Blackpool again at the centre of 'political football' over grooming gangs
Kemi Badenoch said Labour councils - naming Blackpool - were attempting to suppress the truth over the issue
Hello and welcome to The Blackpool Lead.
Blackpool has again found itself at the centre of a battle in national government over the topic of grooming gangs - with Kemi Badenoch accusing Blackpool Council of trying to suppress the truth.
Those comments will likely be deemed as a bit rich given the Conservatives had 14 years in government while making little progress on the issue and giving it much less attention than they have in opposition.
That is just one of the reasons why people are tired of the issue being used as ‘political football’ and hoping for progress, rather than words.
The issue is a complex one and not easy for any government to tackle and that was explored by our national edition this week. Every government promises to listen, but few are willing to hear when truths are inconvenient or uncomfortable.
Blackpool briefing
🗣️ A number of new statements have been issued by the family of Alistair Taylor. Last week, we were the only news outlet present at his inquest to report that the enforced sale of his home by Blackpool Council to facilitate the development of the Multiversity site was a contributing factor in his suicide.
Alistair’s father, Paul, has now said:
Alistair was a devoted father and a hardworking man, who we witnessed suffer extreme stress and hardship as a direct result of Blackpool Council’s actions.
Over a three-year period, the council imposed three major life disruptions over which Alistair had no control: the loss of his job, his income and his home.
Research shows that any one of these factors significantly increases the risk of suicide. Experiencing all three can be catastrophic. Surely this isn’t the way to treat council tax payers.
Although Alistair and his agent, Gately Hamer, engaged constructively with the compulsory purchase process, we believe the council repeatedly failed to properly consider his family’s vulnerability. Instead, we believe they employed hostile tactics, which Alistair described to us as intimidating and bullying.
The relentless stress, lack of support and inadequate compensation drove him to exhaustion, isolation and despair.
The family’s legal representative, Gareth Hancock, said:
Alistair’s family were left devastated at seeing his mental health deteriorate as so many factors caused him to suffer from increasing levels of stress.
They are grateful to the coroner for taking their concerns seriously – and for highlighting the impact the long-running issue with the council over the compulsory purchase order had on Alistair and his family.
With plans underway to demolish more homes using Compulsory Purchase Order powers, they hope that the council will now reflect deeply on the impact on Alistair and his family, and ensure adequate support is provided for vulnerable families – especially regarding their mental health – when imposing significant life changes on residents, such as demolishing their homes.
🏠 Six flats in a house in Blackpool’s North Shore could become self contained apartments with a degree of housing support, if proposals get the go ahead. An application has been lodged with Blackpool Council planners for a Certificate of Lawfulness of Proposed Use or Development (CLPUD) relating to the proposed use of 6 apartments on Finchley Road, off Gynn Square. It is proposed that the six apartments are used for use as six self-contained apartments with limited housing support in the property, a sizeable semi-detached house.
🎃 There will be spooky and mysterious goings on when Blackpool Symphony Orchestra stages a special concert for Halloween. The orchestra is performing at Blackpool Grand Theatre on Sunday November 2 for a presentation with a difference. And the haunting atmosphere will not just be attributed to Charlie the theatre ghost, who is said to haunt the upper circle. The stage will be filled with goblins, ghosts and witches for the afternoon programme of Halloween-themed music, in a family-friendly concert.
Know something we should be covering or featuring in Blackpool? All story tip-offs are welcome to luke@thelead.uk
Council leader unimpressed after Kemi Badenoch takes aim at Blackpool in grooming gangs row
By Luke Beardsworth
The leader of Blackpool Council has responded with anger after comments from the Conservative leader of the opposition Kemi Badenoch over Blackpool’s role in the grooming gangs scandal.
Badenoch named Blackpool Council, along with Trafford and Bradford, as Labour-run councils who had attempted to ‘suppress the truth’ over the grooming gangs national inquiry.
She was backed up by Paul Galley, who is the Conservative leader of the Blackpool Council, who said that Labour has a record of ‘delay, denial and damage control’.
Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, told The Blackpool Lead: “I don’t think the Leader of the Conservative Party is in any position to lecture Labour run local authorities about Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE), her party in government did not implement one recommendation from any of the enquiries into CSE conducted during their tenure, that could have ensured children are protected from harm.”
Cllr Neal Brookes, Labour’s deputy leader at Blackpool Council, has previously accused Cllr Galley of trying to make political capital out of the issue and stated that it had not been an issue for the Conservatives until recently.
Those sentiments were even echoed by Reform UK’s leader at Blackpool Council.
Cllr Jim O’Neill told The Blackpool Lead that he found it sickening that it has become ‘political football’ when councillors discuss the topic of grooming gangs, though was still critical of Labour both nationally and locally.
He said: “It’s beyond compression that Labour appears resolute in obfuscating a process of getting to the truth.
“At best they’re living in denial but a more cynical view is that they’re more interested in protecting political ambitions at the expense of vulnerable children. Indeed calling them “grooming” gangs is little more than a euphemism for hideous crimes.
“The Tories could have addressed this year’s ago, but they chose not to and it appears now that Labour don’t want to either.”
Cllr Brookes has said in the past that Blackpool Council has written to the government asking for the town to be included in the national inquiry.
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