Councillor Janet Cooper - Longdendale

I have heard some complaints about Councillor Janet Cooper, the Labour councillor for the Longdendale ward. I'm told she is just plain rude to her constituents and generally unhelpful. For someone as so senior in the local Women's Institute, she shows some rather unladylike behaviour.

She has been given numerous nicknames by her constituents. Hit the read more link to see who she has been compared too...

Kailash Chand's Brass Neck

You may read Dr. Kailash Chand in the local press often expressing his views as a former GP. He often expresses some whacky views which often include greater taxation to fund the NHS, banning things or giving a tax credit to those with a BMI under 26. Basically, he is very much in favour of the state having more control of your health and it should come as no surprise that Chand is life-long Labour Party member.

He controversially stood to become the Parliamentary candidate for Stalybridge & Hyde when James Purnell resigned in 2010 which was later won by Jonathan Reynolds. He lost, but his agent blamed the Tameside Labour Party to mired with "institutional racism".

But before he long kicked off his campaign to become the Labour candidate in Stalybridge & Hyde, Chand had retired as a GP and was and still is chair of Tameside and Glossop PCT, which is responsible for one of the worst performing hospitals in the country.

• It has been rated one of the seven most deadly hospitals.
• It has been warned by the health watchdog, Monitor for financial mismanagement.
• Yet after many warnings, patient safety is still a concern by the Care Quality Commission.

Yet with all these issues facing Dr. Chand, he somehow manages to find time to criticise the governments proposed health reforms which would see PCTs scrapped. So you can see how he would be upset.

Indeed, he is a regular contributer to the left-wing Tribune Magazine and also the Guardian. He is so proud of his work that he emailed his political ramblings to the directors of Tameside Hospital to an article he wrote for the British Medical Journal where he declares "no confidence" in Andrew Lansley (what a surprise!) as can be seen in the email below:

A call to rally the dying troops perhaps?

For those who don't recognize the names in the email:

• M Sugden: Unknown
• John Hallsworth: Non Executive Director of Tameside Hospital, former Labour councillor and leader of High Peak Borough Council.
• Graham Curtis: Non Execuitve Director of Tameside Hospital.
• Yvonne Pritchard: Non Executive Director of Tameside Hospital.
• Lynn Travis: Tameside Labour councillor for the Ashton Waterloo ward. She is also a Non Executive Director of Tameside and Glossop PCT.
• Mike Leigh: Non Executive Director of Tameside Hospital.
• Peter Joinson: Non Executive Director of Tameside Hospital. Former Labour councillor in Tameside and Deputy Leader of the Council.
• Naomi Duggan: Director for Public Affiars at Tameside Hospital.

Kailash's efforts to undermine the health reforms haven't gone unrecognized by his party collegues, he has recently been appointed by Ed Miliband to review Labour's health policies.

What's sad about this is how Labour Party members in Tameside are claiming senior jobs in running the failing Tameside Hospital. They, along with the MPs play politics with "THAG" (Tameside Hospital Action Group), yet never do they mention that their collegues are actually running the whole show and getting paid generously on top as directors. This is just cheap electioneering at its lowest form. Many people have died at the hands of mismanagement at Tameside Hospital as shown in countless articles in the local and national press. Have they no shame?

Tameside Labour Flyposting on Council Property

Tameside Labour have used property owned by the council and paid for by the taxpayer to publicise their party during the local elections which have just gone.

I'm told that there has been complaints made to the Head of Democratic Services, Robert "Jaws" Landon. He chose to ignore the complaints and allowed his paymasters to continue as they please.

Here is what Tameside Council says about fly posting on council street furniture:

(ii) Fly Posting
For the avoidance of doubt, the use of signage, bills, placards and posters attached to street furniture or on any other Authority owned property or property to which you do not have the owner’s express consent for the purposes of advertising your election interests, and/or political campaign is illegal. Anyone who displays an advertisement, or knowingly permits someone else to do so – i.e.: engaging the services of someone to do so, or is aware that a publication giving publicity to his/her interests is displayed without the consent of the Local Authority or due authorisation is acting illegally contrary to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, Section 224 and regulations made there under. The maximum fine on conviction of any offence is presently £1000 for each and every poster; with an additional daily fine of £100 for each and every day that an illegal advertisement remains in place after conviction.

In addition to this offence, attaching signs to street furniture, verges, trees, etc on the highway constitutes a further offence under the Highways Act 1980, Section 132(1). It is an offence under this Act to attach/affix any advertisement to street furniture, for example lamp posts, without the permission of the Highways Authority. You do not and will not have such permission and, if convicted, could face a fine of £2,500.

The Council operates a strict policy on the display of all advertising, in accordance with legislation, fly posting will therefore not be tolerated, and appropriate action will be taken by the Council, on any infringement of these rules.

Source: http://www.tameside.gov.uk/by_hydenewton/nomination

Back in 2008 a Tameside Council jobsworth threatened to fine a pensioner for fly posting for putting up advertisements for her missing cat. So they do take it seriously.


As there are three signs attached to council planters, then it would seem that Tameside Labour Party owes Tameside Council £3,000 in fines. There is also a fine where each sign is charged £100 per day. They have been there since the election was called on the 5th of April and was still there on the 7th of May. That's 32 days, so £3,200 or £9,600 for all three signs. So they owe £12,600 in fines.

Cough up Kieran. We know you have the money tucked up in your Spanish villa.

A Warning...

This blog post should serve as a warning to all the liar politicians in the Tameside Labour Party who are corrupt and rip off hard working citizens of the borough whilst they fill their pockets. Your time is up.

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