Sandwell's "Socialist" Landlords - Part 2

Margaret Thatcher's "dream" of a property-owning democracy seems to be shared with some of Sandwell's "hard-left" Councillors. Yesterday, I wrote about "firebrand" John "No DSS" Edwards and his interest in not one but two local properties. He is not alone among the comrades.

The man dubbed Simon "Two Homes" Hackett is the bookies' favourite to become the Leader of Sandwell Council when The Turdmeister is finally defenestrated and to be fair to him he is widely credited with overseeing SOME improvement in Sandwell Labour's catastrophic Children's Services.

Hackett, who is employed by a homelessness charity (!) owns two local properties in his sole name.

He bought a two-bedroomed new-build flat on Brookside, Wednesbury in or around August, 2010 and then in or around August, 2012 purchased a "deceptively spacious" semi on Crankhall Lane which is where it would appear he is actually living. It would appear that the Brookside address has been let out. Mr Hackett may like to contact The Skidder to confirm.

Good on ya, comrade! We salute your rising fortunes and your own contribution to solving homelessness in Wednesbury.

Now here's a funny thing. "Two Homes" may be in receipt of rental income as a private landlord (or "greedy private landlord" - copyright 12/05/13 Darren Cooper) but he makes no mention on his Register of Members' Interests of any income from a "lodger" although we do know that Sandwell is pioneering a new category of resident [sic] "the non-paying tenant" (eg The Liar Cashmore).

I mention this since the Peopletracer website state that in 2010/11 one Thomas A. Watson was on the Electoral Register (and therefore resident for significant periods) at the two-bedroom flat on Brookside. The same site has Thomas A. Watson as resident and on the Electoral register in 2012 at the Crankhall Lane address. I wonder whether that was Thomas Anthony Watson aka Tom "Wealthy" Watson MP? Let's home any money Watters left in the tea-bag jar didn't come via the taxpayer eh readers?

ADDENDUM 22/01/15: I ventured into the heart of darkness itself yesterday - The Oldbury Kremlin - to take a further look at the Electoral Register and can confirm that the brand-new Register of December, 2014 does indeed show "Two Homes" and his partner at the Crankhall Lane address. There is now individual voter registration and, once again, Thomas A. Watson is shown on the Register with them. This means that he claims to be living there for a reasonable proportion of time each year.....

Back to original text:

And finally, just a couple of small points relating to "Two Homes" and his Register entries. He declares that his wife works for Unite the Union. One of their Regional Officers is going to extraordinary lengths to get this blog closed down. So much for freedom of speech.....

In the sick world of Sandwell Labour I have pointed out that there is hardly any body or organisation in the Borough that the comrades have not tried to infiltrate and influence to their will. Many people are of the view that the local wealthy Premier League football club should be the ones who are funding their own charity but I have shown in other posts that this is the case to only a very limited degree. (Private Eye recently reported that the contribution of WBA FC to The Albion Foundation in 2012 and 2013 was just £20,000 per annum against club revenue of approximately £70m - ie  a donation of just under 0.03% of the club's annual turnover each year.). Happily, "cash-strapped" Sandwell Labour have decided to fund the charity instead of the Club with colossal injections of taxpayers' money rather than spend it on what they are supposed to spend it on. But there is always a quid pro quo with the sleazy socialists. They demand that organisations who they give OUR money to, toe their party line. Thus, for example, there is no legal duty for Labour to finance the College (central government do that) but they are pumping millions in. And in return the College has been obliged to take the Council's chief executive onto their board. Thus an organisation like Sandwell SCVO get huge grants from Labour but then reciprocate with a bit of UKIP-bashing (eg 21/11/14). And in return for the taxpayers' huge donations to The Albion Foundation they have been obliged to take "Two Homes" onto their board. Fortunately for him - in his capacity as a trustee of the massively-taxpayer-funded Albion Foundation - he has been able to enjoy two "match and dinner" packages at The Hawthorns valued by him at in excess of £100 each. Trebles all round I should say!

Confidential number to contact Regional Fraud Team currently investigating Sandwell Council - 0121 251 2175.

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