The dossier... the press conference

Dossier On Municipal Corruption Released by the 100 Promises Campaign

Malfeasance In Public Office At Glasgow City Council: The Case For A Public Inquiry

Foreword

This dossier outlines a variety of cases of malfeasance in public office.  Some of the allegations may indeed be criminal.  Many are within the letter of the law but certainly outside of the standards we might expect of public officials.  Some of the stories were already - at least in part - in the public domain, but have never been collated together before.  Several are entirely new allegations, which we have come by either by means of eyewitness testimony, or by our own investigations.  Where we rely solely on witness testimony we have made this clear.  It is not our intention to defame or besmirch the reputations of any individuals, and we are more than willing to recognise that witness testimony may be partial or insincere, so throughout this dossier where we are relying on witness testimony we make this clear.  Some of the allegations however we believe to be watertight evidence of malfeasance.

'Openness and Transparency' vs 'Commercial Interests'

How did Robert Booth at Land and Environmental Services turn a public owned Glasgow recycling plant, earmarked as a new centre for Nordic style district heating, into a toxic, privatised incinerator ran by the firm (Viridor) his brother sits on the Board of? Why did Booth then retire on a 'Ronnie Saez'-sized severance package?

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/152765/response/379986/attach/3/Signed%20response%20EIR4241655.pdf

BREAKING NEWS: Former Glasgow Labour Leadership Candidate Linked to Fraud Investigation

Going for gold?
East End Councillor George Redmond

A charity linked to the Council in the East End of Glasgow is to be investigated by Audit Scotland, for alleged irregularities in its governance and over alleged fraudulent payouts to Board Members, the 100 Promises Campaign has learned.

Our sources passed on the complaint, made by a disability rights activist, after we held a meeting in Labour Councillor George Redmond's constituency, to place pressure on him following his "misconduct" over a £500,000 payout to his business associate Ronnie Saez.  The pair were on the board of the Council run Glasgow East Regeneration Agency when it was wound up without transferring its assets back to the city. Councillor Jim Coleman was also implicated on that occasion.

If upheld however the charges in this complaint could prove more serious still, as they are alleged to involve under the table payments to family relatives of Councillor Redmond, who is believed to be on the Board of the charity in question, and has sat on the boards of agencies which have provided funding for the implicated NGO. Councillor Redmond is widely rumoured to have links to organised crime - a charge he has steadfastly denied in the past. However should he be proven to have been involved in an illegal payments scandal in a criminal front enterprise, having been involved in allocating it public funding, this would very damning indeed, and would have consequences far beyond his East End constituency.

Councillor Redmond's constituency takes in much of the newly built and under construction Commonwealth Games' facilities, and he is on the board of East End public property development quango Clyde Gateway.  Relatives of Councillor Redmond are providing security for the Commonwealth Games facilities.

The committee of 100 has called for a public inquiry into misconduct at Glasgow City Council, after a number of large payoffs, financial irregularities, and damning reports were made following Labour's re-election last year.

Since we made this call it has emerged that the Glasgow Social Work boss, David Crawford, who closed the Accord Centre for adults with learning disabilities (the campaign which featured prominently in the 2011 Holyrood election) was also inexplicably given an extraordinary £500,000 'retirement package.' Cllr Redmond has much to thank Mr Crawford for. The conditions of the closure of the Accord Centre lucratively transferred council service users over to facilities run by Redmond - who maintains extensive private and commercial, quango and facilities management interests. Crawford is in his fifties and had worked for GCC for just four years.  He is believed to currently be in employment in social services elsewhere in Scotland.

We believe there is an urgent need for a public inquiry into the affairs at the city council, which can no longer be ignored.

http://t.co/oLtN1r6cFM Petition: @GlasgowCC & @ScotParl: Hold a public inquiry into misconduct at Glasgow City Council. #gccgraft
— Power in Community (@PowerCIC) June 14, 2013

44 Labour Councillors. 56 homes. 6 holiday homes. Wages: £16,000

How do they manage it?

Glasgow City Council: 100 Promises - The Stories (scandals) So Far

In light of our call for a public inquiry into Glasgow City Council, the 100 Promises Campaign is supporting the initiative by Glasgow Against ATOS for citizens to 'hang out the dirty laundry' on Glasgow Green.

http://t.co/oLtN1r6cFM Petition: @GlasgowCC & @ScotParl: Hold a public inquiry into misconduct at Glasgow City Council. #gccgraft

— Power in Community (@PowerCIC) June 14, 2013

Meeting on standards of public officials in Glasgow.

'La Plus Vielle Alliance Du Monde' - A Communication With The French Consulate

The letter handed to the French Consul reads as follows:-

Dear Monsieur Coffinier,

We wish to note our concern at BBC Scotland portraying the position of the French Government as opposed to Scottish independence.  The French Republic, rightly, has made no such statement, or shown any desire to dissuade or persuade Scots to vote for independence.  Nonetheless many Scots have been left with that impression after remarks made by a French Euro MP were reported by the BBC as if they reflected the ‘French view.’

It is with incidents like this in mind that we respectfully ask that you make representations to the French Government to request that OSCE-ODIHR international election monitors are brought to Scotland to monitor the independence referendum.

France has always been an ally of Scotland.  The French Government has stood by Scottish democracy in the past.  The ‘father of Scottish democracy,’ the suffrage campaigner Thomas Muir, was granted citizenship and asylum after being persecuted by the British Government for his commitment to democracy in Scotland.  When de Gaulle visited Scotland he described the relationship between our two countries as “La plus vielle alliance du monde.”

It is in the spirit of that ancient amity and friendship that we ask for your support today.

Yours sincerely,

Nick Durie

Organiser @ Power In Community

Press Release: Honour The Auld Alliance - A Fair Poll For Scots

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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CONTACT DETAILS
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Email: nick.durie@googlemail.com
Telephone: 07798903944

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NOTES TO THE EDITOR
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* The BBC has portrayed a number of foreign ministers from EU states as opposing Scottish independence. This has led to statements from two foreign governments correcting the BBC for their impartial reportage. (http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/6888-exclusive-scotland-a-qhighly-valuedq-part-of-eu-says-dutch-foreign-minister)

* The BBC is a state broadcaster for the UK. In respect of Scotland's referendum, after multiple complaints about the BBC's biased coverage it has stated, "We are not in an official referendum campaign and therefore do not have to balance it out between yes and no." (http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/referendum/6740-we-dont-have-to-be-balanced-in-referendum-debate-says-bbc)

* The BBC portrayed "the French view" on independence by interviewing a French Euro MP who was previously a New Labour special advisor. Her views reflected nothing more than personal bias but this was reported as if she were a government spokesperson (http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2013/03/propaganda-against-scotland/)

* The Organisation for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights is an Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe executive agency; its election monitors are recognised the world over as guarantors of fair polls, and fair media, and they take a dim view of media bias (http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2013/03/oh-dear-new-labours-control-of-bbc-scotland-must-be-curbed/)

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BEGINS
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Demonstrators are gathering outside the French Consulate in Edinburgh today at 1pm, to urge France to honour, 'the Auld Alliance.'

"We have had enough of media bias undermining Scotland's democracy, and a fair independence poll," says Nick Durie, one of several lobby organisers. Demonstrators are assembling today outside the French consulate in Edinburgh to ask France to support Scottish calls for an election monitoring mission to be dispatched from the Organisation for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights - a European election monitoring body.

This year BBC Scotland - the state broadcaster - has claimed that three foreign governments have opposed Scottish independence. The former British ambassador, Craig Murray, has claimed that this is because the BBC in Scotland is controlled by New Labour. Earlier this year the BBC interviewed a former New Labour special advisor, who is now a Euro MP. She opposed Scottish independence. Her views were aired as if they reflected the position of the French Government. Scottish viewers were left with the impression that France had been denouncing Scottish independence.

On the 18th of September, next year, Scots will decide if Scotland should be an independent country. When De Gaulle visited Scotland he described Scotland's relationship with France as "La plus vielle alliance du monde." Historically France has taken a great interest in Scottish democracy. When the 'father of Scottish democracy,' Thomas Muir, was rescued by French officials after having been transported for campaigning for the vote the Republic gave him citizenship and hailed his efforts. Today Scotland needs the help of "La plus vielle alliance du monde," to prevent the British government using state controlled media to influence the independence referendum through biased reportage.

"Fair faw the Auld Alliance!" Said Nick, in the Scots language. "Vive L'Alliance Franco-Ecossaise."

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ENDS
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CONTACT DETAILS
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Email: nick.durie@googlemail.com
Telephone: 07798903944

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NOTES TO THE EDITOR
-------------------

* The BBC has portrayed a number of foreign ministers from EU states as opposing Scottish independence. This has led to statements from two foreign governments correcting the BBC for their impartial reportage. (http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/scottish-news/6888-exclusive-scotland-a-qhighly-valuedq-part-of-eu-says-dutch-foreign-minister)

* The BBC is a state broadcaster for the UK. In respect of Scotland's referendum, after multiple complaints about the BBC's biased coverage it has stated, "We are not in an official referendum campaign and therefore do not have to balance it out between yes and no." (http://newsnetscotland.com/index.php/referendum/6740-we-dont-have-to-be-balanced-in-referendum-debate-says-bbc)

* The BBC portrayed "the French view" on independence by interviewing a French Euro MP who was previously a New Labour special advisor. Her views reflected nothing more than personal bias but this was reported as if she were a government spokesperson. (http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2013/03/propaganda-against-scotland/)

* The Organisation for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights is an Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe executive agency; its election monitors are recognised the world over as guarantors of fair polls, and fair media, and they take a dim view of media bias (http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2013/03/oh-dear-new-labours-control-of-bbc-scotland-must-be-curbed/)

On Open Letter Regarding Standards of Fidelity at Glasgow City Council

"On behalf of the Committee of 100."

On Open Letter Regarding Standards of Fidelity at Glasgow City Council

http://us2.campaign-archive2.com/?u=195f3febf8c3e95f41f374c75&id=6620141684&e=ae97e0e467
Dear Gordon Matheson,

You will perhaps have heard of the sorry tale of the footballer Garry O'Connor who was sentenced to a community payback order for possession of Cocaine; the financier David Fleming who was fined and placed on the sex offenders register for a public indecency on Sauchiehall Street; the J&M Services company run by Mervyn Johnston and Joe McFall which rightly had to pay out £27,000 for sexual harassment, and of Susan Forsyth the Glasgow social worker who fraudulently claimed benefits and was ordered to pay 20,000.  The public too have heard of Stephen Purcell and his 'chemical dependency' but not of the other allegations which were made of him, of Gilbert Davidson and his ongoing record of sexual harassment and sexual assault, of Stephen Curran and Ann McTaggart and their public liaisons, and of Ruth Black and the money which went missing under her administration of an LGBT centre, and indeed of you, and the events for which you say you are sorry.

What they perhaps have not heard is that each of your team escaped prosecution for very similar misdemeanors. Standards of fidelity in public life are not about how you choose to enjoy yourselves privately. They are about holding you to promises you have made, to standards that government expects all citizens to follow, and they are about financial probity as we invest power in you to look after our public finances.  What again perhaps most people have not heard is that Councillor Paul Rooney from your team is a former Depute 'Fiscal.  Given the tremendous good luck that none of the misdemeanours committed by your team resulted in prosecutions this raises some serious concerns with regard to the separation of the local state and the local Scottish Justiciary.

Such fabulous good fortune however may have gone unnoticed had it not been for the way your administration handled the corrupt payout to Ronnie Saez after was it was exposed beyond doubt by the charities regulator as indeed corrupt and immoral. While they stated that they were not in a position to prosecute because it was beyond their powers, we understand that citizens are considering a legal challenge after your response to this investigation was not only to fail to order the repayment of the £500,000, but to indicate that the Councillors responsible Cllr George Redmond and Cllr Jim Coleman (both from your team) would also go unpunished.

But even so, in your desire to turn over no stones, this bad politics is further compounded by your support for the waste incinerator  being built in Polmadie, which is contrary to your plans surrounding combined heat and power.  To hand over this plant to Viridor, under a deal approved by Robert Booth, then GCC director of land and environment who is the brother-in-law of a senior executive at Viridor, looks to be nothing short of scandalous insider trading - a fact you have overlooked, and continue to overlook despite it being pointed out.

Subsequent to our investigation of these facts the 100 Promises campaign has also been told a number of other apocryphal tales. Until these reports are corroborated we can't take them seriously but the fact that we cannot dismiss them as malicious rumours because of the wrongful actions that we can observe with certainty speaks volumes for the state of political fidelity in this city.

To that end and owing to the seemingly unendless tales we hear about financial irregularity at GCC we will be holding a public meeting in that part of the city that Ronnie Saez, George Redmond, and Jim Coleman robbed from (which your Council has allowed and endorsed) to present our findings.

We will of course invite you to defend your record.  I will send full details to your office in due course. It provides us with no pleasure to be holding a meeting on this subject as we would rather be challenging you on other promises than your promise to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour but sadly your record as a council on these standards applying to yourself is now being called into question.