FAA Scotland - Would you like to know

When you read Eric Pickles MP's speech there is a very disturbing piece that requires serious attention.

I quote from his speech in the House of Commons debate on 2 March 2006, The Adoption Bill:

" The change in the law seems to have wholly passed by Essex social services department. Despite the will of the House and the change in the law, it led me through quite an elaborate dance when I wanted to get some basic information from it. At one point, it insisted that I went to court to get special permission, when by Act of Parliament I already had that right. Had it not been for my noble Friend Lord Hanningfield, who happens to be the leader of Essex county council, I do not think that I would have been able to pursue the case to the full."

Let's be clear;This was interference and intimidation of an elected member of Parliament. The senior Essex County Council official was implying " You get a Court Order or we might have to take action against you." ( Essex County Council do not tolerate any interference in child welfare issues, by anyone. Be they elected representatives or others. )

The background to this was the following: Eric Pickles MP had been contacted by his constituents' the low IQ couple' who asked for his help. The couple's 2 children had been forcibly taken into Care, one child was a few months old at the time. The mother was still breast feeding.

Eric Pickles MP sought a meeting with the council officials. He was informed by the council that he could not get involved in the matter and indeed could find himself on the wrong end of an injunction.

Now don't get any ideas that Essex County Council were not about to 'cut up rough'. They had every intention of ensuring that no one got in their way. They had been doing as they wished for years previously and were comforted that anyone who got in their way, be he an MP or anyone, it didn't matter. They could continue because all this was ' in the court of ill repute'...Well who would behave in this way unless they had something to hide ? In the Family Court, villainy is protected; Perjury by social workers and those officials giving false evidence is protected. No action is taken.

Mind you, if a parent was to lie....it is considered grounds for the removal of the children. A lie by the parents is ' being uncooperative with the court'....." We'll have their children". So it's never in the interests of parents to lie.

And back to the story.

It so happened that about exactly the same time as Eric Pickles MP had contacted Essex County Council seeking a meeting with the officials, Essex County Councillor Barry Aspinell was also seeking to assist and support the couple. Councillor Barry Aspinell was the couple's elected County Councillor. He too had been approached by the parents for help.

Guess what?

Essex County Council served an injunction on County Councillor Barry Aspinell! They used spurious excuses that within a week the judge threw out. The Judge informed Councillor Barry Aspinell that he was right to seek to assist his constituents. The judge dismissed the injunction against Councillor Barry Aspinell on 29 April 2005.

It should be stated that Essex County Council were seking a custodial sentence ( immediate imprisonment ) for County Councillor Barry Aspinell, an elected representative of the people. This was intended to send a strong message to everyone " keep out, or else".

So when Eric Pickles MP had his meeting with ' the senior council official', the senior official probably thought, " I'll rough up old Pickles". Well, why not. They had done it all before. And got away with it!

What they hadn't realised was Eric Pickles MP was not Joe public who could be threatened with impunity! Eric Pickles MP had sought advice from tthe House of Commons. He had been informed that as a result of a rule change by the Department of Constitutional Affairs on 31 March 2005, he was entitled to be involved and to assist his constituents. Indeed, he would be in breach of his Parliamentary duties if he was to do otherwise.

So when 'the senior Essex County Council official' was telling Eric Pickles MP to go away or else.........You get the picture about just what he was doing!

This was a blatant interference in the legitimate duties of an elected member of Parliament!

Can it get any more serious?

So who was this ' senior council official' ?

Wouldn't you like to know? I bet you would.

Just what is going on in local government that an official can interfere in the relationship between an elected MP and his constituents. And what is it that give them the confidence to believe that they can resort to threats by clever innuendo or even more directly as in the case of County Councillor Barry Aspinell ?

The first step is to find out just who was the senior official who interfered in the legitimate duties of Eric Pickles MP and his constituents.

Would you like to know ?