Whoa, hang on a minute. We are missing the point here gentlemen.
According to PRAVDERTISER he was convicted at Manchester Magistrates Court on 19th June.
On 26th June he tendered apologises to the Ashton District Assembly due to illness.
So, has he tendered his resignation? If so, when? More importantly, with effect from which date? Even more importantly why have we not had any official announcement?
A F.o.I. (Freedom of Information) request on this subject has not yet received a response.
I asked the following question to full council which was denied as it doesn't fall under their highly convenient 5 working day rule:
"Can the council please confirm when they knew of Councillor Stephen Smith’s resignation after being found guilty for drink driving on the 19th of June and when the council planned to release this information to the public? I am aware that Councillor Smith has not attended meetings for the past two months, will he be forced to pay that money back?"
I then got a cryptic response from Sandra Stewart, the borough solicitor:
"In any event, it would not be appropriate for the Civic Advisory Panel to raise matters which are based on rumour and which have no truth or substance to them and could leave the person raising the question exposed to defamation."
"Cllr Steven Smith has recently been unable to attend meetings owing to ill-heath. There are no circumstances that relate to him whatsoever that disqualify him from being a councillor. As he continues to be the elected representative for Ashton St Peter’s he is entitled to receive remuneration for that role."
Indeed Councillor Smith doesn't need to resign as you are unable to stand as a councillor if:
# You are bankrupt # You have a criminal conviction which has a minimum penalty of three months in prison within the 5 years preceding the election # You have been found guilty of a corrupt or illegal practice within 5 years preceding the election
I am sure there is a rule on that you can't of been fined for over £5,000 within the past five years either.
So legally Councillor Smith is able to stand as a councillor, but you have to question the morals of the Labour Party for allowing him to keep the whip. Only in Tameside....
How would I be defaming Councillor Smith if he pleaded guilty in court? Does the borough solicitor not read the papers like she does with the blogs?
It is disgusting that the Advertiser relegated this story to a small article on page six when another councillors son - nothing to do with the councillor themselves, made page one in a previous issue. Just what is going on?
The article on Steve Smith hasn't even made it online or to the MEN. I also think that the Advertiser knew about this long before it was exposed on Tameside Mafia, but they chose not to report it.
Then we have "2 Jags" Roy Oldham - again there is no scrutiny or investigative journalism from the press. Instead they print the spin that they are a "greener deal". What a load of horse shit.
The press are bought in Tameside, no wonder people are putting down the paper and going online.
Certain sections of the local Press are utterly corrupt and bought and paid for by TMBC's clique of timeserving criminals masquerading as senior Labour Councillors. What are Tameside's legal overseers doing about it? F**k all. I wonder why.
Speaking of vile Labour politicians Glenys Kinnock who is now Baroness despite turning down the usage of 'Lady' Kinnock four years ago decided not to invite BNP MEP's Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons to a welcoming reception for new MEP's. The BNP received 943,000votes, Glenys Kinnock received, none to gain elevation to her current job of Minister for Europe. She's got about as much respect for democracy as the Taliban have for women's rights. Her behaviour is a total affront to democracy and typical of a Party that no longer stands for or believes in anything.
8 comments:
Get well soon Steve and take care
Just because he is "ill" is no excuse for comitting a crime and putting other peoples safety at risk.
Whoa, hang on a minute. We are missing the point here gentlemen.
According to PRAVDERTISER he was convicted at Manchester Magistrates Court on 19th June.
On 26th June he tendered apologises to the Ashton District Assembly due to illness.
So, has he tendered his resignation? If so, when? More importantly, with effect from which date? Even more importantly why have we not had any official announcement?
A F.o.I. (Freedom of Information) request on this subject has not yet received a response.
I asked the following question to full council which was denied as it doesn't fall under their highly convenient 5 working day rule:
"Can the council please confirm when they knew of Councillor Stephen Smith’s resignation after being found guilty for drink driving on the 19th of June and when the council planned to release this information to the public? I am aware that Councillor Smith has not attended meetings for the past two months, will he be forced to pay that money back?"
I then got a cryptic response from Sandra Stewart, the borough solicitor:
"In any event, it would not be appropriate for the Civic Advisory Panel to raise matters which are based on rumour and which have no truth or substance to them and could leave the person raising the question exposed to defamation."
"Cllr Steven Smith has recently been unable to attend meetings owing to ill-heath. There are no circumstances that relate to him whatsoever that disqualify him from being a councillor. As he continues to be the elected representative for Ashton St Peter’s he is entitled to receive remuneration for that role."
Indeed Councillor Smith doesn't need to resign as you are unable to stand as a councillor if:
# You are bankrupt
# You have a criminal conviction which has a minimum penalty of three months in prison within the 5 years preceding the election
# You have been found guilty of a corrupt or illegal practice within 5 years preceding the election
I am sure there is a rule on that you can't of been fined for over £5,000 within the past five years either.
So legally Councillor Smith is able to stand as a councillor, but you have to question the morals of the Labour Party for allowing him to keep the whip. Only in Tameside....
How would I be defaming Councillor Smith if he pleaded guilty in court? Does the borough solicitor not read the papers like she does with the blogs?
It is disgusting that the Advertiser relegated this story to a small article on page six when another councillors son - nothing to do with the councillor themselves, made page one in a previous issue. Just what is going on?
The article on Steve Smith hasn't even made it online or to the MEN. I also think that the Advertiser knew about this long before it was exposed on Tameside Mafia, but they chose not to report it.
Then we have "2 Jags" Roy Oldham - again there is no scrutiny or investigative journalism from the press. Instead they print the spin that they are a "greener deal". What a load of horse shit.
The press are bought in Tameside, no wonder people are putting down the paper and going online.
Certain sections of the local Press are utterly corrupt and bought and paid for by TMBC's clique of timeserving criminals masquerading as senior Labour Councillors. What are Tameside's legal overseers doing about it? F**k all. I wonder why.
Speaking of vile Labour politicians Glenys Kinnock who is now Baroness despite turning down the usage of 'Lady' Kinnock four years ago decided not to invite BNP MEP's Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons to a welcoming reception for new MEP's. The BNP received 943,000votes, Glenys Kinnock received, none to gain elevation to her current job of Minister for Europe. She's got about as much respect for democracy as the Taliban have for women's rights. Her behaviour is a total affront to democracy and typical of a Party that no longer stands for or believes in anything.
'I've got an official title therefore I've got integrity'. Not in Tameside.
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