In The Public Domain?

Monday, 30 March 2026

Labour: The Rajbir Singh mystery.

Brummies reading this will be asking, "who the f*** is Rajbir Singh?" He is the arrogant prick who is standing for a Reform seat on Birmingham City Council - possibly in Erdington. He also wants to be the Reform Group Leader on the Sh*tty Council if the Faragistes win some seats, and he even harbours the delusion that if Reform takes the Council, he will be Leader of the whole goddam thing!

But anyone thinking of voting for this joker needs to look at his record as, er, former Leader of bent Labour Sandwell Council, and start asking him the truth about his crashing fall from grace.

Having left Liebour for Reform the mystery is why a Party as vindictive as Labour is not shafting him? Alas, all of The Skidder's efforts have failed to reveal the answer, but this post will raise at least some of the questions other candidates, and the voters, need to be asking him. And the fact is that the Labour Party DOES know the answers. Why is it not using the info or is Labour waiting until his candidature is confirmed?

Brummies may or may not know that Sandwell is one of the most corrupt Labour Councils in Britain - where incompetence and cronyism is even greater than in the "Third City" (formerly the "Second City"). But even seasoned watchers of the Labour doings within the Black Country's "Heart of Darkness" were shocked when, after years of civil war, Labour appointed tyro Councillor Rajbir Singh as Leader of the Council in May, 2021 (just three years after he first became a Councillor).

The Sikh community is, quite rightly, very politically active in sh*thole Sandwell. They propelled the utterly useless Preet Kaur Gill to Westminster, later to be followed by her arch-enemy, the grovelling "Socialist Landlord", Gurinder Singh Josan. And even though he had virtually no experience on the Council, they propelled Rajbir to the top spot, locally.

Skidder readers were truly shocked at this promotion and it immediately became apparent that Singh was completely out of his depth. This blog quickly dubbed him "The Boy Blunder".

Singh soon blotted his copybook with an inept sacking of the admittedly appalling Chief Executive, David Stevens. Like all top [sic] councillors and employees at bent Labour Sandwell he used secret communication channels to avoid scrutiny and the Freedom of Information Act. Thus he set up a secret deal with the pathetic Local Government Association (LGA) to replace Stevens with surely the richest man in local government, Kim Bromley- Derry. The Skidder forced some of the WhatsApp messages from the LGA via the Information Rights Tribunal (more anon).

In September, 2021 Singh also appointed Imogen Walker as his "Head of the Leader's Office" despite the fact that at the time Walker was claiming to live in Scotland - over two hundred miles from the toilet that is Sandwell. Once again the secret deal was brokered by the LGA. Like all good "socialists" Walker used the tax-efficient method of self-employment to take taxpayers' money for this newly created - fake - position. Walker is now a Labour MP for a Scottish constituency.

Walker is (or at least was) married to Morgan McSweeney. He was a Peter Mandelson protegee and led Keir Starmer's winning election campaign. He then became Sir Woodenarse's Chief of Staff. But when Starmer's insane decision to appoint Mandelson as our US Ambassador inevitably went horribly wrong, Starmer did the decent thing and sacked him so as to cover his own arse. (You will have seen the story in the last few days that McSweeney claims his phone was stolen - and along with it, any incriminating data thereon.)

In November, 2021, another bombshell exploded in Oldbury when Singh suddenly resigned his leadership AND his Council seat. Just like that! Sandwell Labour propagandists, the BBC, unquestioningly accepted his version of events i.e., that he had resigned for "personal reasons". The Boy Blunder himself claimed that the heavy demands of Council leadership were too much and he had to think of his young family and businesses. Even if that was remotely true - which it isn't - that wouldn't explain why he also gave up his seat. There are very many in Sandwell Labour who do almost nothing all year in return for taxpayers' allowances.

Singh is in a form of marriage with Harnoor Bhullar. In true Sandwell Labour-style she too was found a seat on the bent Council. She remains a Labour Councillor whilst Rajbir is now with Reform. This odd couple status seems to be confirmed by constant reports from members of the Sandwell Sikh community that the Smethwick Gurdwara offers her considerable sympathy and support given Rajbir's "lifestyle" - whatever that actually means.

The Skidder did a vox pop in Smethwick about the real reason for Singh's shaming degringolade, but to no avail.

The first rumour was that there was a "discrepancy" concerning his businesses (he has a Costcutter in Edgbaston and now also operates a dry cleaners next door). Whilst Singh and Bhullar refused to answer questions about this there is no evidence whatsoever that there was any wrongdoing. An appropriate response from the pair would have scotched the persistent rumours. Bhullar has, since, 2023 had no legal involvement with the main company, Ample Foods. Singh is the sole owner of the business which showed a loss in the latest published accounts. Indeed the value of fixed assets is the only thing apparently keeping it solvent. Mind you, lack of financial acumen has never been a prerequisite of Birmingham Sh*tty Council! And if Singh really left Sandwell Council to concentrate on his business (at least until he joined Reform) that isn't really working is it? Surely hanging on to his Council allowances for next to no work would have helped out?

The second rumour was that there were "concerns" about Rajbir's lifestyle. The rumours - and they are nothing more than that - are lurid. A meeting was supposed to have been held at the Smethwick Gurdwara involving (now) MP, the slippery Gurinder Singh Josan. Singh then resigned. Josan and Singh declined to comment on this rumour but it is important to note that the Gurdwara specifically states that no such meeting occurred at its premises. Accordingly there is no evidence whatsoever of any truth in this.

The third rumour - which may or may not be connected to the "lifestyle" issues - was that Singh was summoned to a meeting in London at a high level within the Labour Party. He resigned before he was pushed out. This is coming from a number of sources. As above, Singh declined to comment on the cause of his resignation.

The vast majority of the information received on this has come from Sikh folk. The rumours have been persistent and, as above, Singh might have done well to nip them in the bud rather than burying his head in the sand. Some issues have been placed openly on social media (not by this blog, of course).

The one thing that is certain is (a) that many Labour Sandwell Councillors know the real reason he resigned; (b) Gurinder Josan knows (and he is also a member of Labour's National Executive Committee as well as being a major Starmer rimmer); and (c) people in the top echelons of Labour know.

In any event, Singh was a hopeless "leader" of bent Sandwell and was so bad he had to have a Scottish babysitter. Does that fill you with confidence Brum voters?

And don't forget to ask him about all this if and when he bothers to campaign.

Oh, forgot to mention that Josan has form for shafting a fellow LABOUR councillor. Why the reticence now Gurinder? Is Gill right?

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

I cannot list every previous mention of individuals referred to in the entirety of this blog. Where I refer to a specific story please follow the supplied hyperlink since this forms legal justification for later comments. Similarly references to “posts or Skidders passim” and to earlier posts mean any individuals concerned about purported defamatory or otherwise unlawful material must read later posts in the context of earlier posts. Full information can also be supplied within a reasonable time upon application via email to thesandwellskidder@gmail.com

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Sandwell: Will the scum vote?

After a couple of council elections in the Socialist Dictatorship of sh*thole Sandwell, this blog put up a "Scum Counter". This showed that so many people in Sadders hate themselves, their kids and their surroundings so much, they are too idle to vote. Of course, The Skidder also took into account that many in the Borough are simply too thick to know how to vote.

There are always those who will vote for the Labour dictatorship despite Labour being in control of the Borough for 52 years - yes, over half a century of dismal failure. Many folk have done well out of the Labour corruption and cronyism that pervades almost every aspect of local life. "Charities" are prime examples - in return for constantly rimming Labour Councillors (e.g. Multistory) the Council arranges for us taxpayers to fund them.

This blog has supported the fact that political Sikhism is highly organised in Sadders. The community slavishly follows the will of local "leaders" (which is not so laudable), and is overwhelmingly pro-Labour. And this means that the community has representatives sitting atop the stinking dunghill and has substantial influence over pro-Labour Sandwell Police. [More on this soon.] Local Sikhs are likely to ignore their sh*thole surroundings, unemployment, an increasingly failing health service, and many other failures, to vote for more of the same.

Hitherto the local Muslim folk have also been actively pro-Dictatorship, but there has been disillusionment with Starmer and Co's reaction to events in Gaza and elsewhere. This more nuanced view - and the possibility that there may be some candidates raising these issues prior to the May 7th - means that Labour cannot simply "weigh" the Muslim vote this time around.

Obviously the sickoes in Abbey Ward will turn out for Labour, but in the rest of the Borough Labour faces significant challenges.

May 7th is possibly the most important local election date in Sandwell's history. This is because ALL 72 seats are up for grabs and the people have the power to wipe out the corrupt Dictatorship once and for all.

One might well ask why Sandwell needs 72 Councillors particularly when many are as thick as mince. The excellent Sandwell Corruption site recently posted, for example, that Labour crony Terry Fitzgerald won a Council seat but has not done a single piece of casework in three years!!!! Needless to say he doesn't forget to accept the allowances.

Sandwell also has the Combined Authority as an extra, and very expensive extra tier of local government, to pay for. And, lest we forget, Sandwell Labour has been increasing Council Tax yearly by the maximum amount to pay for its incompetence - as well as hiking rents, parking charges and other fees. Not to mention the bins ...

In previous years, Sandwell had a local election system whereby elections were held for 24 of the 72 seats (one-third) in years 1, 2 and 3. There was a "fallow year" in year 4 with no elections, and then the sequence started again.

Some moronic pieces of sh*t have taken to social media each election year - and even contacted The Skidder - to say that they would not be voting under the old system since, even if Labour lost all 24 seats at any one time, it would still retain control of the Council. Whilst this was numerically correct it was usually just a lazy cop-out. It also ignores the fact even a small but efficient opposition has some power to hold greedy Labour to account, and to highlight incompetence, corruption and cronyism. (Unfortunately, the Conservative opposition singularly failed in that - and every other - regard.)

In theory - Sandwell could vote Labour out in every single seat. That is unlikely, but if the scum finally rises to the top, Labour will receive a significant kicking. And this time, Labour is bricking itself.

To vote you firstly need to register with Sandwell Council. There are ID requirements these days but here is a link to use if you have not already registered:

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

If you want to apply for a postal vote - an easy way of voting - this needs to be done by Tuesday 21st April. Again, here is the appropriate link:

https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/elections-voting/vote/3

The email for queries about voting is:

electoral_services@sandwell.gov.uk

Will the spineless Sandwell scum finally grow a pair? Will Sandwell throw off the Labour chains and shackles? We shall see!

Skidder Facebook Group

Have you joined the Group? It is open to all non-Labour cronies in Sandwell (since Labour already has control of all mainstream media outlets - The BBC, Express and Star, and more).

Local community activist, Darryl Magher, is a regular contributor and 'Sandwell Corruption' also puts up some great posts to the Group.

The Skidder has pointed out that Sandwell Police regularly posts pro-Labour propaganda and/or allows Sandwell Labour to put up pictures of officers with them. We now know this goes right to the top, locally, with the local Chief Superintendent joining-in. If you see social media or other pro-Labour police propaganda please forward screenshots to Skidder HQ. Until the election, the "Copsucker" hashtag highlighting this appalling political bias will be replaced with #copsuckerelection26.

And finally,

It is hard to think of anyone more vile in Sandwell than Bearwood Abbey Ward's, Cllr Bob Piper, but there is one person who would - by a whisker - beat him to the "Nastiest Sh*t in Sandwell award", Steve Eling. Alas, the tyrannical liar and disgraced Eling is not eligible for the fabled 'Golden Turd' as he doesn't live in Sandwell, but in a charming North Derbyshire village (although he did also have a pied-a-terre near Warley Woods). Unsurprisingly both of these c**** were regularly voted in by the poisonous folk in Abbey Ward.

Greed machine, Piper, is not standing again in May. Surely Labour are not lining up a return for someone even worse????

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.

Wednesday, 25 February 2026

Sandwell - what IS McLaughlin doing?

Bent Labour Sandwell became past masters at delaying and/or rigging Standards investigations against those Councillors alleged to have breached their Code of Conduct. What of the record of the current Monitoring Officer. Michael Jones?

On 13th March 2025 I made a standards complaint against a Labour Councillor. This was to the effect that s/he had attempted to suborn the Chair of a Licensing Committee meeting to provide a favourable decision for a friend. Jones was informed of this "in real time" and steps were taken to prevent the [alleged] corruption. Labour knew full well what was attempted but have taken no [public] steps against this xxxx and I have personally seen an email where a Labour Councillor expressed disgust at his/her misconduct. As far as I am aware s/he has not been deselected by Labour and so the public will be invited to vote for him/her without being aware of his/her activities.

On 18th March 2025 I put in a multiple standards complaints against some of the Councillors who voted for "Independent" Councillor Richard Jeffcoat's pathetic motion trying to stop arms trading with Israel [Skidders passim]. This was because several of those voting failed to declare an interest in that they (e.g. Piper) or their spouses (e.g. Carmichael) were members of the Local Government Pension Scheme Jeffcoat sought to attack (with no consultation whatsover with current of future pensioners). Once again Jones was directly involved in that he attended the meeting but completely failed to advise Councillors to make the appropriate declarations of interest and/or to recuse themselves from the vote. I have seen the video and he did appear to have been awake at the time.

ADDENDUM 25/02/26 - if memory serves Carmichael did not vote on the Motion but "let it be known" that she supported it - which was a signal to her mindless flock to "baa" at the right moment.

When I submitted both complaints I pointed out to Jones that it would be inappropriate for him to deal with them since he was personally involved in both cases. In May, 2025 Jones claimed that in respect of the alleged corruption case HE had been consulting with the "Independent Person" [sic] (usually a Labour crony). Why was HE doing this when he should have stood down from the case?

He then advised that he HAD stood down from the alleged corruption case and passed it to "Deputy Monitoring Officer James McLaughlin" who had apparently "concluded his review" and would soon be contacting me. This was on 22nd July, 2025! Not a dickie bird from McLaughlin seven months on! WTF is going on?

No-one has yet responded in respect of the second complaint. Accordingly I wrote a formal complaint to the very highly-paid and now part-time Chief Executive, Shokat Lal, on 19th December, 2025. No reply! Perhaps Lal is spending too much time dealing with governance issues in his other gig at Tower Hamlets? Or he is out on the p*ss with the Hugheses again - using taxpayers' money (as pictured)?

I have reported the egregious delay to the Ombudsman and voiced the suspicion that both Complaints are being deliberately held back until after the May election. What do you think, eh readers?

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.

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

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.

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).