CHINA IN YOUR EYES AWARD
Goes to…
Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart
Unbelievable stuff has gone on in Salford this year, which is now a place where all grass roots challenges are treated like terrorism.
Last year we had parents of severely disabled children branded by the Mayor as "rent-a-crowd", purely for fighting the closure of short term respite care at the Grange…
…This year we had parents and carers of severely disabled adults being banned from holding a peaceful protest picnic on the lawns of the Civic Centre, complete with dark propaganda being fed to the media about crying brides… "This is like Animal Farm" said Noreen Bailey, who cares for two severely disabled adults whose transport was axed.
Of course, the Rally On The Lawn went ahead, with over five hundred people attending, including many of the disabled adults affected by the cuts. The riot police were strangely absent.
As part of that same campaign, families of disabled adults and supporters went along to Ian Stewart's house and blocked his car to see how he felt about having his transport removed. The hysterical Mayor called the police, filmed everyone and later insisted to media outlets that it was all `professional protesters' – until it was pointed out that families of disabled adults had actually been interviewed at the scene.
Then came the `lies, allegations and innuendo' email to Stewart's staff, copied to councillors, which staggered the parents and carers of disabled people fighting cuts. Stewart stated that those who backed the campaign "falsely paraded as supporters of genuinely vulnerable people". One parent of a disabled daughter responded: "These allegations sum up the Mayor of Salford..."
Next up for the Mayor's wrath was Steven North, democratically elected branch secretary of Salford City UNISON, the trade union that represents Salford Council staff. Steven, along with people affected by over £24million of cuts, wanted to meet with Labour councillors to "raise concerns… over the future of a number of services that support vulnerable people in Salford"…
In reply the Mayor frothed… "Your stated aim is to destroy our national democratic system and more specifically Salford Labour Party" and that it would be "inappropriate for any Labour Party members to engage with you personally or those of like mind to yourself…" The Mayor's piffle was deemed "defamatory" and "blatant lies" by Steven North.
The Salford Star also came in for the `terrorist' treatment from the Mayor, with Stewart calling the publication `evil', `extremist' and `hysterical' for, er, suggesting amongst other things that he might want to trim his own £69,000 salary to help with the cuts.
The complete blanking of the Salford Star by the Mayor and Salford Council continues, with no responses received to any press questions throughout the year, while Freedom of Information requests are also well overdue.
It's not just UNISON, the Salford Star and vulnerable people trying to defend services who are the `enemy'. A Labour Party councillor who dared to stand up for what he believed, and challenged cuts to services, was then hauled off to a disciplinary hearing for `uncomradely behaviour'!
Fortunately, he hasn't disappeared yet. Never mind China, Kim Jong-un would be proud…
Ladies and gentlemen, gag yourselves, blindfold yourselves and sit meekly watching X Factor for the winner of the China In Your Eyes Award...
Salford City Mayor, Ian S-t-e-e-e-w-a-a-a-r-t!!!
If Ian would like to make an acceptance speech please use the comments box below...
• The eighth annual Salford Star Mary Burns Awards ceremony will run throughout the festive season
The 2014 Salford Star Mary Burns Awards...
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The One Rule For The Mayor And One For Everyone Else Award – Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart – click here
The Our Friends In The North Memorial Prize – Sigma Capital Group – click here
The Feed The Rich With £6Million Award (Part 1) – Peel Holdings – click here
The Feed The Rich With £6Million Award (Part 2) – Scarborough Development Group – click here
The Daft As A Brush Panto Award – Salford City Council – click here
The Bridge Over Troubled Water Award - Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart - click here
The George Bush `Read My Lips' Award' - Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart – click here
The Ben Hur Award For Services To Hollywood - Salford City Council - click here
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