invoiced to an unincorporated organisation called the "Rochdale Liberal Democrat Printing Society"- based at...Rochdale Lib Dem HQ at Drake Street. Click here to see the invoice (at pages 12-14 of 34)

Salaries- the Rochdale Liberal Democrat 2005 accounts are crystal clear:

"...the local MP through his Parliamentary allowance now covers all such overheads."

Rowengate: MP and boy attack neighbouring parish priest

Recent gaffs and heavy-handed shenanigans show that the wheels are falling off Team Rowen.

40p bananas,



paid second job Ugandan shenanighans with links to Rochdale property speculators,

daft legal threats against the Rochdale Observer,

stampless "yoof" junk mail and Facebook mithering,

Feel Good Festival political hijacking,

all demonstrate the sort of weird goings-on from Rochdale's current MP that previously didn't get reported.

The nagging issues that dog Rochdale are very serious. They will not go away. The truth will emerge. One day.

Concerns over:

• Spin

• Corruption

• Cover-up
  

• Mismanagement

• Failed regeneration projects

and.... threats.

A few months ago, RAW reported on a late night attack of words Paul Rowen made against a Heywood Parish Priest. Writing on Rochdale Online's Forum at 2.06am, "devout"Roman Catholic Paul Rowen defended his "double bubble" expenses claiming when he was both an MP and Councillor.

QUOTE:

PaulRowen
Bronze Member


United Kingdom
138 Posts Posted - 23/05/2009 : 02:06:27

---

What I used my Councillors Allowances On

I've read with some interest the thread on MPs Allowances. Given what has been happening in Parliament in the last few weeks and the need for fundamental reform I'm disappointed at some of the comments.
in particular:

(a) Ian Duckworth - I appreciate that losing your Council seat to the Liberal Democrats TWICE is a personal disappointment and has nothing to do with the topic in this thread. If you cannot contribute positively to this discussion please shut up!

(b) HeywoodPP - as a Catholic Priest I am disappointed that you cast doubts on my honesty. I was a Councillor for twelve months when first elected an MP. I continued to Chair the committee that set up the IMPACT partnership. I played a full part in the running of the Council and attended Council meetings.

Crikey- so Paul Rowen is to blame for the seeting up of the Impact Partnership?! A "for-profit" organisation that has been screwing RMBC and Rochdale Council Tax payers to the tune of millions. (much more on that soon).


Back to the MP and boy attacking a parish priest...

Mr Rowen suggested that he was only doing both jobs for a year- until it was pointed out to him that he claimed the civic allowance for TWO years.

An extraordinary claim was then made by Rochdale's current MP at 2.06am Saturday morning . Late night internet typing that he seems to be now regretting:


QUOTE:

I made a voluntary decision to donate my allowance after tax to charities. I did not have to do this and my decision has nothing to do with council tax payers.

The bulk of these were Catholic based charities hence my disappointment at your carping critism. If you spent as much time ministering to souls as you should be doing I would have more respect for you.

However, in the interests of total transparency I will post up a full list of those charities over the weekend.

That was the last weekend in MAY. Almost a dozen weekends have come and gone yet Paul Rowen has posting nothing, zip, nada, about his "charidee" donations of the cash he received as a councillor whilst also claiming a salary, allowance and expenses as an MP (and a paid "consultant" to IDEA)...oh and a paid employee of the Ugandan arm of property company Corinya.

As fellow devout Rochdale Lib Dem Catholic family, the Mullgrew-Crickets might say..."there's more"...

It appears a boy (who definately doesn't work for Paul Rowen MP?) has been also interfering with the Man of the Cloth



Has Adam "The Machine" Power been using the t'internet at 142A/144 Drake Strett (sic) in botched attempt to get the parish preist of a neigbouring constituency "moved on"?

Paul Daly "Heywood Parish Priest" has alluded to the threats and political interference eminating from Drake Strett (sic). The sort of dirty shenanignas one would expect from a Banana Republic:

One such example, sent from a Rochdale Lib Dem email address, contained the lines:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have also been informed by two councillors that you have phoned them personally enquiring about my work.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

which is either an untruth by the two Lib Dem councillors, if they exist, or by the author of the email.

And

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
your behaviour is a disgrace to the Catholic Church and in my opinion you should seriously consider moving on.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

---

or the following text message sent by someone employed by Paul Rowen and paid for by the taxpayer:

quote:

---

One of the more abusive text messages I have received from local Lib Dems working out of Drake Street stated:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have kept a file on your behaviour over the last few years and will be sending it to your superiors as an example of breaking canon law and recommending that for the sake of your ever dwindling parish you make a fresh start.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The same Drake Street employee went on to say that I am an:

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
unchristian attention seeking man with issues
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Whilst "not working for Paul Rowen", Adam has form for using emails to interfer with the work of MP's in other constituencies. Its a good job he doesn't work for Rochdale's current MP - or else this would be a matter of parliamentary discipline.

So who does Adam Power work for and where does his wage come from?

Surely there is no cash from Rochdale Council allowances etc being used to pay this naughty boy's wage?

It is fair to say that the funding of Rochdale Lib Dems is a huge black hole.
Is that why Paul Rowen was so touchy with the Rochdale Observer on the matter?

The arrangements regarding:

• local, unaccountable cash donations- especially those "organised" via Cyril Smith,

• the rent arrangement between Paul Rowen's Constituency office and the local party,

• the inner workings of Rochdale Reform Buildings, Rochdale Liberal Democrat Printing Society and other shadowy unincorporated set-ups,

• the wages and employment arrangements of Dave Hennigan and Adam Power,

• the second (third+) wages and employment arangements of (Cllr) Paul Rowen MP,
  

• Paul Rowen's "charidee" involvement and payments.

all remain shrouded in mystery.


Perhaps a Priest should be called to exorcise the demons?

Paul Rowen MP- "Cheeky bugger" stealing thunder and raining on parade

The bare-faced cheek of Team Rowen knows no bounds.


The Parliamentary banana claimer and stamp free "yoof" junk mailer has been at it again via a Dave Hennigan exclamation mark strewn press release regarding Rochdale's "Feel Good" Festival.

Local people have started to see through these cheap media tactics with some constituents calling the current MP (in innocent old fashioned Lancashire parlance) a "cheeky bugger".

Paul Rowen claims that he launched "the biggest ever survey of Town Centre businesses". Those Feeling Good in Rochdale over the weekend did indeed see young eager surveyors handing out "I Love Rochdale" shopping bags. BUT- these youngsters were working for Rochdale Town Centre Management NOT the current MP.

The bare faced cheek of it!

Such shameless showboating is nothing new from the cheeky buggers from 142A and 144 Drake Strett (sic).

But bare faced cheek in Rochdale is a two way street. Sometimes it is hard to see the dividing line between the spin of politicians end and the unelected senior executive officers and associated companies and agencies.

Paul Rowen claims "developers are vying to build a brand new Rochdale Town Centre".
He forgets to mention the millions that have already been wasted on failed Town Centre tendering, a utter lack of proper public consulatation and some very dodgy property deals that have gone in a completely unaccountable way but using Rochdale taxpayers' cash.

As RAW has already stated, Rochdale is a town being Rogered. Rochdale Council Chief Executive Roger Ellis has never faced a ballot box yet loves to see his face in the press and council propaganda pushing the "exciting" regeneration of Rochdale.



As the wheels fall off the promised regeneration, the leaking unhappy seive that is Rochdale Council is full of rumours about the anger and paranoia of the Chief Exec and senior officers and managers at Impact Partnership and the Rochdale Development Agency to cover up the mistakes and failures with ever more eager "positive" press releases about "exciting times" promised for Rochdale.



"Jam Tommorrow"- paid for with about £2,000,000 media budget from RMBC, Impact Partnership, RDA and others.

Meanwhile, the people of Rochdale are being well and truly Rogered.

Existing shops are closing. The current shopping centres presently have over 25% retail voids. Drake Street looks like a bombsite. The outskirts of the town are surrounded by derelict sites and empty cleared land that already has existing planning permissions for office and retail development. Huge amounts of retail space, less than 20 years old and within sight of the Lib Dem HQ, has just been bulldozed.

The faded signs promoting our town by the ironicly named Rochdale Development Agency have the cheek to suggest the "Rochdale is Booming".

Rochdale has been failed by inept, failed, mismanagement. A moronic mafia of the mediocre that has cost us a bomb.



The bare faced cheek of Paul Rowen knows no bounds.

The "Feel Good" festival was an excellent idea.

It was originally planned as over 10 days of fun promoting Rochdale in a positive light. But there was an internal Rochdale Lib Dem fight that threatened the whole event. Rochdale Lib Dem husband and wife team Pat and Ted Flynns plus "Millionare" Hairdresser Cllr Greg Couzens wanted to scrap the entire Feel Good Festival. In the end, after civic shenanighans, the 10 day town centre event was cut down to a mere stump of a weekend.


a tit reckoning to be HM Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Many of those contributing to the weekend festival were unpaid volunteers that face the chop because of petty town hall shenanighans and the "exciting" Town Centre regeneration.

Excellent youth organisations including the Back Door Music Project and Skylight Circus are threatened by funding cuts and eviction at the whim of Rochdale Council and their buddies.

For years, Rochdale has been promised a Performing Arts Centre. (Dave Hennighan even had the bare faced cheek to promise to resign if it didn't happen). It hasn't be delivered but the overpaid "agent" remains.

And to add insult to injury, the hard work of volunters and lowly local staff members who worked on making Rochdale "Feel Good" gets hijacked by the same politicians and senior officers who have threatened and failed our town so much.

Rowengate: very naughty envelope stuffer...

Recently, Paul Rowen went bananas about published articles detailing his Parliamentary claims for a 15p knob of butter and strange fruit.

There is also a huge sum of Parliamentary cash claimed to part pay for an envelope stuffing machine.




£6000 pays for a lot of stuffing.

Despite his legal threats and gagging, mystery still surrounds the current Rochdale MP's office and staff expenses.

There are vague mentions of caseworkers but no names are given. Young Master Adam Power remains a Rochdale Lib Dem mystery- Paul Rowen is adamant he doesn't employ the young whippersnapper but that is probably because of the trouble Adam landed himself in when caught out briefing against Tony Lloyd MP.

But apparent strangers Paul and Adam are dogged by a photo showing them together in a compromising situation with a Lib Dem "Yoof Survey".




Adam had told his MySpace chums that he worked for an MP. His name is on the bottom of the Rochdale Lib Dem website as a promoter of the "Drake Strett" (sic) office. But Paul left the young man in the lurch .

So, if not funded by vague Parliamentary expenses, is young Adam paid from a slush fund of local mystery donations and contributons from Rochdale Counillors allowances?

This conundrum has come to a head with an article that has just been printed in today's Manchester Evening News.

In addition to a 15p knob of butter and 40p banana, it seems Team Rowen also won't pay for stamps for junk mail to young constituents.

The very naughty envelope stuffer ommited paying postage for a "yoof survey" letter.

As a result, a local young constituent, waiting for answers to job enquiries, received a Royal Mail notice that a letter was waiting for him at the local depot but would only be handed over if £1.27 in costs were paid.

Imaging the joy in the unemployed lad's heart to pay cash to receive junk drivel from the current MP?

But, as Cllr Mulgrew's dad might say..."there's more"...

Adam Power is a naughty boy. A few months ago he was been spotted, in a cunning disguise, with a scruffy older man, photographing fresh graffiti on the front wall of Rochdale Labour Party HQ, just before photos of said grafitti mysteriously appreared on Dave Ottewell's MEN blog.



Adam's shenanighans in trying to spike Tony Lloyd's comments on unrepentant spanker Cyril Smith got Paul Rowen into hot water with the Sergeant At Arms.

And there was also the mystery of the hacking of the open source Rochdale DLP website. In boyish high jinks, a photo of Gordon Brown was removed and a replaced by a Milliband. Within hours Dave Hennigan and young Adam were boasting of a upcoming scoop in the Daily Express.

But, surely expensive but moronic envelope stuffing has nothing to do with mystery web comments and shenanigans?

Perhaps?

Given the swift yet similar themed comments that have been posted on the MEN news webpage.

"Steve Cooke,Mark,Radcliffe., J. Peasmold Gruntfuttock, King of Peasmouldia, Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead, and Al Capone of Atherton" all taking a keen interest in an apparent non-story. Doth someone protest a wee too much?

Has someone had a cunning plan? Use a couple of computers and a few bogus accounts (with a few profile name changes thrown in) to spike the news article with criticisms about it being old/boring/un-newsworthy.

Have the spunky young Cadets got a MySpace or 2Facebook accounts?

Surely none of those IP addresses would never be associated in any way with 144 or 142A Drake Street?

Surely such daytime shenanigans would never be paid for out of Parliamentary MP or Rochdale Councillor expenses or allowances?

Could Paul Rowen and Adam Power or "J. Peasmold Gruntfuttock, King of Peasmouldia" put an answers on a postcard?

But please remember a stamp.

Rowengate: Batting for both sides?

Dave Hennigan has been hard at the booze again - with a new angle.

Not the horizontal angle he has found himself in,


or a cocky 45 degree angle some would find rude...


but rather a cheeky "Fat Les, In-ger-land, full pint, defend our white homelands" kinda angle.

As unpaid reporter for Rochdale Online, Dave has written Paul Rowen's defence of the English pub.

As overpaid "Parliamentary Agent" Dave has posted on the RO created personal website of Paul Rowen, the same English pub story.

It includes a lovely photo of Paul, with his thumb up, with John Kay- Rochdale Online director, lawyer, Rotarian (shurely not Freemason?) and Rochdale Chamber of Commerce big wig.


So the MP who only discovered Palestine in late 2008
and portrays himself as a devout, sober, godfearing soul to his Muslim constituents also panders to the baser, perhaps illiberal, elements who see booze and the pub as a mainstay of English and Western civilisation?

No wonder there is growing discontent within certain prominent members of his local party.

In fairness, "batting for both sides" is probably the sort of shallow politicking that many politicians with diverse communities have to do. It is just that Dave Hennigan and Paul Rowen do it with more bare faced cheek than others. Or is that because of the pile of cash a bulging Parliamentary Communications Allowance provides. A license to print money?

But, as Jimmy Cricket would say..."there's more"...

As the sort of straight upstanding chap that goes bananas over Rochdale Observer publication of his expenses claim for a 15p knob of butter and comedy fruit, one would think that Paul Rowen would go the extra mile to be "whiter than white"- especially when wrapping himself in a beer-soaked St George's flag?

When Paul Rowen spoke in Parliament to defend the English pub, he did not declare an interest in the Corinya Group of companies. He is paid by Corinya in Uganda. The British arm of Corinya - a seperate company - but one that shares directors and website, owns several local pubs.

Paul Rowen, the MP who has just discovered Palestine but defender of the full pint and English pub, paid by a Ugandan company that has close links to a UK company with the same name and website...that owns pubs.

Trebles all round! (and don't forget the receipt)

Paul Rowen MP- "Putting Uganda First" ?

As part of the Rochdale Obsever's front page "apology" to Paul Rowen has the headline

" I have always striven to put Rochdale first".

Oh, the irony of such drivel. Within days, the Daily Telegraph published details of Paul Rowen's second paid job. Cash and employment that was reported by RAW last month.

The Telegraph is clear about Paul Rowen's second job Ugandan shenahighans:

Paul Rowen

Lib Dem, Rochdale

Paid £1,500 last year as a director of a Corinya, a company investing in property in Uganda. He attends meetings in the east African country at least once a year.

£1500? Tax Free? Property company? Links with Property development in Rochdale and Rochdale Council contracts? Attending Ugandan meetings at least once a year?

As the wheels fall off the regeneration of Rochdale, with manufacturing industry and retail leaving our town in droves, Rochdale's current MP is "striving to put Rochdale first" by being paid by property developers, with strong links to Rochdale, to attend Ugandan meetings and Kampalan Rotary Club dinners with his second job income?

Unlike Cyril Smith, RAW doesn't beleive in corporal punishment. A naughty Paul Rowen must be punished by writing out 100 lines:

"I must strive for Rochdale harder"

Rowengate- Rochdale's current MP wins minor battle but forfeits war?

What an interesting few days.


Paul Rowen wasted one of his last Get Out of Jail Cards by paying lawyers Pannones to threaten the Rochdale Observer with libel. The Guardian Media Grope blinked and hung its new Rochdale Obscurer Editor and young reporter out to dry.

One of Paul Rowen's finest tactical hours? Or a crassly stupid move by a desperate politician who is damaged goods?

This hubris could take the heat off Team Rowen for the next few weeks regarding expenses, but a die has been cast. Those with influence in the media who have been threatened have very long memories.

Having the pyrrhic victory published in the Press Gazzette - this makes any further delving into Paul Rowen's activities a tad more newsworthy.


Rowen's comedic 15p knob of butter and 40p banana were claimed and repeated in the Obby's vague "apology". The question of office, printing and communication expenses and allowances have NOT been resolved - despite the clumsy gagging order .

The muttering within the Liberal Democrats in Rochdale and the Federal Party is growing. Yet the real scandals that will dog Paul Rowen haven't really seen light of day yet.

The real test will be how the Guardian Media Group handles future newsworthy scandals about Paul Rowen and the Rochdale Lib Dems - especially if they confirm that Rowen's libel threats were hollow.

Sleeze, incompetance, fiddling, corruption, criminality, sex abuse?

Will those with the power to investigate and publish now be scared off by cheap threats?

Or will they be even more resolved to get to the truth?

Only time will tell.