Readers may have noticed that The Skidder has been a bit sporadic in the the last few months and has struggled to provide the usual level of journalism (not to mention even more typos than normal). I have not been able to take some stories on or devote as much time to some as I would have wished.. This is because I have been sued since 11th February, 2021 by bent Labour Sandwell Council's Director of Public Health, Lisa McNally, in the High Court in London. I am now able to confirm that McNally has lost her case against me and, subject to what is said below, faces payment of substantial legal costs.
There are huge political and other implications from this episode and I will be calling for Cllrs Rajbir Singh and Maria Crompton to stand down for their part in this affair. I also call for the instant dismissal of the head of the corrupt paid service, David Stevens, plus three SMBC solicitors although, of course, Stevens is already on the way out with a boot applied to his rear.
All this will be fully explained in further posts as this one is to set the scene and to thank certain individuals. This has been an astonishingly stressful time for me and my wife, Linda, who has been steadfast, as ever. What was left of my finances is gone and even though I should recover most of my costs I am now in a parlous financial state. The Skidder is bloodied but unbowed and this latest attempt to close down this journalism and stop you reading the truth about the bent Labour Council has failed.
Many close friends are completely unaware of this legal action. Even The Skidder team ("awesome" as McNally would say) were only informed late in the day. There was a good reason for this since, as we shall see in later posts, McNally and/or SMBC staff were leaking details of the case to Twitter trolls and it was important that my side was "squeaky clean" prior to a hearing in London on 21st June, 2021.
Background
McNally has a personal Twitter account. But she specifically stated on her Twitter profile - until she removed it yesterday or the day before - that she is Director of Public Health in the benighted Borough. She regularly uses the account in "work time" to pass on information about the Covid pandemic (gleaned from SMBC - funded sources) - with the full knowledge of Maria Crompton (a former Labour Leader of bent SMBC), David Stevens and others. As Covid took off she became something of a "celebrity" in the local mainstream media. It is important to note that, legally, she is in a politically-restricted post (where she is officially paid between £105, 000 and £109,999 per annum plus contributions to a gold-plated pension). In other words, she is supposed to stay out of the political arena.
Organisations like the British Medical Association specifically advise their members to avoid criticism of anti-vaxxers and Covid-deniers, finding it generally counter-productive. They are encouraged to bite their tongues and concentrate of relentless positive and educational messages. But McNally - egged on it seems by the likes of Crompton and Stevens - boasted that she would "take them on" (even though most of them are clearly not Sandwell folk). And so I was able to produce to the Court numerous examples where she had insulted and/or mocked these morons despite her position - with the encouragement of the bent Labour Council. Even before Covid she had insulted a fellow Twitter-user with the highly-professional jibe, "Wine + stupid = dickhead".
There were many in Sandwell who were concerned that she was rather too prominent in the media and that her egotism - bouyed by her sycophantic claque - was unseemly, particularly when she increasingly started to stray into what many thought were "political" areas. One Twitter-user did actually accuse her of "liking" the pandemic because of the frequent opportunities it provided for her to appear in the media (I make no comment myself on that - it is merely accurate reportage.)
McNally has not helped herself by blocking on Twitter a number of local Conservatives (see further below) and she even threatened legal action against Nicola Richards MP over a spat about a meeting! As recently as July 8th someone who appears to be a local Young Tory (if that is not a contradiction in terms like "Socialist Worker") raised this:
This prompted a response from new Conservative Cllr William Gill (Great Bridge) that she had also blocked a number of local Tories including some who are now Councillors at Sandwell e.g. Scott Chapman (Friar Park).
Regular readers will know that bent Labour Sandwell put aside £300,000 of YOUR money to shaft me and this blog but, having blown £50,000 a couple of years ago, they were advised that there was no cause of action against me. But they sat on the money rather than spend it on starving kids in case they got another shot at me.
McNally had three/four main beefs about me. Firstly, in the midst of the Covid pandemic she put up a video about her own self-confessed history of very serious mental health problems. She claimed, wrongly, that I was mocking and denigrating her mental health condition(s) in this blog whereas I have done no such thing. I questioned whether her publication of the video was appropriate at a time when the people of Sandwell were facing the greatest existential threat since WWII. Very many people did not agree with my comments and I was duly hammered on social media but it was my honestly held opinion - which in a country that claims to allow free speech, I was allowed to express. Indeed, I even specifically stated that my view was not fashionable these days and many would disagree with it. And critics were entitled to respond - which they did (although McNally's media pals like Makin and Haynes also deliberately tried to cause me and this blog further harm).
Following this, McNally blocked me on Twitter. Fair enough. But she went further and started blocking people who followed me or interacted with me on that social media platform. Her second complaint was that I wrote disparagingly about this strange and very unusual behaviour (I produced a number of examples to the Court where other people were complaining vociferously that she was blocking them from the very information on her PRIVATE twitter account which she claims is "essential" public health information).
Claim three was in respect of my posts stating that although she is often referred to as "Dr Lisa McNally" she is not a medical practioner (i.e. a GMC- registered doctor) but is allowed to use the title "Dr" because she has a PhD. I explained all this very carefully and made it quite clear that she WAS qualified to be a Director of Public Health (which does not require GMC registration). My blog was actually about her (political?) campaign where she tried to get the general public to back teachers jumping the queue for vaccination when that was not the policy advocated by top Government scientists. My point was that she was not an expert in this particular area (vaccination priority) whereas the JCVI and others are and her comments must be viewed accordingly. She took this as a slight on her, but as it was all absolutely true she was unable to sue me for defamation (libel).
A bizarre, subsidiary, fourth issue was that I made a formal complaint to SMBC about what I perceived as her political commentary when she is in a restricted post and that whilst her views may be supported by moronic Labour sheep (e.g. the Haranguing Hamster, Cllr Carmichael, tweeted support for teacher vaccination priority) her views did not, in fact, reflect official Labour policy even in her own Council!
McNally could not sue me for libel as all factual comment was, er, true. She stated that she "thought about" handing in her resignation on 27th January, 2021 but was persuaded by David Stevens and our old friend Surjit Tour (a solicitor and the bent Borough's higly controversial "head of legal") to sue me instead. This pair hit on the idea of suing me for "harassment" and, even more bizarrely, for a supposed data protection breach relating to comment on the video she, herself, published on Twitter. It is not clear, and we may never know, whether McNally is just another self-proclaimed feminist who was manipulated by two duplicitous men to do their bidding or whether her inflated ego was such that she now thought she was "Queen Bee" at Sadders and she wanted the kudos of being the one who "took me down".
Whatever the motivation, McNally decided to really screw me and sought:
1 An emergency injunction with penal notice attached;
2 A full "permanent" injunction;
3 A claim for breach of her data protection rights; and
4 Damages for alleged effects my writing supposedly had on her health.
In civil cases these days the claim has to be set out in writing in a letter first - a "Protocol Letter". This was duly sent to me but it was immediately apparent that three SMBC solicitors involved were intent on destroying me too, even though they were purporting to "act" for McNally in her personal capacity. Of course, McNally could be so vicious and aggressive because Crompton, Stevens, Tour and others at bent Sandwell told her that they would (unlawfully) use YOUR, taxpayers', money to f*ck me over!
There is a 14 day period to reply to the Protocol letter (often extended by agreement to 28 days) and I started correspondence to defend myself immediately whilst trying to get legal advice with my very limited financial means. In cases of this type it is folly to just walk into a local High Street solicitor as they simply do not have the expertise to assist. Bent Sandwell deliberately dumped a 529 page bundle of documents on me knowing full well that, notwithstanding the Covid pandemic, this was going to front-load my legal costs. They reckoned it would cost me a small fortune simply to get proper advice from anyone decent so that I would be forced to cave in straight away. (I will add here that the bundle should have been 530 pages but McNally "missed out" a key document which was favourable to my case, as I will describe in another post about the legal side of this case in due course.)
Some people trying to assist me get legal help spoke to SMBC and so they were fully aware that I was genuinely trying to get representation but McNally malevolently refused to allow me a time extension of a further 14 days. Her "supposed" solicitors at Labour Sandwell issued High Court proceedings on behalf of her in her own personal name and, seemingly, using YOUR money for the issue fees.
Incredibly, McNally told the Court she required an emergency injunction as I was a PHYSICAL threat to her, her family and even her friends and sought an order that I shouldn't be allowed to even go within 50 metres of her. She sought a penal notice (which Sandwell's "brilliant" legal team forgot to serve for 12 days) so that I could be imprisoned if I did so. This was malicious and absurd noting that I have NEVER EVEN MET HER!
Even more incredibly, her star witnesses that I was a physical threat were, wait for it, wait for it, David Stevens and two GMB Union reps, Darren and Sarah James (blogs passim!). Perhaps the most appalling part of this whole attempted stitch-up and really shocking smear campaign (of which more soon) was that Stevens said he had heard (from you know who folks) that I was a pervert who had been "photographing women" in the Oldbury Wetherspoons in December, 2014!!!! (And I don't intend to let that vile lie drop - watch this space.) (As above, Stevens is in the process of being sacked but Rajbir Singh - the new puppet "Leader" knows all about this and other matters relating to this claim and so I will soon make public the letter where I have said to Singh that Stevens must NOT receive any pay-off of our money above his contractual entitlement).
I did get a very good lawyer (see below) and very quickly McNally withdrew her ridiculous emergency injunction application (as a legal curiosity for those interested in such matters, this was done by McNally's QC's clerk throwing in the towel - an extremely odd thing!)
McNally made extraordinary threats to the High Court that unless she won an injunction she would not only give up her job as Director of Public Health at Sandwell but would give up her entire career. I was a lawyer myself back in the day and have never seen such an extraordinary attempt to influence the Court before.
Despite her six-figure salary McNally still expected YOU to indulge her with your money and so fought on, but my brilliant legal team applied to strike out her claim at an early stage. The lawyers told me that McNally's case was doomed to failure but were very well aware that they needed to nip it in the bud since if she dragged matters out to trial, she would bankrupt me long before we got to a full hearing. We duly turned up in London on June 21st for a full day of legal argument and the decision was handed down in my favour this morning. Her claim was struck out at first base, as it were.
Because McNally thinks YOU should pay for her case, YOU were paying for a QC for her plus TWO Sandwell Council Solicitors who travelled to London for the hearing. YOU will no doubt be asking questions about this to puppet Rajbir Singh and bent Labour.
It is fair to say that I got a bit of a kicking from the Judge who considered my oeuvre "peurile" and some comments "unpleasant" but he duly, and properly, upheld by rights as a journalist to comment on matters Sadders, and also good old freedom of speech. (And it was so gratifying that my lawyers were also so protective of these cherished human rights.)
The Judge made one mistake saying that I compared my style to the wonderful "Private Eye" magazine. Alas I do NOT have such brilliant writing skills. I simply aspire and strive to produce journalism anywhere near as good as theirs, but fear that will be one mountain top I shall never reach.
It should be said that McNally also complained about other people "attacking" her on social media and yet has made no attempt to take action against them. Once again with Sadders - sinister political motivation is the motor driving attempts to shut this blog down.
Thanks to some incredible people:
With a vicious emergency injunction application from McNally it was very hard to try and get top-class legal help at short notice. As it happens, I ended up with a choice! I need to mention top-drawer Julian Darrall of Wiggin, Solicitors, who looked over the papers, gave an immediate encouraging view and then said he would be happy to act for me. He is a top guy and so thank you, Julian. As it happened, his offer to act came just 10 minutes after I had agreed terms with the tremendous Mark Lewis.
What can I say about Mark? He is one amazing guy! Our relationship started with him giving me an almighty bollocking for trying to settle matters with bent Sandwell myself! Occasionally he scared me sh*tless and I was his Client! But the two Sandwell solictors who had been so belligerent and vile to me were soon whining that he was too aggressive towards them lol! They don't like it up em, Captain Mainwaring!
I think I might print and frame a couple of his letters to bent Sandwell as they are, indeed, "works of art".
Mark dealt with many high-profile media cases in the phone-hacking saga and has verywide litigation experience. He is a great communicator though his spell-checker sometimes throws up some alarming comments - only yesterday I found that I had actually been defending myself against "McCluskey". He listens to all one's concerns, is a master tactician and was incredibly supportive noting how stressful all this is for the Client. More particularly, he told me from day one that I would win the case and put steel in my spine when I had the occasional panic attack (usually to do with money!)
Local readers will know that Mark was the lawyer for Asif Khan when they subjected Brum Labour Cllr Waseem Zaffar to a crushing and humiliating defeat. (Thanks to Asif and Majid for putting me on to Mark.)
I must take this opportunity to also thank Megan and Johnny from Mark's team who were so efficient with documentation, evidence bundles and so on.
And then there was my incredible barrister, Richard Munden of 5RB Chambers in London.
Richard has worked for a host of millionaire celebs such as Wayne Rooney and J K Rowling yet gave little ol' me exactly the same Rolls Royce service (the UK Bar at its very best). He has a host of big defamation and media cases on his list of greatest hits and it is not difficult to see why. I worked in the law for 18 years and I have never - and I genuinely mean "never" - seen any barrister so thorough with his paperwork. He went through my detailed instructions line by line and took everything on board. He also told me from day one that I would win and maintained that firm advice throughout.
And no flashy nonsense in Court. Armed with a meticulously prepared "skeleton argument" he relentlessly hammered home point after point after point. And yet he was still willing and able to accept input from me during the course of the hearing and, as a Client, you simply can't ask for more than that.
I have to tell you an amusing story noting that Richard frequently deals with celebs. We went to the pub after the hearing - the famous Seven Stars behind the Royal Courts of Justice - and sat down with our beers in a little room with one other bloke in it. We had only been talking two or three minutes and the other chap suddenly asked, "You're not Mr Saunders are you?" It transpired that this lovely fellow is the editor of a well-known national professional publication and an avid reader of The Skidder! We had a good laugh as Richard realised that he was drinking with a "celeb" after all!!!
A great guy. Thanks so much Richard (though I hope I won't need you again anytime soon!)
As I had to keep this all on a "need to know basis" due to the leaks from the McNally camp most friends know nothing about all this. I hope the level of stress I have been under excuses any grumpiness (even worse than normal) and explains sudden cancellations of meets etc. Thanks to Ann Dibble (a rock as usual) and to Ann Wright, who even sought divine assistance for The Skidder cause.
I will get a few quid back so we will have a little drinky y'all!
You can read the full judgment, if you can't sleep, via the link below but take a look at the last page as I suspect it will be the only time my name will ever be associated with the Duchess of Sussex lol!
https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWHC/QB/2021/2012.html
More to follow soon on this but I hope the sackings will start NOW! And normal service will now resume exposing the fraud, cronyism and incompetence in the bent Labour Borough. Got a story - ring The Skidder (though not on Saturday as we are out on the lash lol!)
And Finally - more breaking news:
The Tories won the Tividale By Election last night. As hapless and corrupt Labour implode, Emma Henlan, a local, becomes the 10th Conservative Councillor. The Tory guys have been hammering the Dictatorship since May but it is great news that they now have a woman on the team too.
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