PUTTING THEMSELVES FIRST

Why Putting Hartlepool First are no different. More greedy politicians. More snouts in the trough. Zero integrity.

ByHARRY BLACKWOOD

I was born in Hartlepool fifty eight years ago and have never lived more than five miles away from the magnificent Christ Church which stands proudly in the centre of my home town.

I mention this, not only because I'm a proud Hartlepool bloke, but also to counter a stupid comment from a woman the other day on The Hartlepool Mail website who suggested I should keep my nose out of Hartlepool political affairs because I don't live in the town.

The intensely misguided Stella Leighton (if that's her real name) is technically correct but when I was editor of the Hartlepool Mail I could run from the front door of my current home to my office (within spitting distance of the aforementioned Christ Church in under half an hour. It's five miles. Reckon ten minutes on the bike would sort it now.

My affiliation with Hartlepool (I worked and lived in the town for more than forty years plus my connection and editorship of the local newspaper, combined with a lifetime's interest in politics puts me in a unique position to pass comment on all aspects of Hartlepool life.

As the local council elections are just days away I'm going to stick with politics.

In the fifty eight years of my Hartlepool life, I have watched my town and its people being failed, abused and taken for granted by national and local politicians alike. I've seen Tory governments like the current one ignore the problems and challenges the town has. I've seen self-serving bastards like Peter Mandelson use the town to further his own personal and political objectives. I've been exasperated to see Labour and Tory Councillors whose only interest is a little bit of power and a few quid expenses, sail from one election to the next without lifting a finger to achieve anything.

I watched with horror as a football club mascot dressed in a monkey suit, who stood in the mayoral elections as a joke, attempted to morph into a serious politician once he'd realise how much bigger the pay cheque was than the one he'd been receiving at a local call centre.

But worst of all. I've watched the current MP Iain Wright - a local bloke who you could expect better of - redefine the term 'spectacularly useless'. Like 99.9% of politicians, Wright is in it for himself. From his mealy mouthed words in the local paper to employing his wife part time on almost £30,000 a year, Wright takes the piss out of the electorate in his safe Labour seat.

BUT WE ARE LED TO BELIEVE THINGS ARE ABOUT TO CHANGE. THERE'S A NEW POLITICAL GANG ON THE BLOCK.

With more bluff, bluster and mouth than a group of cider-fuelled teenagers at a school disco, Putting Hartlepool First have been bombarding social media with their political message. That message is about as worthless as the town's MP: VOTE FOR US, WE'RE BETTER THAN THE OTHERS.

Yep, that's pretty much it:  The others are crap so vote for us. Surely nobody would buy that old tosh?

Well, just as you'll soon discover that democracy is a joke after a two minute chat with the average voter, it was fairly obvious that the thick, the gullible, the disillusioned and those desperate for change, swallowed the bullshit pumped out by these political opportunists hook, line and sinker. Thankfully, there were others (myself included) who didn't buy this nonsense and began asking serious and relevant questions of Putting Hartlepool First (PHF). It became obvious immediately that PHF don't like answering questions. Not only do they not like answering them but they take grave offence at people even having the audacity to ask them.

PHF chairman David Riddle.

As the days went by, their Facebook page became a laughing stock. Comments they didn't like were deleted, whole threads removed and a complete raft of people were blocked from commenting. Surprisingly, local criminals, violent thugs and football hooligans, together with other unsavoury characters, were encouraged to post. There was racism, homophobia and general nastiness that would put UKIP or the BNP to shame. Instead of condemning and exposing these people, PHF chairman David Riddle courted these people. No surprise at all. This is a man who has no scruples. He'd sell his granny for a few votes in the Hart election.

Oh yes, the Hart Ward. The one Riddle wasn't going to stand in because he thinks Councillors should only stand in their own wards. Hmmmmmm.

Anyway, I digress. As the debates raged, it became apparent that PHF and The Hartlepool Post web site were in fact one and the same. Hartlepool Post is nothing more than a vehicle for Putting Hartlepool First. The methods employed on the Hartlepool Post Forum are the same. The posters (almost all PHF members posting under a variety of names) abuse people and censor their views. Eventually they are blocked from posting. Joe Stalin himself could learn a bit from how these people handle dissenting voices.

SO IT'S WORTH ASKING WHO THE HELL ARE PHF AND ARE THEY ANY BETTER THAN THE REST?

The second part of that question can be dealt with easily. No. They're not any better. I'd put my life on the certainly they're a whole lot worse. Everything they say and do backs that up.

As for who they are, they are nothing more than a bunch of disillusioned, low-achievers playing political games to draw attention to themselves and get a bit of power to brighten up their shallow lives. They could easily be PTF - Putting Themselves First.

Hartlepool councillor Geoff
Lilley.

While the figurehead of the group is chairman is David Riddle, the brains of the operation (steady on there aren't many brains amongst this lot) is veteran councillor Geoff Lilley. I'd love to say that Lilley is a seasoned political campaigner with an ounce of integrity and honesty but I refuse to lie. He's another one with his snout at the trough who is in it for himself. If it didn't attract too much attention, the party could be called Putting Lilleys First. I use the plural, because Geoff's wife Alison is also a councillor. So, two Council allowances coming into the house. Very nice. Beats working for a living. No wonder Geoff hasn't had a job since Accrington Stanley were a leading force in professional football.

What we have is Lilley using Riddle as his meal ticket. Big Geoff wants Riddle to succeed so he can be king maker. If Riddle succeeds, he'll be eternally grateful to Uncle Geoff and will fight to get extra allowances for Geoff. Mr Lilley likes these that's why he tried to get the vice chairman's salary doubled. Who knows, if PHF do well at the elections the Lilleys could be the Hartlepool version of the Kinnocks.

The long term plan has already been discussed. Riddle and Lilley can both see how vulnerable Iain Wright is as the town MP and Riddle is arrogant enough to think that he can take the seat.

So, getting independents into the council chamber is nothing more than a ruse. It's utter bullshit. If that was the aim, people would stand as independents. There would be no need for PHF, PLF OR PRF. It's just a launching pad for a Riddle MP challenge as PHF endorsed candidate with Geoff Lilley In the background pulling the strings.

So, there you have it in as neat a nutshell as I can manage. I've left lots of dirt out. I've kept the insults to a bare minimum. These people have no interests in the advancement of the town or the betterment of the people. They are cyclical political chancers. They are liars. They are bullies. They are censors. They curtail free speech. But worst of all they are incompetent with no political or strategic skills worth talking about. They are in it entirely for themselves. PUTTING THEMSELVES FIRST.

If that's what you want feel free to go out and vote for them. But be prepared for me to come back to say I told you so . . . . 

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