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)