1 April (Part 2) - And about time too
Never
forget that it was the Tories who started this non-crime
hate incident business and to many people’s amazement it is a Labour Home
Secretary who has had quite enough of it. Whether the police will follow her instructions is another
story entirely of course. They are never far removed from corruption.
As some readers will remember, I was charged with a hate crime in 2017 by
police acting on an outright and very obvious lie signed by a Bexley
Conservative Councillor.
What follows is another of the
blasts from the past published on 31st December 2017 but
overlooked once blogs became the landing page on Bonkers.
Absolutely disgraceful stuff by the police and the Councillor involved.
According to Kent Police reporting any item of news which might make its
subject feel uncomfortable is a potentially criminal act and leaves its author
“liable to arrest and a night in the cells”. (Quote)
It matters not whether the news reported is entirely factual. It matters not if
the news reported is already in the public domain, neither is the inclusion of
documentary evidence to support the news a mitigating factor.
Whether or not the news item is augmented by an opinion piece is of no
consequence, news that is negative in any way can according to Kent Police be criminal.
The only relevant factor according to Kent Police is whether or not the truth
hurts. If it does they have their victim, the writer of the piece.
Many people will be very relieved to be protected by a police force as stupid as Kent Police appears to be.
At the highest level former Cabinet Member Damian Green can initiate complaints
against every national news outlet for reporting the claims of a vengeful
retired police officer that a computer used by the Deputy Prime Minister
contained images of a pornographic nature.
At the other extreme, every litter lout named and shamed by Bexley Council on
its website can ask the police to take action against the Council officer who
authorised the publication of their personal details. Those who live in the
Swanley police district will find a ready ear attached to PC Abbie Brooks (13546).
They will find her willing to listen to each and every complaint, whether it has
merit or none and leap into action. According to her everyone who is hurt when
their name becomes news has a legitimate complaint and the full force of the law must swing into action.
You may think that Kent Police is just a bad joke but while attitudes like
theirs prevail no journalist is safe. Only wholly good news can be reported without threat of arrest.
1 April (Part 1) - Another blast from the past
A message from Reform UK says that they have chosen their candidates to fight
for control of Bexley Council. The nominations have gone in. Obviously I know the name of a Belvedere
candidate because i proposed him and I think I know who might take on Peter Craske in Blackfen and Lamorbey
because I encouraged its acceptance when the first choice may have been
elsewhere. There was strong competition for some wards.
I’m not sure why people still vote for Peter Craske in Blackfen, his track record for
attacking residents is among the worst.
Here is what was published on Bonkers on 23rd September 2011. It is
one of the
hard to find Editorial pages from the beginning of Bonkers.
Peter Craske, Cabinet Member for Public Realm and Bexley councillor for Blackfen & Lamorbey draws an allowance of £22,615 a year. Councillor Craske has an obsession with motoring, he gets free parking when he attends council meetings but imposes ever increasing fees and restrictions on residents. From time to time it is necessary to remind readers who is responsible for Bexley having more expensive parking and residents’ parking permits than any neighbouring borough with the single exception of a car park catering for tourists in the historic centre of Greenwich; but even there, a parking permit is cheaper than in Bexley.
• Peter Craske introduced 24 hour a day parking charges, seven days a week.
• Peter Craske has doubled parking charges since taking office.
• Peter Craske dishonestly claimed that Bexley enjoys the cheapest parking in South East London.
• Peter Craske recommended and implemented the price hike for residents’ parking permits. £35 last year, £100 now.
• Peter Craske levied £2·3 million in parking fines and defies the parking adjudicator by continuing with ineffective or illegal restriction signs.
• Peter Craske plans to enforce moving traffic violations with 24/7 CCTV coverage.
• Peter Craske got rid of town centre parking meters and compelled motorists to pay via mobile phones with a fixed extra fee. No alternative.
• Peter Craske authorised £4m for traffic consultants while retaining his internal department with total salaries in the region of £600,000.
• Peter Craske assured us that a new parking services contractor would provide better value for money. The council’s Budget Book shows increased costs of £55,000.
If you hate the Yellow Money Boxes that more often than not foul up traffic flow - I saw someone who misjudged the one at Cray Bridge in Bexley Village on Monday evening -
please remember that the cameras were the idea of Councillor Peter Craske 15 years ago.
His report said fines would maximise income but that would be illegal so for public consumption he called it obtaining value for money from the investment in CCTV. Total dishonesty.