Teal Tsunami - An Open Letter to Sandwell Reform Group

Congratulations on your stunning electoral success. It was tremendous to see so many who have done SO much harm to Sandwell finally get the bum’s rush - Carmichael, Hackett, Hughes and many more.

I doubt you will take any notice of this post - particularly with Durnell pulling the strings - but heigh-ho.

The ONLY thing that is going to improve Sandwell’s lot is economic growth. That will be difficult to deliver with Labour, nationally, causing mayhem, and local Labour’s hatred of business and enterprise destroying Sandwell over the last 50 years. An economic impact assessment should be made in respect of all non-statutory expenditure and not a penny of taxpayers’ money spent unless the effect will be positive for the local economy and jobs. (All statutory expenditure also needs to be reviewed, of course, to make sure that (a) the money isn’t going to Labour’s cronies, and (b) the Council is getting best value on the contracts.)

You need to be aware that the staff at the Council are, for the most part, Labour apparatchiks. Many are unemployable in the “real world”. Cut the staff where you can. Ten per cent would be a sound starting point. And look at the “shirking from home” rules Labour has allowed.

 But do note that the pro-Labour staff will be against you from day one. As with the Tories who were elected not so long ago, staff are likely to make malicious complaints about members of your duly elected Group. Wherever possible use emails to communicate so that there is a written record. If you have to meet with staff try and make sure you have a witness present. If that is not possible, follow up with an email confirming what was discussed. You really do need to watch your backs.

Ditto with the unions. You will be aware that Labour is bringing in catastrophic new union legislation which will take Britain back to the awful conditions of the 1970’s. The first thing to do is to cut the number of staff at SMBC on “Facility Time”. This is where SMBC staff have a nominal “job” with the Council but are paid by the taxpayer to work for the union - full, or part-time. It would be wholly inappropriate if they are allowed to undermine elected members whilst being paid by taxpayers. You will need to check the legal position. Facility Time is a statutory right. See if you can cut the number of them at Sandwell to just one representing all unions. If that is not possible, cut to one per union. A win for your Group members AND for taxpayers.

And Labour has allowed some of the unions rent-free licences for offices in Council buildings like the Smethwick and West Brom Town Halls. Either evict them on day one or make them pay a full commercial rate. The former is the better option since why would you want a cuckoo in the nest undermining you from within the Council’s own buildings?

If he is willing to help, PLEASE use Darryl Magher. Most of your Group are political virgins. There will be a mountain of reading to do in the next few weeks and before meetings. Darryl has good knowledge of procedures and the nous to identify the right questions to ask. Ignore Durnell and use him!

Shokat Lal and Monitoring Officer, Michael Jones, have been very tardy in dealing with Standards Complaints against Labour (although some will be academic if the alleged miscreants have been kicked out in the teal tsunami.) Order Lal on day one to release my two ongoing standards complaints against (a) Rizwan Jalil, and (b) Those Councillors who failed to declare an interest when voting for Jeffcoat’s crazed motion to stop the WM Pension Fund investing in the arms trade.

If Lal is still doing a four-day week (with his “foreigner” in Tower Hamlets) stop that immediately. There is more than enough work for someone so highly paid to get Sandwell on the right track. He needs to be there to give you, hopefully, professional advice. If he wants to do outside jobs, renegotiate his contract so that he is only paid pro-rata.

Do not trust people like Paul Moore and keep them at arm’s length. Remember that Jeffcoat is a great guy, but a Labour puppet. Note especially that the notorious green masturbator, John “Tosser” Tipper, is in a bromance with world-class piece of sh*t, Adam Smith, at The Express and Star. Don’t be surprised if you tell Tosser something and then it appears in The Star. (Adam Smith is not to be trusted in any circumstances, and many BBC and other local journalists are fiercely anti-Reform. So watch your backs again.)

You may be surprised to note that Durnell is the de facto head [sic] of “Save Lion Farm Fields”. At the moment I have gone to the Information Commissioner as Lal is refusing to make available details of Sandwell Labour’s latest attempt to destroy the Fields. Reform should make it clear to the whole of Sandwell that the Fields will not be built over whilst Reform is in control. Lal should be asked to reply properly to the FOIA request.

You will be astonished, as you take control, how the corrupt Labour Dictatorship has embedded itself into every nook and cranny of Sandwell life. Your Leader needs an immediate meeting with Chief Sup’t Madill where she should be made aware that Reform will not allow her and others to continue to put out overtly pro-Labour propaganda. You also need to look at the membership of the Independent Advisory Group (IAG) which has, hitherto, been totally controlled by Labour members of the Sikh community.

There are very many charities and organisations which exist (a) purely as Labour fronts - SIPS, SCVO etc., or (b) put out pro-Labour propaganda in return for taxpayers’ money, like Multistory.

Reform needs to promote volunteering, the arts and community groups but only where this produces genuine benefit. Check that any organisation holding out the donations plate for taxpayers’ money isn’t a Labour Front (you should pull funding from the likes of SIPS on Day One or as soon as contractual obligations allow). Check how many paid employees these organisations have and how much they are personally raking in. Check the reserves held - many community groups (so-called) want taxpayers’ money when they are sitting on unused reserves. Immediately investigate where all the money is going at Let’s Dance Again (LDA) and consider the removal of its free use of Wednesbury Town Hall - at the very least until the accounts are clarified. Look too at who "charities" like LDA are employing - are they cronies or genuine third parties?

You obviously have 4 local MP’s gunning for you and you will be well aware of their desperate attempts to smear Reform before polling day. Unfortunately, we now also have an unwanted extra tier of local government with the hapless Parker as Labour Mayor. You need to make sure your representative or reserve is always at Combined Authority meetings.

Remember the general stuff - keep feet out or mouths, underwear on etc. Improve Sandwell’s disastrous position of league tables of poor health, deprivation and so on. It will be difficult for you to actually do worse than Labour, but TRY to make things better. Be open and transparent, and people will help you.

One thing that you SHOULD do - but won’t - is come clean on the Rajbir Singh/Imogen Walker scandal. You won’t because the “Boy Blunder” has just been elected as a Reform member of Birmingham City Council. That is a shame but I am on that particular case myself.

Good luck - you will need it.

Jules

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