Now that he is (supposed to be, although you might not notice it) ’suspended’ from the Conservative Party, defector Denis Knowles is still putting propaganda through letter boxes – calling on the people of Seacombe to vote for his Party’s Conservative candidates.  Doesn’t that look pretty much like Party Political campaigning?     Let’s hope his imprint’s in order. 

He is also blaming Labour for his latest misfortune, following his Facebook publication about which so many people complained.   He writes:  “… I suspect much of it follows my decision to leave them when they tried to close Guinea Gap baths and Seacombe Library”.  

Err … who is he kidding?  Was there anybody more in favour of the closure proposals than Cllr Denis Knowles?  Let us assist his memory.          

Guinea Gap Baths and Seacombe Library            

1. He says now that he left Labour over the baths and library issue.  But he voted at the time, in Council, for Seacombe Library and Guinea Gap baths to be closed.  That is an indisputible matter of record.  Surely, if what he now says is true, that would have been the time to resign?  
2. Far from resigning he declared their closure would be:  ‘For the greater good’.  That is also a matter of record; it was published in the press at the time and he has never been able to deny it.  In fact the Tories taunted him for it in Council.
3. If he ever believed the proposals were undesirable why didn’t he say so at the time, and argue against them?  Cllr Adrian Jones did just that – in writing.  He suffered no ‘reprisals’ or detriment from his Party for making his views known.  Denis could have done the same.  He didn’t, so why is he now claiming that he was unhappy when he never gave anybody the merest hint of it?    Don’t the only verifiable facts suggest the exact opposite? 

Suspension from the Conservative Party          

His letter gives the impression that his suspension from the Tory Party (which accepted him without a single Conservative vote ever having been cast for him) was influenced by Labour.      

1. We would love to think we could have such influence over the Tory decision makers!  Sorry Denis, we don’t, so that won’t stick.
2. He was suspended by the Conservative Party.   Nobody else.
3.  His suspension by the Conservatives followed allegedly offensive comments on ‘Facebook’.  
4. When a veteran news reporter asked him about it, the reporter says Denis denied it – but the reporter had downloaded a copy.   So had others. Could it be denied then?

 We won’t ask readers to take our word for any of this.  Instead  we’ll quote Wirral’s Top Tory – Council Conservative Group leader Jeff Green who said, when he suspended Cllr Knowles:      

“There is only one thing worse than making a mistake and that is not putting your hands up and admitting it.”      

For readers to decide whether this is accurately reported here, they may wish to go to the following news links:         

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2010/03/31/wirral-councillor-suspended-after-anti-gay-remark-on-facebook-92534-26144312/         

and         

http://www.wirralnews.co.uk/wirral-news/local-wirral-news/2010/04/21/labour-and-lib-dem-councillors-team-up-to-call-for-conservatives-to-expel-denis-knowles-accused-of-making-homophobic-comment-on-facebook-80491-26279768/

Adrian opposed the closure of Guinea Gap Baths and Seaombe Library, to the Council and to the Charteris Inquiry

23rd February 2010

Wasn’t it interesting to see how well the Labour budget was reported in today’s Liverpool Post?  It is a budget providing huge benefits to Wirral.   

One of the really good measures is that Guinea Gap Baths is no longer even under consideration for review.  When defector Denis Knowles was publicly declaring the closure of the baths would be ‘For the greater good’ Adrian took the opposite view and made it clear in writing.  This extract was published on our website some months ago but in view of the good news now hitting the headlines it deserves to be repeated:

January 2009

To:  Leader of the Council

Dear Leader,

 Asset Review – changes affecting Seacombe Ward

You will know that as Mayor it is necessary for me to maintain impartiality over the changes proposed within the recent Professional Officers’ Report, the recommendations of which are the subject of public consultation.

Even though I know I cannot do so within a reply to the party-political campaign presently being waged I feel entitled, and obliged, to make my views known within the present public consultation exercise.  I therefore ask you to ensure that my comments as follows are considered.

I applaud the extensive public consultation and regret that another political party has used the opportunity for partisan campaigning when the wellbeing of Seacombe residents should take priority.

Guinea Gap baths should not in my view be closed unless alternative swimming is available nearby.  It is not necessary for me to argue the case for free swimming for children and pensioners as that is well known to be among the Council’s most popular policies under your leadership.  I therefore request a stay of this recommendation for at least some years until alternatives are available for further consultation.

Even if the present building is not viable the present library facilities in Seacombe could very probably be re-located rather than be withdrawn.  The Seacombe Community Centre, for instance, is potentially under used and there are other possibilities in existing council buildings nearby.  I believe lending and IT facilities should be protected in view of the high incidence of low income families and the high incidence of retired people compared with many other areas of Wirral.

Following the loss of Liscard Hall which (despite its name) was located in Seacombe but bordering closely on Liscard Ward, we have the remaining site.  I request that urgent consideration be given to using that site for the location of the new, and improved, facilities that are recommended for the area.   This would ensure that facilities are not removed from Seacombe, yet would not be inconveniently far for Liscard residents.

Without suggesting that this list of requests is exhaustive , as others this evening may well have further ideas that I could support, I would like you to take these on board.  I believe my proposals would allay concerns that have been whipped up by people who should put the good of the Seacombe community ahead of party-political campaigning.

Best wishes,

Councillor Adrian Jones,  Seacombe

Last night’s Council meeting saw the usual clumsy, ranting, long winded, motions from the Conservatives.  Oh dear they do go on!

Labour’s ‘Sure Start’

A Tory lady put in a motion on Labour’s “Sure Start”.  It was utterly misleading and replete with factual ‘errors’ – designed to make it look as though Labour (who created Sure Start) were its enemies.  Council threw it out in favour of Adrian’s amendment.  Another councillor also put in a (very helpful) amendment condemning the Tory lady’s ’scaremongering’ tactics.  

See our posting below on Sure Start - or log onto ‘Sure Start’ in the Tag Cloud on the lower right hand side of this page to read more.

Dangerous dogs

Adrian put a motion calling for stronger controls over the ownership of potentially dangerous dogs.  Despite the prevalence of so many uncontrolled, and so many untrained or badly trained, dogs on Wirral the Conservatives didn’t think to offer anything on that subject.  But at least they didn’t oppose it.

‘Own goal’ from the defector

But Adrian’s motion on dangerous dogs was carried with no support from defector Denis Knowles.  He didn’t support it because he didn’t stay long enough.  He left early, before most of the Council’s business was voted on. 

Before Denis’s slipped away early he did, however, make time for another ill-informed swipe at Adrian.  

Heaven knows who’s advising him!  Last week it was name-calling (Adrian being labelled ‘Old Greybeard’ who is allegedly ‘looking ill’ in one of Denis’s publications!).  This week he announced in Council (with all the court-room gravitas of an American ’soap’ lawyer) that Adrian was not mentioned in the Charteris report. Wow!  What a discovery.   And what did he want his listeners to infer from that melodramatically announced pearl? Had he been alert at the Area Forum meetings he would have recalled that this question has already been answered.

Yet another 'own goal'?

Forgive the mixed metaphor Denis, but you’ve shot yourself in the foot yet again with another ’own goal’.  Has nobody told you it’s entirely up to Sue Charteris to include, or leave out, whatever she likes? 

But what is this really about?

Is it sour grapes because when Adrian was making a coherent case, in writing, to maintain Seacombe  Library and Guinea Gap Baths, you uttered not a word to show any wish to retain these services?  

Is it so very convenient for you to now erase from your memory the contradiction that you were busy declaring publicly that losing both Seacombe Library and Guinea Gap Baths would be ‘For the greater good’?   

Meanwhile readers wishing to read up on all of the decisions made in Council can go direct to the Council’s website http://www.wirral.gov.uk for further information.