Are SOME things changing for the better in the brutal Borough of Sandwell? Maybe. At a recent full Council meeting there was, perhaps unsurprisingly, overwhelming support for a motion condemning violence against women and girls. This was presented by Cllr Sahdaish Pall who spoke eloquently on the subject. But the facts presented seemed to overwhelm the easy words of Councillors.
Cllr Pall acknowledged that much domestic abuse is not reported to the police but still highlighted alarming local statistics:
"The Sandwell Domestic Abuse Strategy reports that there were 10,008 incidents of domestic abuse reported to West Midlands Police in 2020/21. This represents an increase of 27.3% compared with the 7,860 incidents reported in 2019/20."
Note - it is not clear to me why the statistics appear to be so out of date and nor is it clear whether the above figures relate just to Sandwell or to the whole of the West Midlands. In any event, Sandwell is, after 51 years of Labour control, home to a large, uneducated and feral underclass, prone to violence.
Cllr Hemingway explained, using figures relating to the number of women Councillors that a quarter could expect to be subjected to violence. She had not reported violence perpetrated against herself to the police, but sought solace and support from "Labour Sisters".
Cllr Parbinder Kaur's position was odd. She too said she had faced domestic violence and she thought survivors should also seek help and support from "faith groups". But firstly, she openly took to X (Twitter) to support Hamas which murdered and raped women on October 7th, last. Presumably Israeli women somehow don't count. Secondly, "faith groups" did not cover themselves with glory if the stories about the handling of the allegations surrounding former Labour Council Kirat Singh are true. These did not relate to violence against women but another form of alleged abuse against them. Yet adherents to the particular faith in question told me that on that occasion the "faith group" strongly supported the party with the beard and penis.
There is no agenda item where the ghastly Cllr Peter "Zorro" Hughes, aka "Alberich", does not have to spout out some lengthy and absurd contribution. This might have been an occasion, particularly where some female Councillors were sharing harrowing personal testimony, when this puffball could have kept his gob shut. But no - he had to intervene. Of course, I am not accusing Hughes of domestic violence but there are some women who find his domineering and controlling influence over his wife unacceptable. I personally witnessed him treating his wife (and another woman) like a doormat. Of course, his wife was also a former Councillor but resigned before she had to face a standards investigation in respect of her failure to declare an interest at planning committee meetings favouring Hughes's pal, property developer, Satnam Sahota. Husband and wife moved into one of the properties for which planning permission was granted. Sandwell Council says that Hughes did not exercise undue influence on his wife even when he spoke at one meeting to attack those of his constituents who opposed the plans. And even when one meeting was held on Zoom and husband and wife were in the same house!
Oh yes, and the lurid stories oft repeated in Wednesbury concerning Hughes's conduct down the Rugby Club might not meet with the approval of many Labour Sisters, but I am sure that it was all just a bit of fun [sic].
A number of male and female Councillors in the chamber were around when the wifebeater Darren Cooper was leader and failed to condemn him (ditto Jess Phillips MP who was working in Saddders at the time). It is impossible to look at this photo of Cooper without thinking of those huge fists raining heavy blows on his first wife:
Cooper was also notorious for touching up female members of staff which again was unquestioned by male and female Councillors (and senior officers). As was his absolutely vicious Twitter trolling campaigns - he (with others) ran at least 16 accounts attacking me and my wife. He also wrote officially as Leader of the Council to my wife's then employers trying to get her sacked for the sole reason that she was married to me!
After he died (note particularly, "after") two Labour women councillors approached me - separately - and both said they thought Cooper had gone way too far with his attacks on my wife (although the Sisters seemingly had no problem with him running fake accounts to attack me). What a shame they were too scared of him to ask him to desist when he was alive. And a woman who is STILL a very senior Councillor thought my wife was fair game, and totally backed Cooper's appalling attacks on her.
Oh yes, then there was the nasty bullying by a number of Labour Councillors of Cllr Jayne Wilkinson.
But neither the brothers nor sisters are seemingly opposed to violence against men. I don't know of a single one of the comrades who has opposed the elevation of criminal Cllr Steve "Rocky" Melia to Deputy Mayor this year and Mayor next, despite his conviction - on his own guilty plea - of assault by beating. Perhaps Cllr Pall will be introducing a motion condemning ALL violence at a forthcoming meeting - but don't hold your breath ...
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| Jess Phillips - major Cooper (metaphorical) rimmer. |
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