LIVERPOOL council leader Warren Bradley last night demanded to know who ordered the blocking of a controversial internet blog set up in a war against senior council officials.
The leader's call came just hours after the council's chief executive,
Colin Hilton, revealed he had asked for a police investigation into the so-called "Liverpool-evil-cabal" website.
Thousands of people are looking onto the site, but council staff, councillors and visitors to internet rooms
at public libraries and one-stop shops, have found the site has been blocked. Last night the city council denied the site had been blocked
on the orders of Liverpool Direct, the company jointly owned by the council and BT,
headed by former executive director David McElhinney.
A council spokesman said the order for the blocking had been made by the city council, and carried out by Liverpool Direct
who run the computer website servers on behalf of the council.
"The city council took the decision to block access.
Liverpool Direct runs servers for the council and the libraries and an instruction was issued to them by the council to block it.
"The council has a duty of care to its staff
and as a consequence took a decision to block access to this anonymous site, which makes allegations that would not be printed or broadcast by the media.
"An increasing number of council staff, some relatively junior, have been named and it has caused a considerable amount of distress and upset to them." But Cllr Bradley last night appeared to come to the defence of the controversial site. He said: "I had a meeting with the head of libraries Joyce Little,
and asked about the blocking of the website.
I was informed that it had been done by Liverpool Direct.
I want to know why we as a council are blocking access to sites that people with their own computers can access without problem." One view among councillors is that the deliberate blocking of the site
has prompted people to seek it out on external computers.
Chief executive Colin Hilton finally broke his silence on the website by issuing a message to more than 20,000 council staff, as well as the 90 councillors. In his communication, issued through the council Intranet
- a site closed to the general public - Mr Hilton reveals the council has gathered evidence which is helping to identify the mystery author of the blog. The website, now compulsive reading among council staff and many of the city's key movers and shakers,
contains many intimate details about council activities that point to information being fed by town hall insiders. The phrase "evil cabal"
first emerged in a series of e-mails between
former leader of the city council Mike Storey
and the head of the council's media department,
Matt Finnegan, currently suspended.
The council spin-doctor has been away from his office, on full pay since April of last year as part of an investigation into a series of e-mails between him and Cllr Storey in which there was evidence of a plot
to smooth the exit of Sir David Henshaw from his post as chief executive. Mr Finnegan is due to fight for his reinstatement
to his Dale Street office at an internal disciplinary hearing next month. Mr Finnegan cannot comment about his situation at the city council because of the forthcoming case, scheduled to be heard by a panel of councillors. Last night his solicitor, Rex Makin, said:
"There have been numerous rumours about the identity of the blogger.
There is no evidence about the authorship of the blog.
As far as I am concerned reference to a criminal investigation is futile since criminal libel was abolished some years ago.
Those who sue for defamation, as Oscar Wilde found out,
may discover that the cure is worse than the disease."
Last night a spokesman for Merseyside Police said:
"We can confirm that several complaints have been received in relation to the website. Inquiries and an investigation are on-going."
Hilton's letter of explanation to Liverpool Council staff "YOU will probably be aware that some weeks ago an internet blog site was set up to run a series of libellous articles in a journalistic format. "The initial targets for its malicious activity were senior officers of the council, but over time references have been made to a wider number of staff, causing both distress and anger. "To date, I have held back from making any public comment on the matter in order to deny the site any credibility and to prevent further publicising its existence. "Behind the scenes, however, we have been working with colleagues in audit, legal services and the executive member for Central Services, Cllr Richard Marbrow,
to put in place steps to deal with the anonymous author of this disreputable website. " I can now inform you that we have gathered evidence which is helping us identify the author. Today, on my instruction, officers have started investigations on the evidence received.
I have also formally asked the police to launch a criminal investigation. I have received a number of requests for information from people who intend to pursue civil action against the author
and will be taking legal advice on this.
We are also attempting to have the website removed in order to prevent further upset to colleagues. "You will realise that I cannot give you any further information, but I think it is important to give all employees reassurance that matters are in hand." Blogger to face legal action LEADING Liverpool council officials and others named on a controversial website about town hall dealings are preparing legal action against its author, the Daily Post can reveal. City lawyer Mark Manley confirmed he is acting for several people who want to sue the author of the Liverpool-Evil-Cabal blog for defamation. It is understood the group include current and former council officials and other high profile city figures named on the website, which criticised and attacked the council's former management team. The website attracted over 80,000 visitors during July and August, but was shut down amid controversy about its contents last week. Last night Chas Cole, who runs Summer Pops operator CMP Entertainment, confirmed he is among those who have sought legal advice
after his business was discussed on the site. He said he was prepared to sue the mystery author of the site, who wrote under the name "Tony Parrish", when he is unmasked. Privately at least one council official believes the group now have
firm evidence about who wrote the blog. Solicitor Mr Manley, of Brabners Chaffe Street, said:
"I have received a number of instructions from a number of people
which led me to take appropriate steps to close down the blog, which we did. "The highly defamatory comments published about a number of people on that site cannot go uncorrected. "I anticipate that when our inquiries are complete
the author or authors of those statements will be sued." The website, which had a humorous tone,
listed Tony Parrish's occupation as "whistleblower" and interests as "victory". Mr Cole said: "Whoever it may be I will sue them.
I have taken legal advice, and we are prepared to take legal action. "We are planning action against whoever the blogger was,
whether that be one person or several people. "I have heard all the rumours.
If they prove to be correct then I will sue the author
and his associates if there are any. "The evidence from what I hear is in the hands of the council. I will be interested to hear the outcome of the council investigation."
The blog is named after a comment by Cllr Mike Storey in a dossier of e-mails between him and the council's suspended media chief Matt Finnegan, which led to Cllr Storey standing down as council leader. It focused on alleged conduct by three town hall officials, former chief executive Sir David Henshaw,
resources director Phil Halsall and Dr David McElhinney,
managing director of the Liverpool Direct call centre. Mr Halsall declined to comment last night,
and Sir David and Dr McElhinney were not available for comment. The site also heavily criticised the council's approach to Capital of Culture, the departure of artistic director Robyn Archer and an investigation into council contracts with private firms Enterprise and BT. Earlier this month Merseyside police were called in by council chief executive Colin Hilton,
and he blocked council employees from viewing it on municipally-owned computers.
Police said the website did not break the law, but it was taken down 10 days ago.
deborahjames@dailypost.co.uk |
After recent victories, you are still not going soft on him are you, Tony?
Have a little sniff round...
...I am sure youll find his scent on other areas of council operation...
I no longer thought it was possible - but I'm truly shocked by this story!!
me too,
whatever happened to public service and democracy?
Theres nobody got the Balls to see him off...pulic service ? democracy ? with the Lib Debs ? Your joking.
Democracy - Liverpool - Evil Cabal -- Whats that then?
Go 'ed Tony. Maybe Joe Anderson's courage will inspire the unions to show some backbone.
Shocking stuff who would have thought it aye?
Where am I????