There are times in this world when one would be well-advised to take the punishment gracefully.
When Councillor Steve Hurst (Lib-Dem, Wavertree, Liverpool) was convicted for offences under the Representation of the People Act, for distributing deeply unpleasant, libellous and personalised attack leaflets, under the duplicitous name of another party, he should have taken his punishment on the chin.
Instead he insisted on appealing to a higher court and his party and his leader insisted on holding his seat on the cabinet in Liverpool City Council open for him, pending such an appeal.
Today the council leader is facing a reshuffle, despite his hopes and prayers. Councillor Hurst's appeal was slapped down.
So, the case has been heard today at Liverpool Crown Court. Not only did they uphold the original findings, but the judge went on to say "not only have you brought discredit to your party, but you have also brought discredit to all politicians" or words to that effect. And "This was dirty tactics of the worst kind".
It will be properly covered in tomorrow's papers and you can check what they reported the Judge as having said. My quotes come from someone in the viewing gallery.
I live in Wavertree ward in Liverpool and I expect better from my representatives.
It is shameful to us who live here, to have a man like this representing us. I call upon him here today to resign and allow a byelection whereby we the people of Wavertree ward can vote for a new, ethically clean and decent representative to stand up for us in the council chamber.
2 comments:
Very well said. The previous coverage of this case in the Echo cconcentrated on presenting the person found guilty as the victim! Citing the pressures and starins upon him and his family and almost ignoring the slurs against the real victims. It has to be remembered as well that Mrs Hurst was worried about his job in the fire service and pension as they are hoping to retire to Australia!!
So why the hell is he making decisions abou the future of the city in the first place? I think the main worry was loss of the income as an Executive Board Member. i hope there is an apology along with the resignation and either one from Bradley or a public acceptance of the verdict.
He has already been found to be lacking in judgement and naieve by the standards board. It is an opportunity now for him to show some integrity by accepting the rule of law, as he expects citizens of this city to do or to admit that he along with other character witnesses from the lib dem leadership, Mr Storey, Lady Doreen, Mr Eldrige allowed themselves to be duped.
The fib Dems have done the city a great dissservice by leaving a position vacant on the executive board in the vain hope that Cllr Hurst would win his appeal. I hope the voting public in Liverpool are reminded of this fact at election time.
On the misddeeds of Cllr Hurst, I have already previously said all that I wish to on this subject, save to say that I think the Waltons are the real victims in all this, and from what I have seen, they have conducted themselves impeccably in this matter.
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