The Murdoch Times has form for trailing after the SKWAWKBOX – last September it claimed an ‘exclusive’ about Labour deputy leader Tom Watson’s tantrum over his allocated conference speaking slot – a month after this blog had revealed it.
Two months before that, the same paper carried news of allegations of racism against right-wing Labour councillors in Enfield – again a month after the SKWAWKBOX’s exclusive and again without credit.
And in February last year, the Times ran a story on the Jacob Rees-Mogg supporter who wore a nazi uniform to a party – yet again without credit to this blog, which had unearthed the information in an exclusive the day before.
Today, the same paper has trailed in this blog’s wake again, publishing news of the attempts by right-wing Sandwell council leader Steve Eling to pressure West Midlands Police (WMP) into pressing criminal charges against a local blogger who had upset him.
The paper notes that Eling had pressed in several ways for the ‘immediate arrest’ of the blogger, Julian Saunders – and that a senior WMP officer had rebuked the council leader for the ‘more than proportionate‘ amount of time already spent on the matter, before warning him that no further resources would be wasted on it if Eling was unable to demonstrate any criminal behaviour by Saunders.
The article refers to emails between Eling and the officer – which the SKWAWKBOX reproduced in full in its article. Saunders himself also published details.
The fact that the story has now reached the national papers will be grim news for the beleaguered Eling. One commenter on the Times story posted observations by the council’s former deputy chief executive.
Her withering comments point out that the council had been forced to apologise for bullying her and driving her out of her job – and that senior councillors had long fed Saunders information to damage opponents.
“Mr Eling was involved in this behaviour and appeared to revel in it. He only changed his view when he was on the receiving end.”
SKWAWKBOX comment:
Things are likely to get more interesting still in Sandwell, as a formal Labour investigation into the behaviour of councillors and other party officials in the borough is expected to conclude shortly.
SKWAWKBOX readers are likely to find out about it here, long before the information makes its way to the pages of the ‘MSM’. Few will be surprised if it’s without credit again.
Steve Eling was contacted for comment for the original article containing the above information.
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