A reader has contacted me from Ramsgate to say that KM Extra this week has a half-page, no less, of South Thanet MP Steve Ladyman extolling the wonderful benefits that will accrue to Thanet from having a massive 3 Phase , or more, China Gateway built on our aquifer and vital farm-land. The song he has been 'singing' has been the same for the past few weeks. Gateway is good; all will be well and don't believe a word of the anti-Gateway campaigners. He seems to have gone out of his way to villify them.
On the other hand those who have been reading North Thanet MP's 'Views' in the past few weeks, on the same topic, will find a more cautious and balanced view and certainly no vitriolic attacks on 'campaigners'.
For those who find this unstinting support from a Labour MP for a speculative property company which expects to make many millions from its self declared speciality of gaining planning consents, odd, then I must remind you that it has nothing whastsoever to do with a perfectly legitimate political donation made in early 2007 by Ken Wills, a CGP director, to South Thanet Labour of £25,000.
The problem , as Dr Ladyman is finding out, is that the acceptance in 2007 of this perfectly legitimate political donation, with a CGP Planning Application in the pipe-line, automatically has the effect of 'tainting' whatever argument he makes in support of CGP, even if it was valid. His arguments in support of Gateway would have been far more respected without this donation.
I am reminded of Kipling here and a suitable mis-quote comes to mind:
" Once you have taken the Dane-Geld, you are expected to speak up for The Dane".
8 comments:
I wonder if the rules on donations needs revisiting?
Who killed David O'Leary? There is now a Facebook campaign to catch the killer.
Police have closed the case??????
http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=27420664130
02 October 2008 10:48
10.48, I have moved your post from deep in the depths of Strife and thank you for sending it. I am happy to leave it on this post so that readers can see it.
Bertie, I think you need to re-examine Roger Gale's website. He most certainly is critical about the "no" campaigners.
Thanks for that,22.35. Will go and have a look!
Re. Gale's View the other week in the Extra. I e-mailed him to point out some glaring inaccuracies in his piece and to say most of the conditions being put forward by the planning department wouldn't have happened without the work of the anti-group. I also asked for his article where he called for a public enquiry should Phases 2 and 3 go to the council.
Surprise, surprise. No response from him.
I am sorry to have to say this, but, would ladyman still be promoting the completion of China project if he hadn't been given £25.000 from CGP the developers? I very much doubt it, as his days are numbered and has a strong chance of loosing his seat to Laura Sandy's what has he got to loose, with all his money he can easily move away unlike the rest of us! Shame on you Steven Ladyman
I know for a fact Roger Gale received many complaints from the Campaigners as he had not invstigated any of the facts that had been put forward by the campaigners. Much the same as all the rest of the Councillors who voted for this planning.
But to be fair at the beginning of the said meeting, votes against the plan over rode the votes for, but that was before the Chairperson confused all members present they were asked no less than 3 times to vote. In the end they were so confused like everyone else present, I believe votes were made just to get home, as after almost 4 hours no real conclusion had been made. Councillors were not allowed to voice their dissaproval Ammendments were not even listened to and tempers were rising all around. The whole meeting was an absolute disgrace the verdict should never have been allowed.
Post a Comment