"THIS IS AN OPEN LETTER AND WILL BE PLACED ON THE SANDWELL SKIDDER BLOG
I have just listened to around three-quarters of the Dean Parks show featuring Sandwell Councillor Caroline White and ex-Councillor Carol Goult. My observations are:
1 I was very surprised that Dean was unfamiliar with the work of the Skwawkbox website given the massive role they have played in Sandwell politics over the last year or two!
2 At the beginning of the show I was named by Caroline White as a person who was somehow responsible for her downfall following the laddergate incident and for the plight of others. In fact this was incorrect as, once again, the Skwawkbox led the way. Indeed I am disappointed to say that I was slow off the mark and one of the last to know about the expulsions of Cllrs Cherrington and Webb. In fact I am not sure The Skidder has EVER mentioned these complete non-entities until their defenestration last week.
2 I am surprised that Dean did not ask about Caroline's "very close personal relationship" with Dave Hosell. Because he was unaware of the Skwawkbox output he was also unaware of the infamous audio tape when they were both out campaigning together. Better prep required here! Hosell was so confident he would win he stated on tape that Caroline would be "coming over to him" after the election. He meant from the Labour Party rather than in some other capacity! There was much made of her "expulsion" but at one point Caroline was, er, putting it about that she "resigned" before she was expelled. This discrepancy was not tackled on the programme. (Incidentally she was glued to Dave all evening at his table for the election count.)
2 Much was made of Carol Gault's deselection. It seems Dean did not ask her why she did not appeal to allow her to stand? She went on about FOI's (what? Labour are not susceptible to the Act) and other rubbish but it was not at all clear if she appealed and, if so, the outcome. Dean did bring up the case of Anne Shackleton. Like Carol - and Cllr Olwen Jones - she was deselected but appealed and was reinstated. As far as I know Carol didn't so the obvious question is - why not? Later in the programme both women suggested the de-selections were all about getting rid of white women of a certain age but the reinstatement of Shackleton and Jones rather undermines that serious allegation (which, again, went unchallenged.)
Addendum 21/05/19 - Carol has kindly contacted me and confirmed that she did appeal as she had only been given "flimsy" reasons for her deselection. When the appeal failed she was given no reasons. She did a FOIA request (although, as above, the Act does not apply to The Labour Party). She has now entered the Party's "complaints process".
3 Dean made a very serious and libellous allegation that The Skidder blog was "all speculation and probably libellous". I am not going to take that. The Skidder is meticulously resourced at considerable time, effort and expense to myself. I work on the same journalistic model as the BBC ie two independent sources for a story. Many stories are backed up with hard-documentary evidence. There is one politically-motivated libel case proceeding against me and that is proceeding to trial. That is well-documented on the blog but I can't say anything more about it here as I am a party to the proceedings. There has been no other libel claim against the blog (although plenty of personal threats against me). I like what you are doing and don't want to get heavy but if you are going to repeat such allegations then you really must back it up with evidence or I shall get "upset".
4 I join issue on the expressed view that former wife-beater, troll and general thug Darren Cooper was a "fabulous man".
5 If you are going to have politicians or ex-politicians on spouting about apprenticeships, employment etc surely you should have someone with some knowledge or expertise and so I am not sure why you would select Carol Gault. She wittered on about her coffee place etc and people may have got the impression that she was still a successful business person and employer. As the so-called "speculative" Skidder blog revealed many, many, moons ago that business went bust and Carol had to enter an Individual Voluntary Arrangement. The clue was in the Skidder's name for her back in the day - Carol "The Debtor" Gault. (Incidentally Sandwell Labour via Cooper and Co said that was untrue and I had made it up until I produced the actual registered court entry confirming it!!!!)
Addendum and Correction 21/05/19: An error here from The Skidder (so much for meticulous research "lol") - Carol states that the coffee shop business was a very successful business and she sold it as a going concern. The IVA was entered into later following the collapse of a business run by her husband which Carol says had been brought down by the demise of MG Rover. I am happy to put the record straight.
Jules"
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PROUD TO HAVE BEEN TROLLED BY DICKHEAD DARREN COOPER DECEASED!
LEGAL NOTICE (Version 1 from 23rd January, 2019)
Every now and again we make a genuine honest 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 make appropriate corrections forthwith.
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