MP rages over wages 'slur'

by KAREN DOHERTY

A FURIOUS OldhamMP says that he will sue over allegations made about his salary.

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Phil Woolas has contacted his solicitor about the comments made by Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillor Rod Blyth.

They were contained in a press release sent out by Tony Dawson, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Oldham East and Saddleworth.

The Press release was circulated after Mr Woolas, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons, gave a radio interview on BBC GMR.

It claimed that Mr Woolas told breakfast show presenter Allan Beswick that his salary was not enough to live in Oldham.

However, Mr Woolas claims that the figure given for his salary in the Press release is wrong and said: "I am furious about this, I have never been so angry about anything in politics.

"I said no such thing, as any one of the thousands of listeners to Allan Beswick's show would have heard. They have simply made up the claims.

"It is normal in politics to be quoted out of context, but these claims are simply not true. They are malicious and are part of a concerted attempt to undermine my reputation."

"People in Oldham are used to the Liberal Democrats' nasty, whingeing attacks but this is well beyond decency. Anyone who knows me will testify that I am not a person who would decry the generous salary that I earn as an MP — indeed I subsidise my constituency work out of my own pocket".

Mr Woolas has instructed his solicitor to sue over five allegations, including one that he lives in West London not Oldham.

"Perhaps the most astonishing falsehood is the claim that I don't live in Oldham. Of course in the week I live in London, that's where Parliament is, but they cannot criticise my travel allowance and say I don't live in Oldham!" he added.

Mr Woolas intends to refer Councillor Blyth to the Standards Board for bringing his own office into disrepute.

In addition, he will refer Southport MP John Pugh to the Parliamentary Commissioner on Standards for what he says is misuse of his Parliamentary Allowance by allowing his assistant, Tony Dawson, to work in Oldham and not for the people of Southport.

Isn't it a shame to see our local MP Phil Woolas can't afford to live in Oldham for less than £120,00 a year. I doubt many more than 1% of ACTUAL Oldhamers (as opposed to temporary Oldhamers) earn anything like that amount. If you can't manage it Phil, give me a call and I'll give you some handy tips on how to survive on less than £2300 per week.

I see the usual suspects are getting their weekly coverage in the Oldham Chron. When are we going to see some impartial coverage of windfarms in Oldham? Lets not forget that a massive majority of people in this town are not against windfarms. There is a vocal minority around the Denshaw and Saddleworth area who are vehamently opposed to windfarms in Saddleworth (but are not against these things near the motorway in Saddleworth?) on the basis of whatever half baked argument suits on the day. The reasons given so far not to have a windfarm have ranged from the sublime to the ridiculous. From the false claim that horses will be startled by them to the massive amount of noise they generate. Again totally untrue but anything will serve to rally the troops. Lets have it right. Most of those people who are against are simply acting in their own selfish interests. They presume their property values will suffer (untrue) or that their vision will somehow be damaged by having to cast their gaze upon such a hideous carbuncle. I'm sure these arguments have been used since the time of windmills in Holland but they just don't amount to much today. I would have a fair amount of respect for any anti-windfarmer brave enough to admit this but they won't.

There appears to be some legitamacy lent to the anti brigade by the use of such heavyweight names as Sir Bernard Ingham and David bellamy. Until you look into their backgrounds.

Bernard Ingham was the former press secretary to Margaret Thatcher (but that is forgiven now it seems), consultant to British Nuclear Fuels and current secretary of Supporters of Nuclear Energy has boasted that he personally is responsible for stopping 66% of wind farm planning applications. Great. Someone who is a paid campaigner for nuclear power is anti winfarm. There's a surprise. Perhaps the good people who are against Windfarms would prefer a nuclear power plant as a neighbour? No of course not. They want nothing to affect them in any way. But still want their electric on tap. Reconcile that.

David Bellamy, used to be a well known green campaigner. Now sliding into obscurity as he seems unable or at best unwilling to answer a direct scientific question if it doesn't suit his given hobby horse. Seems to have no answers or reasoning based in actual facts but lets not let those things get in the way of a good old fashioned nimby protest.

More later.

Why did you not vote for me when you had the chance you fools?