Holy water chestnuts! I see the island's most venerable paper has eschewed puppy dog tales this week and put a real story on its front page! Most of which has been gutted from my ChinaGatewayGate exposé earlier this week and the sterling efforts of our local biblio-bloke Michael Child. Needless to say, neither of us get a credit. Kuh!Interesting that the paper puts a series of questions to our Sandy on page 5, most of which, in true politician style, he manages to fudge. Example:
Q: There has been the suggestion on the blogs that (the TDC trip to China last November) was funded 'inappropriately'. How was the trip funded?
A: Arrangements for the trip were made through CGP. The trip was financed by Chinamex, an arm of the Chinese Government. Those that we met assured us this was the case.
Hmm. Shades of 'I know nothing' there, methinks. I wonder if Deputy Rodge could put his hand on his OBE and say the same? Oh well, we'll probably never know.
The paper also makes much of a current police investigation into the 'stolen' Tesco bag of documents (see ECR passim) and quotes CGP as saying Kent Police's Serious Organised Crime Unit is investigating. Later, in an editorial by the Gazunder's lovely editrix Rebecca Smith, yours truly and the biblio-bloke (the Woodward and Bernstein de nos jours) do get a mench. But only as part of a rather ambiguous, off-colour comparison to 'scandal-mongers'. Grrr!
Finally, the freshest ChinaGatewayGate news in the paper seems to be the statement by CGP, the outfit hoping to get planning permission for their 3m sq ft Chinese business park on top of our lovely aquifer, that their preference is now for more costly sewers, rather than their previous choice - the cheaper, icky-sounding cesspits that the Environment Agency has objected to. I wonder what flushed that U-turn out of the U-bend???!!!
Click here to read CGP's statement in the Gazunder
Click here to read lovely Rebecca's editorial in the Gazunder
And don't bother clicking anywhere if you want to read the front page splash - they make you cough up your 55p by not putting it online. Oh well, you know you read it here first anyway. Watch this space and who knows, you may read a bit more yet!
42 comments:
Please Sir ECR, i know the answer to the sewage costs. Please Sir pick me Sir. Oh ECR do pick me to answer this question or do i have to ask sister assumpta?
Feck off with yer blatherings, yer boggle-eyed bollocks. Yer'd only do it all arseways. Now pray to Our Lady for forgiveness, yer shite stick.
Sister Assumpta sounds like my kinda woman !!??
'MR X'
How peculiar. Usually when I run these China-related stories I get an influx of visitors from the People's Republic. But for the last week, there haven't been any!
Intrigued the paper says the Serious Organised Crime Unit is investigating. Mafia or perhaps even Triad involvement?
And what of the threatened resignations and indignation from the three Tory Councillors, Moores, Cameron and ...
Was this just a stage managed reaction, or was there (and is there) enough to get their political danders up big-time?
When is the Tory Group meeting?
Moores, Cameron and ...Bruce.
Well I cant find out nuffin Guv,
a wall of silence has descended although a Tory group insider fell about laughing when I suggested that one of those three would find enough support to challenge for the Leadership and this individual is no lover of Sandy and Roger.
And I have just read the comments by the so called Editor of TG it seems that she thinks that publishing Max Mosely's cavortings with some 'ladies' dressed up in whatever he was dressed in is actually in the public interest, I cant imagine that any half sensible member of the public is the slightest interested in what someone does in private and with the consent of all concerned, the important thing is that he is good at his job,his sexual proclivities are irrelevant.
The only folks whose interest stories like this serve are the newspaper proprietors as they seem to think that lurid allegations sell more papers, I doubt if this is the case more like that present day Journalists have not got the ability to regognise a proper story when they see it never mind write about it in a sensible, factual manner, anoth good example of this has been the Ronaldo story of will he wont he leave Man Yoo. Its all turned out to be bollox abd mostly 'creative writing'
Would it not be a pertinent question to ask why the source of this story did not find it interesting enough to publish on his own blog and why he has since disappeared without trace?
Perhaps he's on holiday and doesn't know what's going on?
I was amused at Cllr. Ezekiel's volte face when he goes on about not actually having mentioned the business park, just Manston.Does he really think Aigo will be happy squatting in an incomplete building? What about the press release where there is talk of the parent company of Aigo coming to the 2.5 million square feet of CGP's Manston site? Does the company actually have a 'Manston site' seeing as how much of the land is still, apparently owned by EKO, the business arm of KCC and TDC.
Convenient that he has 'gone on holiday'.
I think its more a case of an extended holiday to escape the furore and resultant unfortunate pressure surrounding him and his family from some of the less than pleasant individuals who inhabit this Isle.
Still does not explain why he did not put it on his blog. Why let ECR and Michael Child take all the flak?
oh I dont think they are taking flak, more basking in the reflected glory of publishing a scoop despite the fact that at least one local rag had this information over two weeks ago and were dithering over whether to use it or not.
EC Richard old boy,
Well done on your sterling efforts to expose the local slime for what they are.
By now, Sandy and chums were probably expecting to be watching bulldozers and grinning as they waited for the some lucrative directorship offer to arrive...
There are some pretty shocking development plans around Kent at the moment, but right now Thanet is making KCC look good. And that takes some doing.
I do enjoy the ECR blogg very much and has me chuckling as I agree which much said, But after living in East Cliff Ramsgate for the past 8 years, I now feel the Isle is in a major down turn.
Many of the people of Ramsgate look poor rough and tired looking and even a fellow visitor from out of town commented on why there were so many young men sitting around during the week plastered in Tattoos and drinking stella on the street corner and smoking all with one hand whilst shouting garbage at each other.
I know this China Gateway Project has potential to cause a problem with our water supply, but do you not think that the water company would allow our water to become contaminated? they would be fined huge amounts if this were to happen.
Also Thanet is on its knees trust me on this as I have been made redundant no less than 5 times in five years due to company's going to the plug whole.
Its time to embrace such a project before Thanet becomes a total cesspit wasteland!!
Some positive please!
Figures in the Thanet Times this week stated that the east cliff has 26% of people of employable age out of work and claiming benefits. And that was not the highest figure that accolade went to Cliftonville. These are shocking statistics so anything that brings work I am in favour of.
3.50 The southern water discharge consent letter that TDC have recently received, says no discharge from car parks into soakaways. That means either balancing ponds, there probably isn’t room, or a very big mains sewage plant, we are talking millions of litres in a storm, or discharge into the internationally acclaimed wetland of Pegwell bay.
Wise man who bring work to the area of the bone idle,
Also bring worker
all the people sitting around all day drinking, getting tattoo'd, spouting rubbish - where are they getting their cash from? Can't all be criminals, can they. Perhaps something to do with our generous social handouts?
Whatever they are 3:50pm, guaranteed they won't be first in the queue for a job when the gateway is built (on top of the runway, I hope). That pleasure will go to people who want to work, who will probably come in their droves from elsewhere.
anon 1.46
Yes resignations are tolerable but indignations on top would be bad form.
Jobs for locals? Like Thanet Earth promising 500 jobs in greenhouses. Now, it seems they'll be importing workers 'from overseas with the right experience'. Anything to do with planning application in for 51caravans at Bradgate? Is there such a huge upturn in the demand for caravan holidays here or is it a case of the overseas workers will need somewhere to live?
Planning permission was given for the greenhouses as it was understood there'd be jobs for locals. Hollow laughs all round. Having heard the Chair of Minster Parish Council speaking out for China Gateway for the jobs it would bring for Minster's youngsters I have to ask did he say the same thing about Fresca's project?
So, what have Roger and Sandy actually done? Those men took the trouble to travel all the way to China to help save Thanet from falling further towards the stone age.
3.50 is quite right, except that it isn't tiredness and roughness caused by work that can be seen in the faces of the great unwashed across Thanet. It's more likely to be the ravashes caused by having nothing better to do but drink, take heroin, snort coke, fight and churn out babies.
I think that perhaps people who never leave the isle don't realise just how backwards Thanet looks to people who live in the modern world. It's really beyond a joke how rough people look, sound and smell here.
So, even if Roger and Sandy were, for the sake of this ludicrous fantasy, found guilty of having the trip paid for by a chinese slavemaster, took backhanders from the corrupt chinese government, gorged themselves on chow mein and spring rolls every moment of each day when they were there, used their time to sell carpets to every restaurant they entered and got drunk and moelsted a giant panda cub I would still be happy with them.
As at least they are trying to promote the economic future of the isle. Which is more than some people are, sitting on their blogs backbiting at their betters.
Anyway, as if either Roger or Sandy would have kept anything in a Tesco carrier bag. Everyone knows that Roger's manservant shops at Waitrose and Sandy's misus goes to Lidl.
Probably explains why the Sandy one was drinking with such illustrious company as the thanet Mafia the other week.
Perhaps they all have shares and were wondering how their project was progressing?
4:40:
The solution is so simple!
China Project moves in, We get a job and can afford to buy bottled water :) People who dont want to work drink stella anyway so where is the problem?
I don't quite see how Chinagate is going to solve the problem of layabout scroat scum getting drunk at our expense Anon 3.50.
In fact layabout scroat scum are the heart of the problem in Thanet.
The problem is that Thanet - and its problems and issues - cannot and will not be taken seriously all the time the media can point to its local political leadership with stories about foul language at public events, wresting petitions out of the hands of fellow councillors and now whatever is "fact" around "Chinagate". No-one ever digs beneath these stories.
Lambast the local population by all means, but it is naive to suggest that the political elite are doing their best and are in any sense effective. At the moment, they are nothing more than representative of the unacceptable local elements you are criticising.
8:29
Trust me on this, When I was last made redundant, I sat in NAG recruitment waiting to be seen, no less than 15 maybe 20 young men walked through those doors looking for manufacturing semi skilled jobs, the agents told them that jobs in this area were now very rare in Thanet and the UK, sadly not everyone is going to be or get the opportunity to have top skills out of school and like me I started out at the bottom just like my brother and my father.
If I were to leave from a Thanet school today then I would have crashed and burned as even with low skilled jobs its impossible to live, it really is a case of being better off on benefits so its a double edged sword I'm afraid and if you think that politics/business is a clean and honest trade worldwide then you really have dropped the ball.
Wow ECR I was unaware that you had quite this many biggoted fans.
Still I can agree with Anon 12:56 who seems to have at least one eye open to the realities of Thanet.
Now getting away from the mud slingers and on topic (for a change) I wonder of professional jellosy inspired the 2breaking " of the story.
One real jurno seems to think that the Gazette is done for and predicts it will be "gne in two years".
http://tinyurl.com/countervalue
But he cites the likes of you, me, big news, Michael and co as being the true journalists.
Wow ECR, I was aware that you had quite this many ignorant and illiterate fans.
'Trust me on this' man, you need to get away from the idea that the whole World is based on *your* personal experience, I feel. Even with the combined experiences of yourself, your brother and your father, you make up a miniscule speck of next-to-nothing of the entire population. Trust me on this!
And Matt B, good luck with your job hunting in two years time!
I feel this is all getting out of hand.
And about bloomin' time too!!! It's been ages since we've had a decent ding-dong here on Thanet's premier blog!
As the Author of "Trust me on this"
Lucy Mail:
Thank you for your kind and constructive comments/insults.
I even took a moment to visit your Blogg, Unfortunately I failed to find anything of remote interest other than what appears to be some drunken drivel about ones failed love life and some local trader bashing which is both damaging and childish.
Thank god for ECR, at least he has topics of relevance and not about some Bridget Jones style wannabe and her personal moaning.
Go away and GROW UP!
Premier blog indeed, ECR. No more Thanet Life. No more Thanet Strife, it seems. But Eastcliff Richard remains. Hurrah!
To say it is impossible to live in low skilled jobs is crap. Loads of people do it right here in Thanet every day of the week. If you mixed with the rabble yourself, you would know that.
I am the so called rabble and many of them are my fiends! most are on tax credit top ups and live in one room flats sharing a toilet with 20 others whilst having to take out a credit card to have any luxery in life.
If you call that living then great for you.
I call it surviving not living..lol
Anyway hope the China Gateway helps me. :)
Oh, China Gateway will help you if you are Chinese as some of the jobs, possibly up to 10%, will be for those manning the Exhibition Hall that's going to be the trade centre for the goods. The other jobs are likely to be driving fork-lifts or assembly work. The 3000 jobs that got bandied about are not in the planning application but seems to be a number conjured up by those supporting the scheme. The first phase is the exhibition hall plus a few warehouses. The subsequent phases are on farmland that would need government consent to be developed and that could take years. The company has said it's all three phases or nothing so even if the first phase gets permission I doubt anything will happen for ages.The company will, no doubt, spend months arguing about the cost of mains drainage and 'Please can we go ahead without it?'
So, don't hold your breath any unemployed/low wage Thanet folk.
According to Councillor Ken Gregory, the Tory Group met last week, but what they discussed, and whether or not Councillors Moores, Cameron and co. mounted a challenge to the current leadership, is no-one's business outside the Tory Group.
At the same time he says there are no secrets in any of this!
Wait till his name comes up for being investigated! Anyway, we know that there are no secrets!
We've all heard and seen what's been going on; the only secret is who'se heads will roll first!
It's no secret future planning members being wined and dined by potential planning applicants!
I am informed the the meeting to challenge and remove the current Leadership of the Tory group was ' a bit of a damp squib ' with our three hero's losing their bottle in the face of all the rumours etc flying about.
Well. realistically who is really a leader in our conservative group at TDC?
Yes there are some young pretty boys (well, under 60) who are clever but they are weak and barely have the bottle to speak in full council let alone challenge the leaders.
Yes people laugh at Sandy and say he is uneducated, unsophisticated, ignorant, brutish, bullying, punch-drunk, inarticulate, wears terrible clothes, sucks up to all the old 'gangsters' and has eye brows that should be shot...
....but he stands head and shoulders over the likes of Cameron and Doctor Bruce, who are too busy being clever to do anything wrestle power from the hands of Sandy and Roger.
It's a local council, it is meant to be run by old men who ran little businesses. These are the very people who understand the needs of business people in an area and will work to make life easier for them.
The ordinary people of Thanet don't really matter - except as consumers, cheap labour and council tax payers.
By the way, what was in that bag? If it was true that Sandy and Rpger had been corrupt then we would have heard about it by now.
I don't think you've been paying attention.
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