Another Sandwell Labour Liar? - Tony "Fudgy" Meehan

Labour's Tony Meehan was elected to the one-party state of Sandwell (twinned with North Korea) in May of this year. He gives his address as 8 Vicarage Road, Wednesbury WS10 9BA and the electoral register shows a sole occupant at that address - a Mr Tony Meehan. He was agent for Cllr Costigan when she stood for election and so one would assume he knows the importance of registering everyone in the household to vote.

Tone has recently filed his declaration to The Register of Members' Interests down at The Kremlin and this is one question and answer therefrom:

"Disclosable Pecuniary Interests:

Question 4 - Any beneficial interest in land which is within the area of the relevant authority.

Answer - None".

It is a criminal offence to fail to disclose a pecuniary interest on the Register. I am guessing that Vicarage Road, Wednesbury has not suddenly been "moved" from Sandwell?

And I am assuming, therefore, that Councillor Tony Meehan is no relation to the person listed at HM Land Registry as the freehold owner of  8 Vicarage Road - one Anthony William Meehan? Is he a non-voting, non-rent paying relative I wonder?

Whilst on the subject of "Fudgy", this person has been heavily involved in "Fudgestock" which has successfully promoted music events in the area for many years. It was said in all the mainstream media a couple of years ago that Fudgestock has raised £110,000 for charity over 16 years. Last year I asked why Labour Sandwell Council gave £1,500 of taxpayers' money to "The Friends of Fudgestock" in July, 2012 and their eventual reply was, er, fudgy. It was said that "The Friends" were "a community group" and the "grant" was for a music event in Wednesbury - which I assume was the "charity" event known as "Fudgestock 2012". SMBC refused to say who "The Friends" were, whether they had charitable status and how the grant money was spent. They simply said the grant would have been made following "an application". I am assuming that the payment was by cheque and so "The Friends" must have had a bank account at the time.

Please don't get be wrong. I understand that the people behind Fudgestock are well-meaning and hard-working - giving-up a considerable amount of their time on a voluntary basis to put these events on. Having said that - it is important that people raising money for charities are accountable and play by the rules - especially if they are being given taxpayers' money by a Labour local authority.

I will be blogging separately with regard to the Judgestock debacle in 2013 as I am not sure of Fudgy's involvement in that but suffice to say here that it cost the taxpayer via Labour Sandwell a minimum of £49,000! (Any info gratefully received).

Unfortunately, the good folk at Fudgestock have been scarred by the experience of working with Labour Sandwell and far from organising an annual Sandwell "mini-Glastonbury" have moved their operation out of the Borough altogether - to Bilston. Sad news for the music-lovers in Labour's fiefdom.

But besides Judgestock, our man Meehan was deeply involved in Fudgestock 2013 as this clip shows:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrOqSGfiD1w

Tone says specifically in the video "every penny of the ticket money goes to the charity" (although I think two charities were specifically mentioned). I am not suggesting any financial impropriety here but I can't find anything on the internet (yet) about the amount raised/donated. How many actually attended the event, how much did they pay and how much went to the charity/charities? The same questions apply in respect of this year's event Fudgestock 2014.

This is particularly relevant as it seems that "The Friends of Fudgestock community group" are no more since "Fudgy" states - again in his declaration in the register of Members' Interests - that they are a proper legal entity - "Friends of Fudgestock Charitable Trust" based at a familiar address - 8 Vicarage Road, Wednesbury, WS10 9BA. A Trust is usually set up very formally via a trust deed.

Unfortunately, if you do a search on the Charity Commission website under "Fudgestock", "Friends of Fudgestock" or even "Judgestock" you will draw a blank and so no accounts are in the public domain for the "Charitable Trust". I therefore invite "Fudgy" to make the legally-required accounts available since the legal formation date of the Trust and to also state what happened to the £1,500 received from us taxpayers in 2012 and how much Fudgestock 2012 actually raised for charity. Fair questions aren't they?

THE SANDWELL SKIDDER - A COMMUNITY BLOG

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