In The Public Domain?

Thursday, 8 January 2026

Guest Blog - Friar Park Urban Village [sic]

A new Guest Blog from Sandwell Community Activist, Darryl Magher.

Friar Park Urban Village: Sandwell Labour’s Bold Plan to Build a Housing Estate Inside a Pollution Hotspot and Hope Nobody Notices

Because who needs clean air, functioning roads or a flood plan when glossy artist impressions exist?

Welcome back to Sandwell — the borough where “regeneration” seems to mean build something big anywhere you can get away with it, and assume residents will adjust eventually.

And now, the latest addition to the Sandwell Labour Collection of Dubious Masterplans:

Friar Park Urban Village

630 homes;

27 hectares of contaminated land;

No new schools;

No cross-boundary infrastructure planning.

And all neatly tucked beside the M6 at one of the region’s worst pollution hotspots. It’s a bold strategy. Let’s see how it plays out.

Air Quality: It’s Only Nitrogen Dioxide – Not As Though Lungs Are Important

The A4031/M6 Junction 9 corridor is, scientifically speaking, a vast cloud of airborne misery shaped like Wednesbury.

Sandwell’s own data record:

Legal NO₂ limits exceedances;

PM2.5 levels linked to serious illness;

High respiratory and cardiac disease rates.

But the council’s masterplan bravely tackles this with two highly sophisticated interventions:

A handful of trees (species and maturity unknown, but presumably capable of absorbing pollutants through sheer optimism)
EV charging points (ideal for all those imaginary Teslas hurtling down the A4031).

So much for the great conservation pioneers. Octavia Hill whispers warnings about the need for quiet and space, Rachel Carson spins in her grave, and Sir John Lawton calls for connected natural corridors.

Sandwell’s response: “We’ll plant two bushes and call it ecological enhancement.”

Traffic: The A4031’s New Career As A Permanent Car Park

The A4031 was already struggling long before Friar Park appeared on the horizon thanks to:

A Lidl supermarket with its own new junction;

Lidl’s regional distribution centre, firing out HGVs day and night;

Tame Bridge Parkway, a railway station so oversubscribed it should be classed as a tourist attraction;

Perpetual motorway works;

More housing than the road could absorb back when buses were still popular.

Now add Friar Park Urban Village [sic], serving-up an extra 400+ peak-hour trips. The council insists the impact is “modest”. Modest — in the same sense that a landslide is “a bit of soil movement.”

Contaminated Land: The EA Says ‘Steady On,’ Sandwell Labour Says ‘Hurry Up’

Friar Park used to be a sewage treatment works. A charming history, complete with:

industrial residues;

contaminated soils;

groundwater pathways.

and a rich cocktail of nasty chemical surprises.

The Environment Agency – whose job it is to prevent toxic disasters – is cautiously reviewing the permits. But Sandwell Labour and regional allies, however, appear increasingly irritated that the EA insists on doing its job rather than rushing to meet a political timeline.

Rachel Carson warned about this sort of arrogance decades ago. But the council seems confident that contaminated land will behave itself. After all, it has a deadline.

Flooding: Zone 1, But Only If You Ignore Everything Else

The strategic flood risk assessment says Zone 1, which apparently concludes the matter in Sandwell.

Never mind:

climate-driven surface flooding;

the River Tame’s impressive ability to distribute water wherever it pleases;

hard surfacing increasing runoff;

uncertainties around ground contamination and drainage;

missing catchment modelling.

If water does start pouring into the wrong place, the council will blame unprecedented rainfall, climate change, or possibly an administrative oversight. But certainly not the decision to build a housing estate on disturbed land in a sensitive catchment.

Green Corridors: Nature Will Work It Out, Apparently

A development of this scale could have formed the backbone of a proper cross-boundary green corridor.

Instead, the design approach appears to be small pockets of green, tokenistic planting, and no semi-mature woodland buffering.

Sandwell Labour has a touching belief that wildlife will simply improvise its migration routes across the motorway, railway and A4031. Yes, in Sandwell, even animals are expected to practice resilience.

Housing Mix: An Olympic-Level Missed Opportunity

Residents across the borough need:

accessible homes,

downsizing options,

bungalows,

and housing that meets demographic reality.

Sandwell’s solution: None of the above. The housing mix at Friar Park offers absolutely nothing for older residents looking to downsize, thereby freeing up family-sized homes elsewhere. It’s almost as if the council prefers keeping waiting lists high enough to justify future press releases.

[Skidder Note: Sandwell Labour styles itself as a "Borough of Sanctuary" for irregular immigrants. These folk also need somewhere to live.]

Schools: The Fantasy of Infinite Capacity

Secondary school capacity in the Wednesbury is full. The new SEND school is already full. Out-of-borough SEND placements are rising dramatically.

Under the disastrous Labour "Building Schools for the Future" PFI project, Friar Park was supposed to be the site of a new state-of-the-art school.Today, it’s a housing estate next to a motorway

Sandwell Labour's plan is: “We’ll deal with education after the congestion, after the pollution, after the flooding, after the infrastructure strain… or perhaps never.”

Cross-Boundary Planning: A Concept That Apparently Never Reached Sandwell

Despite the obvious interconnectedness of the A4031/M6 corridor, there is no Sandwell & Walsall -

joint transport assessment;

joint air quality modelling;

joint SEND or education plan;

joint ecological planning;

joint flood or catchment model.

But they do share something: a remarkable talent for blaming one another every time the A4031 gridlocks — which is every day ending in “y.”

Conclusion: Sandwell’s Development Motto Might As Well Be ‘It’ll Probably Be Fine’

Let’s recap the Friar Park proposition:

Build a major housing estate on contaminated land, next to a motorway, on a congested corridor, with no new school.

Add: no SEND relief, no strategic traffic plan, no real green infrastructure, no ecological corridor, and no cross-boundary coordination

And hope nobody reads the documentation too closely! Labour calls this “regeneration.” Residents call it something else.

The Skidder Blog has previously flagged problems with this Friar Park scheme, Junction 9 and the A4301 Corridor - notably during the debacle over the idiotic saga of the proposed Network Rail sleeper at Bescot (heavily backed by Sandwell Labour). The blog once sarcastically described J9 as "an oasis of calm"! And once again, the "behind closed doors" nature of Labour's decision-making was highlighted.

The Skidder encouraged residents to join protest groups because this was not a localised nuisance but another threat to the strategic corridor stretching from West Bromwich to Walsall. This is precisely the same corridor hit today by: Friar Park Urban Village, the Lidl supermarket, The Lidl RDC, the station overspill and the regular motorway works.

Friar Park has a history of being a “staging ground” for unwanted infrastructure — making it even more important that the Urban Village [sic] project is scrutinised properly.

Through an FOI in 2014, the Skidder revealed that Sandwell Council had quietly paid £94,303.59 to consultants ERS and Mott MacDonald for site investigations, ground condition surveys; remediation strategy formulation, and a transport assessment - split between Friar Park (Wednesbury) and Popes Lane (Oldbury).

This shows Friar Park has been earmarked for redevelopment for well over a decade, long before today’s cynical “brownfield-first” narratives. It raises the obvious question: what did those reports reveal — and why are residents only seeing fragments now - more than a decade later?

A4031 congestion and Friar Park consultation failures

Across Facebook and blog cross-posts, the Skidder platform has repeatedly shared and amplified residents’ concerns about congestion on the A4031, inadequate consultation around Friar Park Urban Village, poor engagement from officers, the lack of transparent modelling for Holyhead Road, J9, and Wednesbury gateways and nonexistent democratic participation in major development projects.

Friar Park ward politics are a microcosm of Sandwell Labour’s internal manoeuvring - a place where controversial schemes are waved through with minimal scrutiny. The area is the subject of decisions by Labour that benefit outside interests at residents’ expense.

This historical pattern supports the argument that residents’ concerns about the Urban Village are part of a long-term democratic deficit, not a sudden objection to new homes. The current pressure on regulatory bodies is also inexcusable and yet all we hear from local Labour MP, Sarah Coombes, is about car number plates!

Thank you, Darryl.

The Skidder adds: it should be remembered that this scheme was heavily backed by the Tories too despite the problems Darryl has highlighted. The disastrous former Tory Mayor of the West Midlands, braggart-extraordinaire Andy Street, was all for it as were the clutch of equally hapless Tory Councillors in Sandwell. Indeed, waste of space former Councillor Scott Chapman - aka "The Invisible Man" - regularly spouted Street's bullsh*t and personally claimed to wholeheartedly support the "Village!

And finally,

The forthcoming Council election on 7th May, 2026 covers all 72 Council seats. This is THE great opportunity to destroy the Labour dictatorship which has run Sandwell into the ground over 52 YEARS.

Sandwell - make sure you vote! If you haven't registered to vote here is the link to the Council website. Do it now!

https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/elections-voting/register-vote

And why not make it easier on yourself by getting a postal vote. Again, here is the link for you do apply:

https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/postalvote

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Monday, 24 November 2025

Guest Blog - Sandwell: Where wildlife fends for itself

The Skidder welcomes guest blogs on ANY Sandwell matter (not just political subjects) and here is one such from local community activist, Darry Magher. (See legal notice below.)

Sandwell: Where wildlife fends for itself

For decades, Sandwell has lived under a political dynasty [Labour - Ed] that prides itself on “stability,” “continuity,” and “looking after our communities.” In reality, what we’ve experienced is something far less poetic: managed decline, administered slowly, consistently, and with surprising commitment.

Environmental governance, the care of our parks, pools, wildlife and green spaces, is one area where this long-term complacency now shows most clearly. Despite repeated promises, consultations and strategy launches, the basic building blocks of environmental stewardship simply aren’t working.

Below is a clear, honest, and slightly satirical look at the reality.

A Partnership Agreement That Partnered With No One

In 2022, Sandwell Council unveiled a fresh partnership model with Friends Groups. It promised:

Quarterly meetings

Transparency

Joint planning

Published minutes

Recognition of volunteers.

In practice, the last recorded meeting was March 2024. Since then, the Council has adopted a bold new strategy: complete silence.

Meetings are essential for coordination, volunteer support and environmental planning. Yet they appear to have vanished into the same void that has swallowed many other Council promises over the years. Some might call it “strategic engagement.” Others might call it “ignoring the people who do the actual work.” The truth is likely somewhere in-between.

Wildlife Welfare: A System Built On Hope and Very Little Else

Wildlife across Sandwell’s parks and pools has had to toughen up. Recent examples include:

Broken aerators at West Smethwick Park left untouched for long periods

Food shortages across several pools, repeatedly reported by volunteers

A complete absence of ecological monitoring

The Stoney Lane pollution incident, exposing a multi-agency response so chaotic it could have been scripted.

Wildlife welfare shouldn’t rely on luck or volunteer intervention. Yet here, it seems to depend on whether nature can endure long enough for the next maintenance round.

Water Body Governance: A Policy That Doesn’t Exist

For a Borough with numerous pools, ponds, wetlands and watercourses, one might expect a robust Water Body Management Policy. There isn’t one. And without it, Sandwell has:

No routine water quality schedule

No published water testing results

No clear maintenance framework

No strategic plan for habitats or biodiversity.

The Water Bodies Team, supposedly responsible for these areas, has all the visibility of a rare nocturnal species: occasionally mentioned, rarely sighted, and almost never documented!

Angling Rules from 2003: A Time Capsule of Governance

The last known Angling Policy dates back to 2003, the era of Nokia phones and dial-up internet.

In the twenty years since:

Visitor numbers have risen

Wildlife pressures have increased

Angling has expanded

Habitat needs have changed.

Yet Sandwell’s approach remains suspended in time, preserved like a historical curiosity. Modernisation is long overdue.

Pollution Response: Slow, Opaque and Consistently Underwhelming

When pollution occurs, residents expect swift action, clear communication, and transparency.

Instead, Sandwell’s usual sequence is:

1. Slow response

2. Minimal communication

3. No published water quality results

4. No explanations

5. No enforcement against responsible bodies.

It’s remarkable how consistently this pattern repeats.

Enforcement and Oversight: Missing in Action

Environmental Protection Officers and the Wildlife Crime Officer should be central to safeguarding wildlife and responding to issues. Any yet:

No caseloads are published

No enforcement summaries exist

No wildlife crime data is shared

No engagement framework with volunteers is visible

Residents are left unsure whether enforcement is occurring or simply being quietly shelved.

Volunteers: Valued in Words, Ignored in Practice

Sandwell’s volunteers:

Visit sites every day

Monitor wildlife conditions

Identify hazards early

Provide on-the-ground knowledge.

Yet they have been excluded from formal engagement for over a year due to missing meetings and inactive communication channels. It is a curious approach: excluding the very people who provide the most reliable information. Some might see this as symbolic of a political culture more interested in control than collaboration.

A Political Note: Fifty One Years of “Leadership”

For over half a century, Sandwell Labour Group has shaped the Borough’s environmental systems, management structures and decision-making. Their defenders call this “experience.”

Their critics call it “monopoly.” The environmental outcomes speak for themselves.

Failing infrastructure.

Non-existent of unenforced policies.

Lack of monitoring.

Opaque decision-making.

Declining public trust.

At some point, long-term political rule stops being an asset and starts becoming a liability, especially when the systems being defended no longer function.

What Sandwell Needs Now

The solutions are not complicated. To restore trust and protect wildlife, Sandwell needs:

A Wildlife Welfare Policy

A Water Body Management Policy

An updated Angling Policy

Regularly published water quality reports

Clear pollution incident transparency

Reinstated Friends Group engagement

A functioning enforcement model

Leadership that delivers, rather than deflects.

Conclusion: Time for Renewal

Sandwell’s wildlife, parks and pools deserve better than accidental, reactive management. They deserve:

A functioning governance system

Transparent decision-making

Respect for volunteers

Modern, evidence-based policies

Leadership that listens and adapts.

After decades of slow and steady decline, Sandwell’s residents and its wildlife are right to demand change. The Borough’s environmental future depends on it.

After fifty years of Labour running Sandwell, the only thing they’ve successfully managed is the decline, and even that’s starting to look like it needs an upgrade.

If Sandwell Labour put as much effort into wildlife welfare as they do into congratulating themselves, every duck would have its own security detail.

Image added by The Skidder & thank you Darryl.

LEGAL NOTICE (Version 4 from 8th October, 2023.)

In most cases we try to give the subjects of these blog posts the opportunity to comment on our journalism pre-publication to ensure the accuracy of our work.

Every now and again we make a genuine error and get something wrong. If an error in the blog affects you please email thesandwellskidder@gmail.com and we shall

use our best endeavours to remove offending material and/or publish appropriate corrections forthwith (together with an apology, if applicable).

Tuesday, 9 September 2025

Fatsoes flock to Firkins!

As I never tire of pointing out, the only "good" thing to celebrate about living in bent Labour Sandwell is that folk will escape these earthly bounds sooner than those who live almost anywhere else. After half a century of Labour incompetence, corruption, and cronyism life in the poverty ghetto is often nasty, brutish, and short. It's a statistical fact.

Similarly, it is well documented that Labour Sadders is a public health disaster zone - a fact that has even been acknowledged by the comrades. The Council website boasts that:

"We address key health issues such as obesity, smoking, mental health, and infectious diseases"

[I should declare an interest here as a fully paid-up lardarse myself.]

It is fair to say that many Labour Councillors won't be winning 'Slimmer of the Year' either. Curiously, they are never fat-shamed by Cllr Bob Piper yet he is happy to abuse members of the public in respect of their weight:

And so how is bent Labour's anti-obesity drive going? Er, not very well given its Tipperesque ejaculations over the queues of morons outside the reincarnated Firkins Bakery shop in West Brom. Any pretence of concern for public health has gone right out of the window as Labour seeks to extol the virtues of its latest white elephant, the new £4.6m indoor market hall. They are desperate to advertise this building, which will inevitably fail, and have seized upon the ludicrous scenes outside Firkins as an example of how successful the market will be.

The Skidder duly wrote to Firkins asking them for the calorie count in their best sellers:

"THIS IS NOT A PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION - PRESS ENQUIRY

Your website seems to be "a work in progress" and I cannot find any reference to the calories in any of your products. Could you please supply this for (a) the top 5 selling cakes, and (b) the top 5 selling bakeries.

Many thanks,"

Alas, Firkins has chosen not to reply. No doubt Labour Councillors will be checking that they are advertising the calorie count in-store.

Of course, Messrs Greggs advertise the "nutritional value" of all their products. Let's just have a look at the kcal per portion for a few:

The famous sausage roll - 338; Triple choc muffin - 467; Vegan sausage breakfast roll - 406; Steak Bake - 428; Cream Eclair - 323; Belgian Buns - 371; Glazed ring (ouch!) doughnuts - 217.

This is a random selection and I haven't just chosen high-scorers - don't even ask about the pizza!

Suffice to say that Labour don't give a sh*t about folk eating similar high-calorie items as long as they are buying them at the indoor market. So there you go folks, this is the new local public health messsage from bent Labour - STUFF YOURSELVES FOR SANDWELL! (A variation from the usual bent Labour motto - GET STUFFED!)

LEGAL NOTICE (Version 4 from 8th October, 2023.)

In most cases we try to give the subjects of these blog posts the opportunity to comment on our journalism pre-publication to ensure the accuracy of our work.

Tuesday, 8 July 2025

You can't trust The Star!

The Wolvo C*suckers (aka The Express and Star) have waged a pathetic war against me for over a decade, but their pettiness knows no bounds and they have even used a dead employee to attack me!

Back in 2023 I started a rolling blog about the naughty boys and girls who have received taxpayers' largesse at bent Labour Sandwell Council. This included reference to former employee and Labour stooge, Naseem Khan of Cordery Street, West Bromwich.

I believe Labour cronies have managed to get Khan a new job at a housing association and it cannot be coincidental, surely, that a few months ago various individuals purporting to be Khan's legal advisers started to threaten me with legal action if I did not remove the references to Khan from the 2023 blog. I doubled down and amended the post on 19th April, 2025 telling the unvarnished truth about this joker. Giving full credit to The Star I screenshotted part of their story about Khan's conviction for fraudulently claiming a business grant. I don't generally use Star material as it is usually sh*te. The information was in the public domain anyway, but I was perhaps a little lazy in simply copying 3 short paragraphs from their story (and, as above, giving them full credit for it).

Clearly the Star are hanging on my every word since "Peter Madeley" made a copyright claim to Google for three short attributed paragraphs in a lengthy blogpost. Madeley purported to represent the rights holder - The Express and Star. This would certainly have been a newsworthy event since Madeley died in March, 2024 almost a year and a month BEFORE my article - as widely reported in, er, The Express and Star.

This rag is the lowest of the low but hiding attacks on The Skidder behind a dead employee is surely the absolute pits? I hope the Editor will have the good grace to apologise to me and to Madeley's family for this appalling episode (but not holding my breath with this shower).

I leave you with a picture of the new suggested branding at The Star (joke!)

LEGAL NOTICE (Version 4 from 8th October, 2023.)

In most cases we try to give the subjects of these blog posts the opportunity to comment on our journalism pre-publication to ensure the accuracy of our work.

Every now and again we make a genuine error and get something wrong. If an error in the blog affects you please email thesandwellskidder@gmail.com and we shall

use our best endeavours to remove offending material and/or publish appropriate corrections forthwith (together with an apology, if applicable).

Tuesday, 8 April 2025

Who Sh*tted The Sheriff?

Many readers will not know that the West Midlands has a “High Sheriff”. Our British Establishment has to continually reward its members with titles and honours, including various archaic ones which should have been consigned to the dustbin of history long ago. Many are in the gift of our grotesque monarchy.

The only qualification necessary for the post of High Sheriff is a willingness to rim the “royal” anus as and when required. The Sheriiffs are nominated via panels of cronies and eventually our greedy and buffoonish “King” confirms them in office by “pricking” - literally using a bodkin to make a hole in a sheet of vellum. This is not too onerous for Charles since, like his father, he enjoys a bit of pricking.

Of course, in our ailing and failing land the hoi-polloi don’t get a look-in for such “honours”. The old demarcation line between “u” and “non u” is very much alive and well. That is not to say that persons of merit are not occasionally selected. I personally know one such and hope to be having a drink with him in a couple of week’s time. And it seems hard, on paper, to dislike the present incumbent, Doug Wright.

This blog has consistently championed enterprise and entrepreneurship - particularly contrasting the hostility to business of bent Sandwell Labour which has spent 50 years turning sh*thole Sadders into a poverty ghetto. Only hate-filled lefties are likely to disparage Doug Wright’s achievements.

Doug - if I can make so bold as to call him that - runs a chain of restaurants (more anon) and the last published accounts show a turnover of a stonking £104 million. Doug himself seems to have taken at least £1 million in dividends (upon which he will pay personal income tax) and the Company itself paid a lot of Corporation Tax - the money which socialists like to grab and p*ss up the wall. He also provides employment for nearly 3,000 (yes, three thousand) people.

The only slight blot on the accounts is an increase in energy consumption (something our supposedly eco-friendly monarch would surely berate whilst hopping from A to B in his chopper). It is not clear if this relates to a general increase in energy use or an increase due to expansion or simply the increased costs of energy (or a combination of these factors).

Doug has done a very considerable amount of charity work - and this seems to be genuinely good work rather than, say, support for Labour-front organisations. During his term of office he is supporting the Kids Village charity - the UK’s first respite village for kids with critical illnesses. If you are enjoying this post why not consider a donation to it via this link:

https://www.kidsvillage.org.uk/donate/

Doug was also heavily involved in charities connected with Ronald McDonald House (next to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital) and therein lies a clue to the source of his wealth. It’s an incredible story. He started work years ago in McDonalds as a part-time cleaner. He worked his way up to owning a franchise and in 2024 the local Chamber of Commerce stated that he had expanded this to 26 franchises. He once won the accolade of McDonalds GLOBAL franchisee of the year. The left encourages the British public to sneer at such success stories but The Skidder says, “Bravo”!

Of course, some folk may wonder how well Doug's charity work with kids sits with McDonald’s contribution to child obesity (and consequent ill-health) - a serious problem, of course, in the bent Labour poverty ghetto of Sandwell. Before I get a writ from Golden Arches HQ I am sure that Maccie D’s fayre is very healthy and wonderfully appetising - and can be truly wonderful when eaten responsibly. The website etc even produces a “Nutrition Calculator” so that expanding fatties can moderate their intake.

Just for the record a current Minecraft Movie Deal of 9 Chicken McNuggets etc weighs in at 729 calories of which fat is 52% of the recommended intake (RI) for an ADULT. Saturated fats are 18% of the ADULT RI. Oh and that’s the medium rather than the large size offering.

There is one definite blot on Doug’s copybook, however. He has made at least one donation (£5,000 in 2021) to the Conservative and Unionist Party. Perhaps he is now hedging his bets (given last year’s Labour landslide) with his new-found love for a controversial Sandwell Labour Councillor …

… yes, folks, The High Sherriff has dished out an “award” to proven liar, Parbinder Kaur. This is in recognition for her work as “a nurse” (see below), a Labour Councillor and her community/charity work (which has not been without controversy). Seldom has The Skidder’s flabber been so gasted when members of the Sikh community contacted me about this incredible decision. Accordingly, this email was sent to the High Sheriff:

"Skidder readers are amazed - as am I - that of all the hundreds - perhaps thousands - of unsung heroes doing good in the West Midlands you should single out a highly-controversial Labour Politician for one of your awards, namely Parbinder Kaur.

Firstly, may I assume that you were lobbied to make this award by her puppeteer, Gurinder Josan, and/or the Labour Party, and/or Sikhs 4 Labour?

Secondly you praise her for being a hardworking nurse. Who told you she was a nurse? It is true that she has frequently holds herself out as being a nurse, but she appears to be a health care assistant and so is not entitled to call herself a nurse. Indeed masquerading as a nurse can lead to criminal prosecution.The Skidder placed this information in the public domain some time ago. Kaur is not on the Nursing and Midwifery Register as a nurse and has not been on there - if she ever was - for the last few years. I have checked again today and she is not listed. If she registered in another name she has refused to disclose this. She has been asked verbally and in writing if she is, in fact, a nurse and she has always declined to comment. Further, there is an ongoing complaint with the Nursing and Midwifery Council on this very issue.

Thirdly, you will be aware that Kaur very publicly took to X (Twitter) to express support for Hamas which is a UK proscribed terrorist organisation. Do you, as High Sheriff, believe that people openly supporting proscribed terrorist organisations are worthy of your "awards"?

Fourthly, there is considerable doubt about Kaur's given address. Noting also your comment about her work on behalf on "non-English" speakers it is noteworthy that she advertises her property rentals in punjabi so as to exclude those who do not speak that language from her tenanacies.

Fifthly, Sikh readers of the Skidder inform me that Kaur proslytises on behalf of those who favour a Sikh State independent of India. Whilst this is a political matter - and a view supported by a section of the Sikh community - there are, of course, many folk of Indian heritage in the West Midlands who are not adherents of Sikhism and do not subscribe to her divisive views. Is your award to her for her "work" inclusive of her promotion of "Khalistan".

Sixthly, Kaur was found by Sandwell Councill to be in breach of the Councillors' Code of Conduct when she lied on her Register of Interests concerning her property interests. This has been in the public domain for some considerable time and so is it right to assume that you simply ignored this when deciding to glorify her?

There are a number of other issues concerning Ms Kaur which I am unable to publish (yet).

As to her being hardworking that is a moot point but I enclose herewith a photo of her asleep during a full Council meeting.

etc etc.

Doug declined to answer the questions put to him but did say, “we rely on people of good judgement to suggest awardees. We cannot comment on individual awards other than to say in this particular case it was from a lawyer and reputable referee, who was not one of the parties you referred to.”

And so there we have it. A lawyer is automatically "reputable" (ROFLMAO), and on the basis of one recommendation a Labour politician is given an award with no investigation having been made at all. Clearly this decision debases the value of the awards made to people worthy of recognition. And clearly it is very simple to bullsh*t the Sheriff with spurious nominations. Expect the rest of bent Sandwell Labour to cotton on to this, and a slew of other degraded awards being dished out real soon!

LEGAL NOTICE (Version 4 from 8th October, 2023.)

In most cases we try to give the subjects of these blog posts the opportunity to comment on our journalism pre-publication to ensure the accuracy of our work.

Every now and again we make a genuine error and get something wrong. If an error in the blog affects you please email thesandwellskidder@gmail.com and we shall

use our best endeavours to remove offending material and/or publish appropriate corrections forthwith (together with an apology, if applicable).

If you consider that anything written is defamatory or otherwise unlawful please email thesandwellskidder@gmail.com or telephone 07470 624207 forthwith. If your complaint has merit we shall endeavour to make immediate amends.dedicated Facebook Group: “The Sandwell Skidder - Speaking Truth to Power!” We are happy to publish any sensible commentary and offer a right of reply where applicable. We can also publish “guest” posts on mutually agreed terms.

Tuesday, 18 March 2025

Sandwell, Gaza and the Arms Trade

When terrorist group, Hamas, attacked Israel on 7th October, 2023, murdering many and taking hostages, Gaza in particular reaped a terrible whirlwind. Very soon Sandwell Labour was itching to have its say on the conflict and, inevitably, its prevailing view was overwhelmingly hostile to the State of Israel.

Sundry left-wing and pro-Palestinian factions were soon demonstrating outside Council meetings.The "problem", however, is that the Council's legal status does not permit it to discuss UK foreign policy. Indeed, it is outwith the legal Constitution of the Council as I personally advised one group of demonstrators.

Other Councils around the country faced similar external pressure, but bowed to the legal reality and removed pro-Hamas/Palestinian motions from their agendas. It is, of course, open to Councillors to publicly express their views on the conflict in their personal capacities as the likes of proven liar Cllr Parbinder Kaur (who claims to be an NHS nurse) has done on social media with a post backing the UK-proscribed terrorists of Hamas. Equally the Sandwell Labour Group can collectively make its views known outside the Council Chamber, whether they coincide with national policy or not. Further, Sandwell Labour Councillors have a voice in their own political Party. Indeed, now that there is a Labour Government one would expect them to raise their concerns with the local Labour MP's and through the national Party structure. That is the proper route but, of course, that would deprive them of the opportunity to pathetically grandstand in the Council Chamber at taxpayers' expense.

In January, 2024 I wrote to Sandwell's, now part-time, Chief Executive, Shokat Lal. Sandwell confirmed that the email was also forwarded to "Mike" Jones, the bent Labour Council's Head of Legal and statutory Monitoring Officer, pointing out that any "Gaza motion" would be ultra-vires the Constitution and, therefore, unlawful. People who don't like this must lobby Parliament to change the law - it's as simple as that.

It appears that this view was initially accepted but in July, 2024 Lal and Jones permitted a Motion to be discussed which purported to be about "social cohesion" in Sadders but which directly referred to the Gaza conflict. The Council backed - with no legal power to do so - a UN call for an immediate ceasefire. It was seemingly allowed through by Lal and Jones as it referred to violence by both sides and called for the release of hostages - again matters over which even the braggarts of Sandwell Labour have no jurisdiction.The ludicrous motion called for supposed social cohesion in Sadders which was apparently likely to fall apart thanks to a conflict over 2,000 miles away, and even though Sadders is overwhelmingly antisemitic or anti the State of Israel (e.g. Piper) or both. And of course, there are very few Jewish folk actually living in the Socialist Sh*thole of Sandwell.

Now the elected members are at it again, though curiously at the behest of Independent Councillor, Richard Jeffcoat, seconded by notorious masturbator, Cllr John Tipper - an unholy alliance of the organist (Richard is an accomplished keyboard player) and the onanist (Tipper likes to get a tune or two out of the pink oboe).

Richard is a lovely guy and unlike most in the Chamber, is highly intelligent. He has singularly failed to hold Labour to account since his election - shamefully voting for their austerity budget - but he has otherwise worked tirelessly for the folk of Tipton. He is, however, an old, unreconstructed, leftie - though one with a social conscience. He won't stand for Labour because of the appalling conduct of that Party in Sadders for half a century. He actually lives in Tipton, and has personal knowledge of the damage Labour has done to that particular area.

Let me just set the scene before I go on.. All Council employees enjoy the generous terms of the local government pension scheme. Nationally, billions are held in these pension funds and the dirigiste "Socialists" of Labour have been itching to "steal" some of the dosh to invest in crackpot uneconomic schemes, bail-out defunct steelworks, and such like. But these pension schemes, usually locally administered, are run by trustees who have a legal duty to ensure that the funds are invested properly and to ensure there is enough dosh to pay the pensions as they fall due.

Jeffcoat (and many Labour politicians) make the fundamental mistake of claiming that the pension funds are "public money". They are not. Once the money passes to the pension fund it belongs solely to the members of the scheme i.e. the current and future pensioners.

However, there is some political input into these schemes - indeed Sandwell Council has a Cllr Dhariwal - on the West Midlands Pension Fund (WMPF) Committee which is overwhelmingly dominated by Labour but is supposed to act apolitically. Here is the legal framework:

"The Pensions Committee is responsible for exercising all of the functions that are required as an Administering Authority for a Local Government Pension Scheme under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013.

Adhering to the principles required by Statutory Guidance, The Pensions Regulator’s (TPR) Code of Practice and performing the duties set out in the Terms of Reference for the Pensions Committee as detailed in CWC’s [Wolvo Council which administers the local scheme] Constitution available on its website.

Members of the Pensions Committee are responsible for the Fund’s activities, ensuring that the Fund is managed in the best interest of all its members, employers, and beneficiaries. Members of the Pension Committee must therefore take a non-political approach to the decisions they take." [My emphasis]

Thus it is difficult to see how the Constitution of Sandwell Council or the legal framework of WMPF permits Sandwell Council to interfere in the operation of the pension scheme and it is surprising that the Monitoring Officer permitted this. (I am following this up.) As we shall see, some Councillors are paying into the WMPF or receiving pensions from it and so there is nothing to stop them making personal representations to the WMPF should they wish to do so. But, again, they want to publicly virtue signal (if you can call it that).

I believe the Motion was ultra vires the Council's Constitution and, therefore, unlawful. In any event, I do not believe Jeffcoat, Tipper nor any of the Councillors who voted for the Motion consulted in any way with employees or existing pensioners before deciding to interfere in their affairs - which is both inappropriate and appalling.

Jeffcoat's crazed motion (and he is aware of my views on this) called for:

"Disinvestment of West Midlands Pension Fund from companies that supply armaments that enable conflict and terror"

The wording of the crazed motion is all over the shop - you can read the full wording below* following the the Legal Notice - but veers from what seems like a total ban on arms investment to forcing the trustees to decide in respect of each global conflict whether there have been breaches of international law or human rights abuses and then ban investment in individual firms. Needless to say, despite Jeffcoat's woolly wording the mask slipped and "the conflict in Gaza" was specifically identified. Once again, Lal and Jones let this through.

There was not a named vote and one cannot see from the Council's film of the meeting who voted for this nonsense, but it seems it was almost unanimous save for one abstention which, curiously, appears to have been one of the Giles family (Labour). There is no indication that the useless rump of Tories voted against this or even abstained, but then what would anyone expect from that abysmal shower.

This motion was the very last item on the agenda and was rushed through in a couple of minutes. The Labour Leader, Kerrie "Dim Kez" Carmichael, was said by her ventriloquist's dummy, the odious Paul Moore, to be supporting the Motion (see further below) and it was quickly passed with, as above, just one abstention. Dim Kez was mandated to write a letter to the Pension Fund to develop a clear plan with regard to investments in arms/aerospace, to heed international and human rights law, and to report annually on its doings in this field.

What is absolutely shocking here is that Jeffcoat was seemingly unaware that WMPF already has such a policy. In any event he singularly failed to make the other Councillors aware of the policy which is on the website for all to see and is set out below**. He could not expect lazy Labour Councillors to have researched the matter and the Tories are incapable of doing anything unless it relates to dog sh*t or other mundane issues. I mean - the policy has only been in the public domain for 8 months ...

Despite WMPF pretending to be apolitical it is, as above, Labour-controlled. Thus they had no qualms in virtue-signalling about Gaza. Their public policy dated 26th June, 2024 specifically refers to "the ongoing conflict in Israel". The document explains that it already has strategies in respect of conflicts, international law and human rights and has already made the political decision to largely disinvest so that it now "has minimal exposure to the Aerospace and Defence sector".

Further the Fund is actively engaging with companies operating in the sector. And although Jeffcoat and the Muppets demanded an annual report on these issues the Fund is already producing quarterly reports on this for the Pension Committee!!!!

Interestingly, Cllr Dhariwal failed to declare an interest prior to the discussion of this Motion and also failed to alert colleagues to the already existing policy. How on earth is he fit to be on the WMPF governing body, overseeing huge sums of money on behalf or employees and existing pensioners?

My own declaration of interest is also set out below - underneath the Legal Notice.

Dhariwal was not the only one to have failed to declare an interest at the meeting since many Councillors who voted on the Motion either (a) receive a WMPF pension (e.g. Piper); (b) work for another Council and pay into the scheme (e.g. Millard), or (c) have close relatives working for councils (including Sandwell) who are WMPF members (e.g. Dim Kez). The Monitoring Officer is clearly present on the film of the meeting but failed to address this obvious breach of the rules. In the circumstances I have today filed a formal standards complaint against all those who should have formally declared an interest and here is the operative part of the complaint:

"Standards Complaint re various Councillors in respect of the full Council meeting on 25th February, 2025

At the full Council meeting on 25th February, 2025 Cllr Richard Jeffcoat put forward a motion in respect of Disinvestment by the West Midlands Pension Fund (WMPF) of investments in the Defence and Aerospace industries.

Notwithstanding the possible unlawfulness of the Motion it was passed overwhelmingly with just one abstention.

At the commencement of the meeting the Monitoring Officer confirmed that no declarations of interest had been received prior to the meeting and he invited any relevant declarations from the members. No declarations were forthcoming.

Many Councillors should have made declarations (and the Council will be able to identify the guilty parties).

Cllr Dhariwal sits on the WMPF Board and clearly has an interest.

Some Councillors receive WMPF pensions - such as Cllr Piper - and should have declared an interest. Some work for other Councils such as Cllr Millard and the public pays into the WMPF on their behalf and that group also has an interest to declare as do those Councillors who have close relatives receiving WMPF pensions or paying into the Fund - such as Cllr Carmichael whose husband she declares is working for SMBC.

Failure to declare relevant interests is a disciplinary matter and this must be formally addressed.

As the complainant I would accept the following remedies for most of the miscreants:

1 all guilty Councillors to formally and publicly apologise and to make formal declarations at tonight’s Council meeting so that the Minutes of the last meeting can be amended accordingly;

2. All Councillors should be reminded of their duty to declare interests - both their own and those of close relatives.

In respect of Cllr Dhariwal his omission is so egregious he must face full investigation and appropriate sanction."

Just to finish by looking at the wider picture here, the Left has consistently pleaded for "welfare not warfare" as if we needn't spend any money at all on our defence. This policy reached a nadir when terrorist-rimmer, Jeremy Corbyn, was permitted to attend The Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday and p*ss over our war dead.

Take a look at Ukraine if you want to see the folly of this nonsense. We need weapons and it is as simple as that. Ironically, the day Jeffcoat and his new pals in Labour voted for his absurd Motion the Labour Prime Minister, Sir Woodenarse, announced a massive INCREASE in Defence spending!

Many firms in Sandwell (and the wider West Midlands) are also engaged in the defence and aerospace industries either directly or as component suppliers. We know that Sandwell Labour hates business in all its forms and it is no surprise that they should seek to damage local companies but Richard?

The Economist has written this week:

"Which MP wouldn't want a defence factory in their constituency? The median full-time pay for making weapons and ammunition in Britain last year was £49,300 far above the national average ... [and certainly the average in sh*thole Sandwell - Skidder]. Big plants hire lots of, apprentices, and keep local suppliers of screws and sandwiches in business. For poor English towns that other industries don't reach they are a godsend."

Britain could, of course, collectively bare its buttocks on the White Cliffs of Dover and wait for Putin or some other tyrant to shaft us up the arse. Alternatively we can acquire arms - by making them ourselves or buying lots off that nice Mr Trump. You pays your money - you takes your choice.

The irony of Sandwell Labour's colleagues [sic] in Government boosting Defence spending is that the share prices have, as elsewhere in Europe, tended to go up! The supposedly apolitical WMPF's anti-Israeli political stance means that - at least temporarily - they are shafting their own members by failing to maximise investment returns. Local Government employees and pensioners should be the ones who say whether they wish to accept lower pensions via disinvestment NOT showboating Sandwell Councillors and Labour politicians running the Fund.

ADDENDUM - 30th March, 2025: I wrote the above piece on 18th March not having seen that on or around 6th March no less than 103 Labour MP's sent an open letter to British banks and fund managers urging them to "rethink" guidelines suggesting arms expenditure may be 'unethical' so as to finance the bolstering of the UK's defences and encouraging economic growth. Two of the signatories were Sandwell Labour MP's, Antonia Bance and Gurinder Josan. The Labour Council's support for Cllr Jeffcoat's crazed and unnecessary motion is at odds with the views of two of their own MP's!

LEGAL NOTICE (Version 4 from 8th October, 2023.)

In most cases we try to give the subjects of these blog posts the opportunity to comment on our journalism pre-publication to ensure the accuracy of our work.

Every now and again we make a genuine error and get something wrong. If an error in the blog affects you please email thesandwellskidder@gmail.com and we shall use our best endeavours to remove offending material and/or publish appropriate corrections forthwith (together with an apology, if applicable).

Jeffcoat's crazed, showboating, motion:

* https://sandwell.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s25791/05%20-%20Divestment%20of%20West%20Midlands%20Pension%20Fund%20investment%20from%20companies%20that%20supply%20armaments%20that%20e.pdf

WMPF existing policy

** https://www.wmpfonline.com/news/exposure-companies-aerospace-and-defence-sector

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My own notice of interest - thanks to the GMB Union and Sandwell Council lawfare against me I haven't got a pot to piss in. My wife, however, has a small shareholding in Babcock International and is highly likely to indirectly hold some investments in arms and aerospace companies around the world via investments in sundry managed and tracker funds through the likes of Vanguard and Hargreaves Lansdown. She also receives a pension from the West Midlands Pension Fund.

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Thursday, 13 March 2025

More Sandwell Labour Corruption?

Thanks to an anonymous tip-off, plus by own journalistic endeavours, a very disturbing incident has come to light. In the circumstances I have, today, made a formal standards complaint against the Labour Councillor believed to have been the culprit as this is too a serious a matter for Labour "Leader" Kerrie "Dim Kez" Carmichael to brush under the carpet (again).

For present purposes I have had to maintain the anonymity of the Councillor concerned and I will, of course, keep you informed of developments.

"Details of Standards Complaint

On 27th January, 2025 Cllr Jag Singh was chairing Licensing sub-Committee 2. At some point an application for, as I understand it, the grant of a taxi licence was due jto be decided. Shortly before the application an unknown Labour Councillor, believed to be Cllr xxxxxxxxxxx, made contact with Cllr Singh and attempted to suborn him, and to ensure that he and the sub-Committee granted the licence.

Cllr Singh acted very properly. He immediately informed one or more law officers of the Council of the attempt to unduly influence him. I understand that he was advised to recuse himself from hearing the application which he duly did. Cllr Fenton took the Chair.

Cllr John Giles was later informed of what had happened. I understand that he was appalled at this crass corruption.

This was a disgraceful and egregious breach of the Councillor’s Code of Conduct by the Councillor - believed to be xxxxxxxx - particularly the requirements of Councillors to act in a selfless manner, and with integrity and honesty.

I attempted to seek information concerning this appalling incident from The Monitoring Officer and Cllrs Giles, Singh and Fenton without success, apart from a bland form of words from the Monitoring Officer. This has all the hallmarks of yet another Sandwell Council cover-up of Labour wrongdoing - hence this formal Standards Complaint which is made to ensure that this issue is dealt with in the correct manner."

LEGAL NOTICE (Version 4 from 8th October, 2023.)

In most cases we try to give the subjects of these blog posts the opportunity to comment on our journalism pre-publication to ensure the accuracy of our work.

Every now and again we make a genuine error and get something wrong. If an error in the blog affects you please email thesandwellskidder@gmail.com and we shall

use our best endeavours to remove offending material and/or publish appropriate corrections forthwith (together with an apology, if applicable).