Frequently a hairy bone of contention, RAW's crystal ball has been rubbed often this year and the predictions have proven to be bang on. Here, here, and here.
Cllr Alan Taylor has resigned as Leader of the Council. Although he denied being a sick man to the Ob recently, the Ob was quick to point that out to add mystery to his resignation. Not a retirement from council - just from leadership. The critics are already out with odd suggestions about him now being help the courts with evidence in fraud trials and the like.
If this resignation was made into a musical, would it be based on Carousel? Could a hairy man in a tight pair of trunks sing "you'll never walk alone"? Or would it be based the songs of 70's swingers' favourites Abba? "money, money money"? Has Alan met his Waterloo?
Local Lib Dems are eager to say Alan wasn't pushed. Oh no, he gladly surrendered his fat wad of extra council allowance to take the pearl handled revolver left on his desk.
The praise for Caesar was swift. Paul Rowen and Pat Flynn both used the word "fantastic" to describe their council leader who had just been stabbed in the back.
Alan was humble in his statement: "I am known as a workaholic". Indeed Alan, for those who can remember you in your fruit shop back in the halcyon days when a bunch of bananas could be had for a shilling, you were well known to be hard at it with your staff. A proper little menage a trois with all manner of plum polishing and melon fettling going on. Where did he get the energy to be Cyril Smith's parliamentary agent as well? All those skeletons in that cupboard won't look after themselves.
Like greedy rellies at a will reading, is there now an undignified Rush to grab Power by the balls?
Alan leaves mystery over his political legacy as Leader of the council.
The statement distributed by Adam Power has already raised a few wry smiles with his fellow Lib Dem councillors. Alan - with friends like that, who needs enemies?
"When I became leader of the council I had a clear set of priorities for our borough, which I feel we have achieved successfully".
Success?
Muddy fields at Kingway Business Park? A proposed tram that has demolished old folk's homes and set to make some property speculators very rich? A failed town centre tendering process. Directorship of Rochdale Reform Buildings Ltd - landlord to Paul Rowen's constituency office claimed for out of Parlimentary expenses and an "independent" rent valuation by fellow RRB shareholder Keith Crossley. Undisclosed cash donations from local businessmen that have done rather well from the disposal of council assets and planning applications?
Has RAW done what Cyril's mum was famous for and had a rummage through the Town Hall bins? Have we found a scrumpled up peice a paper?
Are the doodles and scribbles some sort of code? A crudely drawn cock and hairy balls? The words "creativity" "management" "success" "change" and something that remembles a knock off Gucci symbol?
Whatever could it all mean?
13 comments:
Hennigan is posting that he supports Month Sharif which means he has absolutely no chance but it is his clumsy way of placating the asian vote. Irene will just try to quietly play the safe and dependable card but she will struggle as those briefing against her characterise her as a big useless lummox.
Paul Rowen and Adam Power are working their cute cotton socks off for Greg. The hairdresser thinks this is because he is seens as dynamic, creative and successful. The vain tit doesn't realise that the real reason why Alan was pushed to give Greg a chance was that he is seen as someone certain businesses can do business with.
Rochdale is on its arse. Does it really need more secret deals and corruption?
That should read Mo not Month Sharif.
Freudian slip given that Month has got less than a month before his life and career takes a different course thanks to those working for Her Majesty
There I go with that Month again.
And what a month!
Nick Clegg comes to town to a party with no head. But who wants to give Rochdale Lib Dems head?
Alan gone.
Dave Hennigan trying to make a second coming
A festive scene at Drake Street- a donkey,plenty of sheep, a shepherd with too many crooks father Christmas still in hospital when any other mortal would have been moved into care or other high dependancy facilities.
No sign of any wise men.
Why did Paul Rowen turn on Alan?
Why was Adam Power, Greg Couzens and Dale Mulgrew doing their best to brief against their Leader?
This has been the worst kept secret in the town since Cyril and Cambridge House.
so who is leading the Decemberist revolt?
Are all Rochdale Lib Dems revolting?
Alan Taylor has been ill for a while. Irene Davison has deputised for over 18 months. He is still to stand for election in 2010 as Healey Ward councillor so the excuse of slowing down from being a frenzied workaholic is a spin too far, nay dishonest, and is an insult to the intelligence of the voters of Healey.
It is clear that Alan Taylor has been briefed against for over a year. If Greg Couzens, Dale Mulgrew and Adam Power deny it then they are liars. Someone should ask them and see if they will deny what what have said (and written) in the past about Alan Taylor and his effectiveness and suitability to be Leader of Rochdale Lib Dems on Rochdale Council.
Those with eyes to see and ears to hear who have been involved or reported on Rochdale politics know all about this. The attempts at damage limitation and the excuses being given to defend the secret vote of no confidence that ousted Alan Taylor are just more examples of media manipulation and spin by a bunch of politicians who spend more time and effort on massaging the message rather than dealing with the substance of local issues.
The legal threats that the Rochdale Observer have received from Rochdale Lib Dems is the best example of this.
The demise of Alan Taylor that was posted on the Rochdale Observer website has been making waves. Word buzzing round a certain office is that the tone of a peice that questioned Alan Taylor's recent denials about ill health followed by the emerging reason for Alan stepping down due to ill health had Drake Street HQ livid.
The threats and tactics being used by Adam Power and others involved in Rochdale Lib Dem politics demonstrates that they are losing grip- of influence, respect and reality.
The Rochdale Observer have started abbreviating the word councillor to coun.
That is very brave of a Gaurian Meida Group organ given their past typological prowess...
Coun to c*nt in one slip of the typeface.
Probably appropriate for some of them
At the Nick Clegg meeting lat night c*nt Taylor was sat all on his own and not one of the current crop of Lib Dem c*nts spoke to him throughout the night.
Looks like they have had a nasty falling out now doesn't it?
not a bunch of happy campers.
none of this bunch can reunite the local party- they are just a bunch of oddballs and deviants.
poor Rochdale- the town needs better that this bunch of dodgy weirdos.
Is there a link with the attempt to remove Angie Koric with Alan Taylor's unhealthy demise?
Have loose lips after a few sherberts revealed some of why Dave Hennigan went? More of a grand gesture to be seen to be distant from the old Rochdale Fib Dem bunch?
Could this be a way to rescue the future career of the person who got Paul Rowen his seat and a Lib Dem majority on the counci if things go badly in Rochdale?
Paul's parting gift to his spin doctor?
It seems that Angela Coric has been deselected already, although "senior Lib Dems" are calling foul and saying the meeting at which she was deselected was not properly constituted. The speculation is that Sharif is behind the moves to ditch her.
This causes a very major headache for Rowen.
Angela Coric and Rowen go back donkeys years - at least 25 years. She has been a loyal and unstinting servant of Paul Rowen for all this time. She is very, very close to Rowen. Who did she choose to be her mayoress in her mayoral year? - None other than Rowen's mum, Kathleen.
But, on the other hand, can Rowen really afford to support the overturning of her deselection and to seriously piss off Sharif and his coterie who carry many votes in the Asian community? Sharif was key to Rowen winning in 2005 and he knows this.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out. Will Rowen support a woman who has loyally worked for him since the early 1980's or will he support a self appointed kingmaker who perhaps has gotten just a little too big for his boots?
or will this debarcle be the ideal excuse to allow Sharif to exit stage left?- chased by a bare Alan Taylor.
Many of these in-fighting Lib Demmers have the seeds of each others demise and destruction.
Will some get consciences and come clean? Will some have to? If they don't what options do they have?
poor Greg didn't even get anywhere close to being Deputy. His buddy Dale got the job instead.
Whatever happened to Project Afleck?
Is it still happening or has Greg spat his dummy out now he didn't get the boss job?
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