Enfant terrible - Liam Billington
NORTHERN Voices congratulates Liam Billington, the Conservative Party candidate who yesterday won the Stalybridge-South ward with 1233 votes, in the Tameside 2018 May local elections. Katy Flanagan, the Labour candidate, came second with 834 votes.
As the former editor of the scurrilous blog 'Tameside Eye', young Billington, once disclosed that Tameside Council had spent over £30,000 on a variety of futile events - 'the diversity breakfast', 'lifestyle clinics', 'urban walks', all organised by sixteen 'well-being champions'.
In November 2014, he criticised a charity (Tameside 4 Good), for making a donation of £1000 to Tameside and Oldham Gay Society which they hailed as a success story. He described 'Tameside Pride' as "a bunch of puffs mincing across Ashton", and suggested that the money would have been better spent on food-banks or care for the elderly, the people who need it most. Asked whether he regretted his choice of language, he declared, "I'm gay myself and I use the word all the time."
As the Tameside Eye blogger, Billington was arrested in 2008 on an allegation of harassment relating to three doctored images that appeared on his blog. The complaints were made by Labour councillor's John Taylor - who Billington dubbed 'councillor fuckwit' - and Sean Parker-Perry. Aged 19, Billington was held in custody for seven hours at Ashton police station, where he was photographed, finger-printed, and a sample of his DNA was taken. His two computers were removed from his home and seized as evidence. After being charged with one count of harassment and two counts of racially aggravated harassment, he was eventually released on police bail. After considering the evidence against him, Manchester Crown Prosecution Service, decided not to prosecute.
As the Conservative Party candidate for Stalybridge South, Billington recently launched a petition to bring back a market in what is now the Stalybridge Civic Hall. He believes that reviving the market will be a key component to the regeneration of Stalybridge. He is, however, no defender of public libraries and will find himself, well at home, among the many semi-literate councillors who make up Tameside Council, who have also closed many libraries throughout Tameside. The young whizz-kid, once said, "Who needs public libraries when you've got Amazon and a laptop." Needless to say, not everyone has a laptop or can afford to buy books online. But this doesn't seem to worry Billington. I suppose that's what makes him a Tory - I'm all right Jack, fuck you!
No doubt, this young controversial 'enfant terrible', will bring some much needed opposition in the one-party state that's called Tameside Council and will enliven the debates in the council chamber. A future Tory leader in the making on Tameside Council? Watch your back John Bell!
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1 comment:
Well done Liam.
Let us all hope that you continue to pursue the cause against the ineptitude of some of the senior Officers that appear to be running the Council, which we will loosely call Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council.
We all know who they are, just put a search in this website under Liam's name. Don't toe the party line and fall in the,"Do as we say" attitude, as many now do.
These un-elected senior officers are telling the elected Councillors what they will do, not merely suggesting what they consider should be done.
Take the "Green Belt" Issue. Many of the Councillors, attempting to be elected or re elected, ran pamphlets all highlighting their cause against building on greenbelt or green open spaces within Tameside MBC, however none demonstrated exactly how they promote this "Save Tameside Greenbelt" cause.That is because they do nothing to promote the cause. Just a general canvas for votes. Senior officers within the Council make these decisions.
Angela Raynor MP, (where are my shoes?) is the prime example. One minute appearing on TV and press with Jeremy Corbyn on the new build housing estate at Knowle Avenue Ashton under Lyne, openly stating that brownfield sites should be utilised not open green space, then doing nothing in assisting or promoting the cause against Tameside MBC selling green open space or building on it,or even opposing the planning of such land. However she is not up for re election just yet, is she.?
What should be noted is that ultimately the power of the people can and often does prevail. The Trafford Authority has fallen foul of the old adage of, "Its our land and we will do with it what we want!"
The voters have done what democracy allows and voted the Conservative Council out, being despondent over the sale and subsequent planning application of land associated with Turn Moss.
Now with this in mind the new Council leader for Tameside MBC, Councillor Brenda Warrington has blocked the sale and subsequent intended build on land in Denton Manchester, around Dane Bank and the Horses Field. This was after vociferous protests about the sale and use of this land by the residents,the electorate and a campaign against it.
Conveniently this Denton area ward is Councillor Warringtons'. I wonder if lessons are being learned?
Well done Liam on your new role as Councillor let us hope that you continue from within what you started as an outsider.
The Blue Knight.
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