LIVERPOOL UNGAGGED. WHAT IS YOUR COUNCIL TAX SPENT ON?

FOLLOW MY LEADS AND YOU SHALL FIND THE TRUTH

Monday, 25 June 2007

TONY PARRISH, WHERE ARE YOU?



IN THE SUMMER OF 2006, A BLOG SITE CALLED LIVERPOOL EVIL CABAL,APPEARED ON THE INTERNET AND TOOK LIVERPOOL BY STORM.


THE BLOG WAS CREATED BY THE NOW INFAMOUS TONY PARRISH.


LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL PRESSURED THE BLOG TO CLOSE DOWN.
COLIN HILTON BANNED ANY COUNCIL WORKER FROM READING THE BLOG.OR WAS IT DR DAVID MCELHINNEY?

THE LOCAL LIVERPOOL NEWSPAPERS HEADLINED THIS BAN, THE POLITICIANS FROM THE LIVERPOOL LABOUR PARTY OBJECTED TO THIS BAN AS IT INCLUDED ANY COUNCIL COMPUTER, INCLUDING THE LOCAL LIBRARIES, THIS IN EFFECT BANNED THE GENERAL LIVERPOOL PUBLIC FROM READING THIS BLOG.
GAGGING THE LIVERPOOL TAX PAYERS IS NOT A POPULAR STANCE TO TAKE.


THIS OF COURSE HAD THE OPPOSITE EFFECT AS HUNDREDS OF COUNCIL WORKERS RUSHED HOME TO READ THIS EXCITING BLOG, JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE BANNED FROM DOING SO.

WHEN PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ AND DIGESTED WHAT THIS BLOG WAS PROCLAIMING, THEY WERE SHOCKED AT THE DIRTY DEALINGS OF THE LIVERPOOL EVIL CABAL, THE VERY PEOPLE WHO WERE BANNING THEM FROM READING THE BLOG IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THE NEWS WAS OUT AND COLIN HILTON HAD HELPED IN PROMOTING THE SITE. WELL DONE COLIN!

AFTER A FEW MONTHS, THE COUNCIL SUCCEEDED IN PUTTING PRESSURE ON TONY PARRISH AND THE BLOG WAS SADLY CLOSED DOWN.

NUMEROUS PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAD SAVED ENTIRE PAGES OF THE BLOG,
THE NEWS WAS OUT THERE, THE COUNCIL COULD NOT STOP THE INTERNET WORLD FROM REPRODUCING THE WORDS OF TONY PARRISH!


A FEW MONTHS LATER, ANOTHER BLOG APPEARED, THIS WAS CALLED, LIVERPOOL SUBCULTURE.


THIS BLOG HAD MORE EXCLUSIVES THAN THE ECHO HAVE EVER MANAGED!


THE SUBCULTURE SITE HAD ALL THE USUAL SCANDAL THAT WE HAD READ IN THE LIVERPOOL EVIL CABAL BLOG, INCLUDED IN THIS SITE WAS ,GOSSIP, CITY OF THE DEAD, POSTCARDS, REVIEWS OF CULTURE AND THE TONY PARRISH FRINGE.
AFTER A WHILE TONY TOOK THE POSTCARDS AND THE TONY PARRISH FRINGE OFF THE BLOG AND CONCENTRATED ON GOSSIP, FACTS OF SUBCULTURE AND THE CITY OF THE DEAD SITE.

OH WHAT FUN WE HAD READING THE EXCLUSIVES!

TONY RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE HIGH UP IN THE LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL AND EVEN HAD COPIES OF WARREN BRADLEY'S EMAILS!

TONY PARRISH HAS BECOME A NAME IN FOLK LAW AND I AM PROUD TO HAVE SUPPORTED HIM IN HIS QUEST TO OUT THE CORRUPTION OF LIVERPOOL EVIL CABAL.

NOW AS SUDDENLY AS HE APPEARED, HE HAS DISAPPEARED FROM OUR INTERNET?

WHERE ARE YOU TONY?
WHAT HAS HAPPENED?


THE LAST POST TONY PUBLISHED WAS CONCERNING AN EMAIL HE RECEIVED FROM GOOGLE, WHO ADVISED HIM THAT LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL WERE NOT REALLY HAPPY WITH HIM POINTING THE FINGER AT THEM AND SUCCEEDING IN UPSETTING A NUMBER OF THE EVIL CABAL.

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL WERE THREATENING GOOGLE!

IS THIS THE REASON OUR HERO HAS TAKEN HIS BLOG OFF THE INTERNET?

HAVE THE EVIL CABAL GOT HIM?

DID THE BALD EAGLE FIND HIS SAFE HOUSE IN THE WIRRAL?

DID MACCA THREATEN HIM WITH HIS LUFFA?

THE FAMOUS "HENSHAWS EVIL CABAL" IS STILL ACCESSIBLE BUT SADLY THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY RECENT POSTINGS.

TONY IF YOU STILL READ THE BLOG, LET US KNOW YOU ARE SAFE?

HAVE THE EVIL CABAL MANAGED TO GAG YOU?


SOME WORDS OF WISDOM FROM OUR LIVERPOOL WHISTLE BLOWER

Tony Parrish
Posted on 15 Jun 2006 12:18 pm (Report this comment)

Tony Parrish: To anyone in Liverpool, it is absolutely amazing that Hutton has appointed Henshaw. As chief executive of the city council Henshaw mounted an attempted coup d'etat against the Leader of the Council, Mike Storey, when the city council turned down Henshaw's bid for a £360,000 pension deal. In a typical fit of pique, Henshaw announced his retirement when the council turned him down (this was in March last year) and then appears to have changed his mind. However he got rid of his media chief, Matt Finnegan (suspended on trumped up charges) because he did not like the publicity that his announcement and the council's decision had attracted. Then he got access to Finnegan's computer and used emails from the Leader of the Council, expressing his opposition to the pension deal, to try and blackmail Storey and then to try and get rid of him! Everyone in Liverpool knows Henshaw is a greedy little (literally) bully who is only interested in himself. Other MP's - former health minister Jane Kennedy - have objected to other lucrative part-time jobs that Henshaw has secured since finally retiring from Liverpool in March. Henshaw is also getting more money than the Head of the CIvil Service for this CSA job! Try icliverpool or the guardian or telegraph for more on Henshaw. It is absolutely incredible. Rumour has it that this report has been done months ago and they just want Henshaw to front it. He's an arrogant, nasty piece of work, who is full of bull.


Council leader fumes as 'evil-cabal' site is blocked

Aug 10 2006


By Larry Neild, Daily Post


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

Aug 23 2006


EXCLUSIVE by Deborah James Daily Post Staff


More than 80,000 people are said to have logged on to the Evil Cabal website

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




Was the council right to block Evil-Cabal website?

Aug 15 2006

Action to silence the website raised issues of free speech.

Larry Neild investigates

Daily Post


More than 80,000 people are said to have logged on to the Evil Cabal website

VISITORS to Liverpool's libraries were banned from visiting a controversial website spilling the beans on life at the Town Hall earlier this month.

The Liverpool Evil-Cabal website attracted over 80,000 visitors during July and August as a mystery blogger, known as Tony Parrish, teased and attacked, for the most part, the former management team of Liverpool City Council.

The site closed down at the weekend with Mr Parrish, who has become known as the Liverpool Pimpernel, saying "we have now been promised that there will be a proper investigation into the allegations made on the blog".

Last week, Merseyside police, called in by council chief executive Colin Hilton,

announced that the website does not break the law.

Mr Hilton, recently installed as chief executive,

wrote an email message on the council's intranet,

breaking the council's silence on the issue.

He said attempts were being made to have the website removed to prevent further upset to council staff.

Council leader Warren Bradley has demanded to know

who gave the order for the website to be blocked in the libraries.

Like many people, Cllr Bradley is concerned about censorship,

although he is no defender of the blog itself.

Council staff using municipally-owned computers are also barred from visiting the site.

The contents of the blog indicate there is a source, or sources,
within the corridors of power,

willing to leak sensitive information to the mystery bloggers.

The big question, though, is does the council have any right to deny,

in a country that promotes the concept of free speech,

access to a blog site,

however uncomfortable the contents may be for those who feature?

Today the Daily Post asks:

Was Liverpool council right to block the Evil-Cabal website?

larryneild@dailypost.co.uk

NEXT YES: The case for >>>

Website is a slimy retailer of malicious gossip
YES SAYS Cllr Richard Kemp,

Lib-Dem representative on the Local Government Association

YES, the site should be blocked.


Free speech is one of the fundamental safeguards of democracy.

Tyrants and dictators close down means of communications

to help enforce their tyranny.

Too often in our history, those who have defended free speech have appeared like

Frodo Baggins taking on the might of Sauron!


But the person (people?) behind this blog site is (are) no Frodo -

the character that springs to mind is Gollum,

the disreputable slimy creature that is evil, devious and disreputable,
and lurks in dank caves and slimy caverns.

The website is not a champion of democracy

but a sordid retailer of malicious gossip, spite, spleen and tittle-tattle.

Specific claims have been made against officers.

Correspondents have made a series of claims about leading councillors.

No-one has yet done the proper thing

- to report these allegations to the appropriate external and independent authorities

to have them properly investigated.

If members or officers are on the take, then it is illegal

and they should be dealt with by the police and then by the courts.

If they have been doing things which are outside the standing orders

and regulations of the council,

they should be dealt with by the
District Audit Service and then by the courts.

If councillors have broken the code of conduct,

they can be dealt with by the Standards Board for England.

Indeed, a check has recently been done.

The Audit Commission has undertaken a governance review of the council.

I cannot believe that the things being described on the website

could be going on and not have been seen by these people.

The report will come out in the autumn, but I am sure that action

would already have been taken if 5% of the allegations had any substance whatever.

So remedies exist - yet none have been tried -

so that leaves the council with two quandaries.

The first is about telling the truth.

If you knowingly repeat a lie, then you too are a liar.

The council knows that these things are untrue.

British justice says they are untrue because every person is innocent until proven guilty.

The second is how we care for staff.

We have a legal duty of care to our staff

(including former staff) to protect them from harm and abuse.

So, there we are then - gossip but no substance, allegation and no follow up.

The council should not assist with this for legal and moral reasons.

But, above all, bloggers - put up or shut up.

If you really think that there is any truth in what you say,

it is your duty and responsibility to go to the police NOW!

NEXT NO: The case against >>>

Mr Hilton may not like it, but it is called democracy
NO SAYS Rex Makin, lawyer

AT A time when our freedoms are under threat,

it takes either a very brave man, or a very stupid one,

to censor freedom of speech.

But the new chief executive of the city council, Colin Hilton,

is guilty of that in banning the Liverpool Evil-Cabal blog from computers

in Liverpool's public libraries.

Cllr Warren Bradley did not appoint Mr Hilton as Big Brother to the bloggers.

Nor was Mr Hilton appointed to decide what the people of Liverpool choose to read or believe.

The council taxpayers of Liverpool pay for the council's computers,the public libraries

and the £190,000-a-year salary for Mr Hilton.

It is up to them what they do when they surf the web in their local library,

provided, of course, that no offence is being committed.

And certainly the blog's growing army of thousands of daily readers

are not committing any offence.

Nor I believe is the blogger himself, who goes under the name Tony Parrish.

What Mr Parrish and his associates are doing is,

arguably, providing a vital public service to the people of Liverpool.

Liverpool-evil-cabal is merely exposing a wider Liverpool audience

to startling allegations about the regime of former chief executive Sir David Henshaw

which have been circulating among the great and the good in the city for months.

The blog asks some serious questions about the awarding of council contracts

worth millions of pounds, and questions the relationships

and actions of highly-paid senior officers who,

we should remind Mr Hilton, are servants of the public.

Mr Hilton may not like this, but it is called democracy.

Along with the blog's serious purpose comes a fair amount of humour,

direct language, gossip and innuendo from Mr Parrish and his readers,

of the sort that might be heard on the number 79 bus every day of the week.

Mr Hilton's over-reaction has been to ask the police to arrest the bus driver.

The police should be after burglars, not bloggers.

Banning the blog from council computers

has predictably sent thousands of city council staff

rushing home to avidly log in for the next instalment.

As for Mr Hilton (if it was he who was really behind the ban),

he would better serve the people of Liverpool

if he investigated the allegations being made.

People will not tolerate a cover-up of past procurement irregularities.

They look to Mr Hilton to come clean and put his own house in order first.

For, as Mr Parrish has eloquently stated,

the genie is now out of the bottle and it can't be put back in.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ONE THING TONY?

WHERE IS THE GENIES BOTTLE?


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

He's Over the water in his safe house, sipping champagne, celebrating the final nail in Henshaws Liverpool coffin going in