A non-story is currently being touted about an oil painting of Cyril that is to have the honour of being hung at Rochdale Town Hall.
As Liberal MP in the 1970's Cyril was a curious, rabid "hang em and flogger". All very illiberal - as if he was in the wrong party.
One of the greatest miscarriages of British justice was that of Rochdale man Stefan Kiszko. Jailed 16 years for a crime he didn't - and couldn't- commit.
As Stefan's MP, Cyril Smith was adamant in the 1970's- the man should hang. The problem with the death sentence is that there can be no successful appeal for the innocent. A short drop can kill the truth - sometimes an inconvenient truth.
Hindsight now shows serious failings of the 1970's police investigation of the murder of Lesley Molseed. Poor Stefan was a scapegoat. Was he fitted-up? Did people who knew better kept quiet?
Those who knew little exploited public fear and outrage for their own benefit.
Cyril probably didn't much thought into his hanging comments about his consitiuent. He had past form for simplistic gut feelings, shallow political opportunism and aggressive sniping.
That is the political legacy of Cyril Smith in Rochdale. Bluff, bullshit and bullying well mixed with cover up, murky deals and secret societies benefitting from the mess.
The allegations about Cyril Smith are clear. A hostel, Cambridge House, was founded in the early 1960's by prominent Rochdale Rotarians. At the time, Cllr Cyril Smith was heavily involved in local politics and youth issues. For some bizarre reason Cyril attended and participated in medical examinations of the young hostel inmates (lads aged 15-17). Cyril Smith has no medical qulaifications but it is alledged he squeezed the young lads' testicles in the guiding presence of the Rochdale police doctor Ian McKichan.
All the shocking allegations of Cyril Smith's sexual abuse were published by Rochdale's Alternative Paper (RAP) and Private Eye in 1979. Cyril Smith NEVER sued.
Imagine you were a young lad in Cambridge House back in the early 1960's. You are an engineering apprentice hundreds of miles from home. A grossly fat politician is known for visiting the hostel late at nights administering his own form of corporal punishment- using his massive frame to drag lads over his knee, pulling their trousers down and spanking their bare bottoms. Then the further humilation of the fat bullying councillor creeping back into your room, as you are crying in the dark, to wipe your enflamed butocks with a wet sponge.
What are you to do? Who do you tell? Who will protect you from sexual abuse?
Who can you trust or turn to for protection and justice? The hostel was founded by local Rotarians- the apparent great and good of the town- influential businessmen and politicians with links to Freemasonry. One founder was Probation Officer Bill Harding. Hard, influencial men ran the hostel. These men were feared by confused young lads who did not know what they had done wrong to deserve this sickening abuse.
How can a young lad, hundreds of miles from home, turn to the police when the influential politician abusing you walks in with the town's police doctor and engages in testicle squeezing? Even a young naive lad could understand the message- this grotesque man, Cyril Smith, can enter freely this hostel and sexually abuse you with impunity. If he can walk in with the police doctor and engage in unqualified medical examinations then he really has you by the balls.
All these years later, justice has not been done. Cyril Smith is heralded by some as a grand benefactor and godfather of our town. He founded the youth charity Rochdale Childer. Local Rotarians have been involved in the commissioning and purchase of oil paintings of Cyril. The NSPCC have benefitted from charity money from their sale.
Although not a pleasant oil painting, the portrait of Cyril, bought for the NSPCC by "silent auction", is to hang in Rochdale town hall?
Is it not a sick, sick world that such perverse historic injustices can be covered up this way?
18 comments:
Cllr Alan Taylor, Leader of Rochdale Council is currently fronting a campaign to highlight domestic violence. Good for him as such moves if not motivated by snide or perverse politicking. It is a ahame that it has taken Alan 50 years to make a stand for vulnerable people who are harmed in their home. Alan was Cyril Smith's agent for many years so he will know all about Cambridge House. Shame on him and others who have kept quiet for so long.
Stefan Kiszko was sold down the river by an appauling legal system.
"Defence" barrister David Waddington QC - what a guy... make an innocent man plead guilty but with the inconsitent defence of deminished responsibility. Innocent but allowed to rot for 16 years in prison branded a paedophine and child killer.
What did barrister David Waddington go on to do? Conservative MP, Minster in the Department of Employment- thanking Cyril Smith and Turner and Newall for their hositality when he visted the Rochdale Asbestos factory (but no investigation of the 1979 RAP allegations of Cyril Smith sexually abusing young lads in Cambridge House). Home Office then Home Secretary. A comfortable life as a Baron and a nice time in the sun as Governor of Bermuda.
Christ. With these injustices, if it was made into a film, people wpuld think it was too unbelievable to be true.
RIP Stefan Kiszko and Lesley Molseed.
Former Nelson and Colne MP, WBro Waddington and other East Lancashire golden Royal Archers have a lot to answer for.
What secrets do they keep in their pinnies? Who told them to what to do in their curious strategies in defending both Stefan Kiszko and the British Asbestos Industry?
Ludovic Kennedy- RIP a decent and well repsected man.
Supposedly "lifelong" Liberal Cyril Smith was a councillor and very active in the Labour Party at the time of the 1958 Rochdale By-Election.
There was no love lost between Mr Kennedy -a decent, kind, thoughful and compassionate man - and Cyril Smith- a pro-hanging, pro-corporal punishment, unrepentant supporter of the deadly asbestos industry and someone who was subject to shocking allegations in 1979.
30 years on, the accusations still stand- Cyril Smith never sued Rochdale Alternative Press or Private Eye magazine.
No wonder a principled compassionate Ludovic Kennedy was diplomatic but nevertheless would give "Sir Cyril" house room.
I also saw Malcolm Porno having his nob polished by some young strumpet at the Springhill Hospice fundraiser.
What a sad pathetic old man.
Paying his staff to be hired slappers.
He needs to get over his mid life crisis sad ego trip before it all ends in tears.
Malcolm Journeaux is also advertising Miss Rochdale with a pic of a moggel from Hastings!
So much for being a local champion!
Apparently there are 135 people in Rochdale currently on the sex offenders register.
Can you think of one or two that aren't but should be on it?
And on that thought, are there any former councillors who have been found guilty of having sex with underage girls?
Which Rochdale Borough Lib Dems have been making hey while the sun shines?
There may even be another if the following is anything to go by
http://www.facebook.com/stefan.cholewka
If they're his friends I'm a Danczukite.
By some cruel twist of fate the would be Sunday Sport snapper bares (pun intended) more than a passing resemblance to the naked rambler...
http://sundayfunnies.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/page_115.jpg
By some cruel twist of fate the would be Sunday Sport snapper bares (pun intended) more than a passing resemblance to the naked rambler...
http://sundayfunnies.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/page_115.jpg
Isn't his dog named after Chris Rea?
The man responsible for such classics as 'Wired to the Moon', 'Dancing with Strangers' and 'The Road to hell'.
How very appropriate.
Perhaps a little more creepy is the way his followers ingratiate themselves with fawning admiration. Could it be they too are looking for acceptance from their master?
Why will none of them just say "your photos are shite" and its just a dog lying down.
Now if the dog had taken a photo of Malc lying on the bed...
Ah, the old Mike Harding Joke.
Watching a dog lick its balls Mike once joked "I wish I could do that".
The dog's owner replied, "give him a biscuit and he might let you".
Porn-O is getting rabbid with posting photos. He has just put up "for discussion" some of the distressing ones he took of young women looking very distressed.
Does the sick puppy get off on that sort of stuff?
Have just followed the link to Stefan Cholewka's SitOnMyFacebook page. It seems that the vanguard of the 4th International is populated mostly by female teens from developing countries. Looks like you've been taking advice on Mail Order brides from your partner in crime, Mr Christopher J Paul.
Maybe that explains why you always make the same spelling mistakes as each other. Or is it because you are typing with just the one hand.
...Strange photos have appeared on Malc's Rochdale-on-Whine forum.
Don't know what the one of the young lass in the shower with a wine bottle is all about.
What next? A German shepherd dog standing in the pouring rain eating from a tin of Pedigree Chum?
Maybe one of the man himself sat naked on a bidet playing the ukulele?
The mind boggles.
The finalist have been chosen for Miss Rochdale. No doubt Journo el Porno is licking his lips and will be stocking up on tissues in anticipation for the swimwear section.
Craftly he has put himself on the judges panel, no doubt so he can secretly stick his hand in his pocket under the table.
The Drake Street sultans of spin are still at it pushing a non-story about Cyril. A tiny letter in today's Ob accompanied with a massive colour photo of the ugly mug who is no oil painting!
This is a relentless attempt to keep Cyril in the news. But few are interested. Those under 30 don't know who he is and many who can recall him mostly remember a joke of a man who became famous in national politics by being morbidly obese.
Then there are the older ones who know the sort of operator Cyril was locally and can see the poisonous legacy today with the self-promotion of lies, smears and threats.
A life in politics of grasping, greed and abuse that no amount of public promoted charity and phoney news stories and fake letters to the Ob will hide.
is it odd that the Rochdale Observer haven't yet published my comment about John Bright and Cyril Smith.
All true. All facts. But nowt in the Ob.
here is the comment not on the Ob website-
John Bright and Richard Cobden would be turning in the graves to see what has happened to liberalism in Rochdale over the past 50 years.
The late Ludovik Kennedy was a truly great Liberal who lost the 1957 bi-election. Isn't it ironic that one of the vocal supporters of Gentleman Jack McCann, the winning Labour Party candidate, was "lifelong liberal" Cllr Cyril Smith?
After Jack McCann MP's death in 1972, Rochdale was treated to Alderman Cyril Smith - a "liberal" MP that was pro capital and corporal punishment.
This was also the time that so-called redevelopment (demolition and concrete pouring) ripped the heart and soul out of Rochdale town centre. No wonder John Bright's statute was moved away.
Now the good name of Bright and Cobden is used to front a mystery trust that according to the Electoral Commission has donated money to Rochdale Liberal Democrats.
Who donated cash to the Cobden Bright Trust? How much? When? Why is it secret?
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