Cllr. Rana commited the crime, did he do the time?

 

by Brian Bamford & Les May

with help from Carl Faulkner

Last year Allen Brett Rochdale's council leader said Cllr. Rana had ‘stepped away’ from his cabinet responsibilities.

ON the 16th, August 2018 businessman and big time Rochdale landlord, Cllr. Rana, was said to have 'stepped away' from his responsibilities as assistant to the finance portfolio holder Labour leader Allen Brett. It must be a cosy relationship.   In August last year Cllr. Rana was outed as a vote swindler by Carl Faulkner for falsely claiming two postal votes, Council leader Brett was quick to defend Cllr. Rana.   

After expressing initial regret Brett said:  'Naturally I am disappointed in Cllr. Rana's error [but] he is a very talented individual who shares our collective passion to improve our borough.’

Now the landlord Rana, who duped the electorate in 2018, is now comfortably back in the saddle next to the boss-man Brett. 
 
Who says crime doesn't pay?

Cllr. Rana must be very talented to purloin two postal votes for himself out of the British electoral system and to now land a top job helping the Council leader Cllr. Brett to run the town's financial affairs. There are not many of us that could do that and get away with it.

Farooq Ahmed, who was in charge of finance in 2014, was not so lucky as Cllr. Rana; when a fellow Labour Councillorr Neil Emmott claimed he had been the victim of a homophobic remark from Cllr. Ahmed.  Cllr. Ahmed was alleged to have warned him to 'mind his back' in an altercation on Cheetham Street in Rochdale.  Cllr. Emmott was at the time working for the now disgraced Rochdale MP, Simon Danczuk, who ultimately left the Labour Party under a cloud.   Cllr, Ahmed ended up leaving the Labour Party after he was convicted of a public order offence.

It's a strange world in which someone guilty of a public order offence loses his position as head of Finance, while a self-confessed election fraudster keeps his job.  Perhaps poor Cllr. Ahmed, who is of Bangldeshi origin didn't put his nose in the right place, or maybe he simply didn't own enough real estate in Rochdale.

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Rochdale's United Party or Labour Party Gulag?

by Les May

'WE are a very united party in Rochdale and have been for a number of years now … ', were Simon Danczuk's words in an article by Paul Waugh carried by the Huffington Post a few days ago.  So how was this marvellous unity achieved then Simon?  And if the local party is so united why did council leader Richard Farnell have to warn Labour councillors in October not to criticise Mr Danczuk on social media.

Private Eye's HP Sauce column recently carried an article reminding the world that while Simon Danczuk likes to posture as a 'Labour Rebel' ever in danger of being booted out of the party, his own record in accepting dissenting voices in the Rochdale Constituency Labour party leaves rather a lot to be desired.

As the Eye pointed out in 2009 he complained that seven members of Rochdale Labour Party had undermined him in seeking an investigation into his conduct towards his then partner Karen Burke during a holiday in Spain. Of these five were expelled and two suspended.

But the quest to get rid of dissenter's didn't stop there.  In December 2011, Danczuk wrote to the then Labour Leader Colin Lambert, who was himself later ousted after delivering a stunning Labour victory at the council elections in 2014, and himself the victim of a smear campaign in 2012, complaining about Councillor Farooq Ahmed the cabinet member for finance.

Danczuk is reported to have said:
'I supplied a letter to the council leader on December 19 about a variety of issues relating to Councillor Ahmed's behaviour.
'When serious concerns about a councillor's conduct are brought to my attention, no matter what party they belong to, it is my duty to ensure that action is taken.
'I am disappointed the council leader has dithered and has been indecisive but I am pleased the group nationally has acted.'
Note the word 'dithered' here. Danczuk clearly expects everyone to immediately dance to his tune. When Colin Lambert did not do what Danczuk expected he took his complaint to the national party claiming he 'had a duty' to ensure action was taken.  Note also the similarity between this and Danczuk's attack on Ed Milliband for failing to suspend Janner on his say so.
In an interview reported in the Manchester Evening News Councillor Ahmed said:
'I have decided to step down from council due to continuous attacks, false allegations targeted to my professional and private life channelled by Mr Danczuk.'
Councillor Ahmed seems to have had the overwhelming support of Labour group and later reversed his decision.
In the subsequent investigation Councillor Ahmed was completely exonerated, but the damage to his reputation and standing in the community had already been done.
Now the interesting thing about the media reports of this spat is that they start to appear on or after 10 January 2012.  This was the day a commercial media company, CavendishPressAgency uploaded a video to YouTube with the title 'Pot-ted! Labour boss quits over "cannabis film". '
How this video clip came into the hands of CavendishPressAgency we do not know but Farooq Ahmed is on record as saying that the sudden emergence of the video was part of a 'smear campaign orchestrated by Simon Danczuk.'
Interviewed by New Statesman Chris Mullins said:
'Now collaborating with the nastier elements of the Murdoch press to do down the party is quite a high crime in my book, and if I was in Simon Danczuk’s CLP, I would certainly be sharpening my sword. He might well go away to Ukip or somewhere in the end, but good riddance to him, I say.'
Richard Farnell's writ runs only so far.  He may be able to control any anti-Danczuk stirrings in the hearts of Labour councillors.  But there are some party members who are wondering if Danczuk
should be in the Labour party at all.  They may well be emboldened by the fact that Danczuk's record of bringing the party into disrepute is being added to by every article he writes for the Mail on Sunday, so he would look like a hypocrite if he claimed that any dissenting voices were doing just that.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/11/04/simon-danczuk-hits-back-a_n_8470872.html

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/98697/labour-councillors-warned-not-to-criticise-simon-danczuk

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news/29600/former-mayor-threatens-to-quit-labour-party

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/whitewash-claims-as-party-expels-five-930407

http://northernvoicesmag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/will-labour-suspend-mr-damczuk.html

http://danczuk.tripod.com/domestic-behaviour.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3157459/Disturbing-questions-Simon-Danczuk-crusades-against-abuse.html

http://northernvoicesmag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/danczuks-victim-of-2009-breaks-silence.html

http://northernvoicesmag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/colin-lambert-brands-labour-bullies.html

http://northernvoicesmag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/orginal-source-for-story-of-dodgy-e-mail.html

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/98147/former-danczuk-spin-doctor-matt-baker-accused-of-vile-attack-and-smear-campaign

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jun/22/labour-lord-janner-danczuk-miliband

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/rochdale-councillor-farooq-ahmed-to-resign-679314

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-16510098

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBcxZIWltJA

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/66932/councillor-farooq-ahmed-reinstated

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2015/11/chris-mullin-i-think-there-are-one-or-two-people-who-are-riding-fall

Fatty Farnell Snubs 'Spoof Party'

in bid to keep up 'Standards' 

FATTY Farnell (still with his bad back but minus his hearing-aid), who became the leader of  Rochdale Council after overthrowing its previous occupant, Colin Lambert, in a brutal democratic coup within the local Labour Party after the local elections last May, last night presided over the Full Council meeting and denounced the newly formed Rochdale First Group as a 'Spoof Party',' and as having no credibility.  Both Councillor Farnell and his Conservative colleague, Ashley Dearnley, the leader of the Rochdale Tories, belittled Rochdale First whose membership consists of its leader Councillor Shefali Farooq Ahmed, and her husband Farooq Ahmed.  

 

Cheekily Mrs. Shefali Farooq had put down an amendment to Agenda Item 10 entitled 'Review of the Political Balance', which was seconded by the other Rochdale First Group member, Mr. Farooq himself.  Their amendment was lost, receiving all of two votes, after Fatty reminded councillors that Mr. Farooq had fallen foul of the law last January by 'threatening' his Labour Party colleague, Councillor Neil Emmot, in an altercation on Cheetham Street, Rochdale.  Mr. Farooq had allegedly called Mr. Emmot a 'queer little arse-licker' and told him to 'watch his back'.  Mr. Farooq, last night told Northern Voices that he was definitely going to appeal the public order conviction.   

Given Mr. Farooq's conviction, Fatty Farnell denounced Rochdale First Group's naughty demand to be allocated places on the 'Overview & Scrutiny Committee', the 'Employment & Equalities Committee' and the 'Standards Committee' in order to achieve political balance.  Given Mr Farooq's recent run-in with the law, Fatty said that the Rochdale First Group had never stood as such in a democratic 'election in this borough'. Fatty clearly regarded it as outrageous that, with Councillor Farooq Ahmed having a bit of a 'history', this newly formed party, led by Councillor Shefali Farooq Ahmed, should have the audacity to expect to be awarded a place on the Standards Committee.

Bad Headlines 

Councillor Duckworth raised the recent problem of 'bad headlines' for Rochdale and the need of the Council to promoted the good news about 'our town' such as the town's medieval bridges still encased in concrete beneath the town centre; Rochdale's splendid Town Hall which many would regard as something 'to die for'; the proposed statue to commemorate our Gracie, but not Turner Brother asbestos factory or since November 2012, Cyril Smith.  





'Heritage at Risk' 

Questioned about the peril to four conservation areas in Rochdale identified as 'at risk' by English Heritage, Councillor Biant, Portfolio Holder for Public Health & Regulation, was not able to say what kind of risks were at stake as she had not yet read the report which would be published by English Heritage in the Autumn of 2014.  The areas identified as 'at risk' included Rochdale Town Centre, Middleton Town Centre, Wardle and Castleton (South) Conservation Areas. 

Turner Brothers' Site Awaits Advice from Lawyers

There were no questions on the controversial former asbestos factory Turners Bros., as though Building Control had had talks with 'interested parties', including the owners of the site, which has been the subject of concern for years owing to persistent vandalism and arson, the Council is still waiting for further legal advice.  In this case it is the Health & Safety Executive that is the 'lead enforcement authority on this site with regards to asbestos removal – and not the Council'. 

Blue Plaques for Gracie Fields

Plans are continuing to build a statue to commemorate Gracie Fields who was a celebrated singer in the last century and who was born on Molesworth Street, Rochdale.  She came from a poor background to become a famous film star and distinguished singer.  The Council aims to put up eight blue plaques to pinpoint key locations in her life as part of a heritage trail.   One hopes they have more luck with this venture than they did when they put up a blue plaque for Cyril Smith in 2011.  

Hypocrisy in Rochdale!

BOTH the main parties on Rochdale Council have expressed their anger that the two councillors, Farooq Ahmed and his wife Shefali, who left the Labour Party last weekend have now set up their own party; the Rochdale First Party.  At the same time Simon Danczuk the Rochdale MP has had to defend his misspent youth as a mature student at Lancaster University for having used Class A drugs:  in his Talking Politics column in the tomorrow's Rochdale Observer Mr Danczuk said:
'It's well known by now that my first wife spoke to the tabloids to say I'd taken recreational drugs in my past...  This was all many years ago and has no bearing on my duties as Member of Parliament now'

Curiously Farooq Ahmed was planning to resign from the Labour Party back in January 2012, when a Labour MP accused him of smoking cannabis and he had been suspended from the Labour Party after a film appeared to show him smoking something dodgy at Manchester Airport.  And guess who the Labour MP was that had it in for Councillor Ahmed at that time, and went so far as to report him?

None other than sober Simon Danczuk, the clean-living MP for Rochdale would you believe it? 

At that time Mr. Danczuk told the Rochdale Observer that 'I supplied a letter to the council leader on December 18, about a variety of issues relating to Coun. Ahmed's behaviour.'  And Danczuk added:
'When serious concerns about a councillor's conduct are brought to my attention, no matter what party they belong to, it is my duty to ensure that action is taken.  I am disappointed the council leader (Colin Lambert) has dithered and has been indecisive but I am pleased the group nationally has acted.'

The difference between Danczuk and Ahmed was that Councillor Ahmed has always denied that he had smoked cannabis on that occasion, and he was later reinstated by the Labour Party.  Meanwhile, Simon's ex-wife has given information to The Sun of their drug fuelled nights on the town.  Now Mr. Danczuk appears to excuse his drug taking by saying:  'I've not spent my whole life trying to be a politician... I'm an ordinary person who believes in the power of politics.'

And yet, knowing of his own history as a consumer of 'recreational drugs' Simon Danczuk had no hesitation in reporting on a Labour colleague to the party hierarchy.  Could it have had anything to do with the fact that Councillor Farooq Ahmed was then a senior member of the cabinet in Rochdale which was then led by Colin Lambert, whose administration Mr. Danczuk now documents as having been guilty of 'a frustrating sense of drift'.

Farooq Ahmed Resigns from Labour Party

A leading Labour councillor, Farooq Ahmed, and his wife Councillor Shefali Ahmed, resigned from the Rochdale Labour Party last Friday.  Both will now stand as Independent councillors.

At a Court on Wednesday the 11th, June, Councillor Farooq Ahmed was found guilty of a section 4 public order offence following an altercation with fellow Labour councillor Neil Emmott on Cheetham Street in Rochdale last January.  Councillor Emmott, who works as a case worker for Simon Danczuk the Rochdale MP, had accused Councillor Ahmed of abusing and threatening him using 'homophobic' words.  Councillor Emmott took his complaint to the police.

Councillor Farooq Ahmed told RochdaleONLINE:
'We feel we can use our time and energy on a more positive and productive contribution for our constituents by being independent members.'

In his statement Councillor Ahmed continued:
'Our resignation comes due to all the political infighting and division within the Labour Group, and the lack of support and intervention by the local Labour Party and regional office. There are many issues which could have been resolved internally which would have prevented negative media attention for the town.  It is a sad time for us, as we wanted to see the end of all this political and personal fiasco, the group should be focusing on the real issues within our town.  We would like to thank former Council Leader, Councillor Colin Lambert and the previous Cabinet who had worked hard and tirelessly with council staff in the most challenging times.  Myself, former Leader of the Council, Councillor Lambert and the previous Cabinet have laid the foundation and have created a clearer path for the future developments for this borough.  We hope the current leadership and the Cabinet are able to continue the good work.'
Councillor Farooq Ahmed's term on the Council runs until May 2015, Councillor Shefali Ahmed until May 2016.

Farooq found guilty on public order offence

THE cleavage politics of Rochdale Labour Party reached a new low today as Councillor Farooq Ahmed has been convicted by a court of a public order offence under Section 4, which he denied.  The court was told Councillor Ahmed had had an altercation on January 22nd, 2014, with fellow Labour councillor Neil Emmott on Cheetham Street in Rochdale, while Councillor Emmott was getting his lunch.  Ahmed was found guilty of being homophobic and threatening violence against Councillor Emmott, fining him £1,000 with £625 costs and ordering to pay £250 compensation to Councillor Emmott.  The expression used against Councillor Emmott was that he was a 'queer little arse licker' adding 'watch your back'.

Councillor Ahmed who pleaded not guilty is now considering an appeal.

This exchange is seemingly all part of the familiar banter now taking place between different sections of the Rochdale Labour Party.  In this case the row was related to an online article by Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk about the local child sexual exploitation grooming scandal.  Councillor Emmott is a case worker for Mr Danczuk the Rochdale MP, and it seems Farooq felt Emmott was in some way responsible for the content of the article.

Councillor Ahmed has said that the altercation was part of a split within the local Labour Party between the allies of the new Council leader Richard Farnell and the former leader Councillor Colin Lambert.