Southport CARES for children
March 2009 Press Release
Did John Pugh MP fail to act against his aide’s abuse after Party Leader’s intervention in 2004?
John Pugh MP knew all about his abusive aide years ago – so why has it taken him so long to distance himself from Tony Dawson’s activities?
The Southport Champion newspaper today (25th March 2009) carried the stunning front page headline: PUGH FURY AT AIDE’S ATTACK ON TORY RIVAL.
Within this revealing article by Natasha Robson calls were made for Tony Dawson, MP John Pugh’s full-time aide, to be sacked for writing a “vicious and personal” letter about Tory councillor Brenda Porter. Dawson had in his diatribe stated that Cllr Porter was embarrassing and not “serious and capable.”
John Pugh MP, seeking to distance himself from the turmoil, was quoted saying:
“To be frank I was furious when I saw the letter in the Champion, even though it had been submitted by Mr Dawson in a personal capacity. Tony is employed as a good and caring caseworker and understandably not to deal with the press.”
Pugh continued:
“He himself regrets the intemperate, silly and offensive tone of the letter which I do not excuse or condone.”
Is though Mr Pugh’s stated condemnation over his disorderly aide’s activities not a case of seeking to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted?
Tip of the political iceberg – Pugh knew about his aide’s dirty politics before this exposure
The populace must be made to realise that although Dawson’s attack on Cllr Porter was inexcusable and repellent it is only the tip of this particular iceberg.
CARES members, seeking the best for our town’s children and parents, have had to suffer Mr Dawson’s relentless abuse on the internet chat rooms (under various pseudonyms) for around six years.
Mr Pugh MP was made ‘fully’ aware of Tony Dawson’s abusive actions back in March 2004 when CARES members complained in detail about Dawson’s ongoing and highly offensive activities against them on a Southport chat room to the Lib Dem Leader, Charles Kennedy.
More significantly, the Oldham media reported (Oldham Evening Chronicle - Wednesday, 06 April, 2005) on Mr Dawson’s numerous abusive internet attacks against Mr Pugh’s constituents. The newspaper clearly stated:
The internet service provider barred Mr Dawson from the chatroom, after a series of messages that fellow contributors complained were offensive. In one exchange, Mr Dawson wrote: “Which dumb, helpless animals would you like us to abuse besides donkeys? Abuse a donkey or two for me in an imaginative way, won’t you.”
The poster who created such weird remarks was called ‘Tonio’. CARES have filed countless other ill-advised, and potentially injurious, comments by the same poster, which are highly ‘questionable’ to say the least for inclusion on any family – based forum.
Mr Pugh apparently failed to halt this blatant abuse from his own leading caseworker and it continued on unabated. According to the Oldham Labour Party’s literature, Mr Dawson made “1580 messages before he was banned?”
Is Mr Pugh now, in 2009, incredibly saying that he knew ‘nothing’ about this?
Is this the sort of “good and caring caseworker” who is today recommended by and still working for Mr Pugh?
Does this not bring such political judgement into serious disrepute?
Subsequent to being informed about Mr Dawson’s repulsive actions Charles Kennedy’s office wrote back saying that Mr Pugh would be informed about the ongoing CARES concerns.
That was several years ago with letters to prove it, so why is Mr Pugh only now conveniently seeking to distance himself from his loyal and trusty office aide?
Mr Pugh must be urged to explain ‘why’ he has been so apathetic in taking proper action to stop the odious, behind-the-scenes, activities of one of his chief propagandists, Tony Dawson. Is this any way to run a town?
Cllr Simon Shaw is also mentioned in the Champion exclusive as being a Lib Dem Bully Boy, along with his comrade Birkdale’s Lib Dem Cllr Iain Brodie Browne.
This ‘Bully Boy’ accusation against these two Birkdale politicians related to their unwarranted actions at meetings against Cllr Brenda Porter – the same lady who was insulted by Tony Dawson and the biggest threat to the Lib Dem powerbase in Southport.
Simon Shaw was in fact expelled, accompanied by Fred Weavers (now a Lib Dem councillor); from the CARES meeting held at Trinity Church Hall on the evening of 24th September 2003 for disorderly conduct.
CARES is a cross – party pressure group yet we fairly ask:
How closely do Southport Libdem political activists follow their own highly controversial party political directives which states:
"Be wicked, act shamelessly, stir endlessly" (p. 21); "Don't be afraid to exaggerate" (p. 23) and "Positive campaigning will NOT be enough to win control"
Source: extracts from "Effective Opposition" issued by the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors.
Congratulations to the Champion for having the insight to finally expose the objectionable underlying belly of Southport Politics.
CARES members have had to put up with such nonsense for many years. We are now delighted that others will see how bad things are in our town, which we have fairly reported on our website.
Co – Chair of CARES, Cath Regan, stated:
“CARES join with others in demanding that John Pugh MP should immediately remove his aide, Tony Dawson, from his trusted position. Mr Pugh should fully explain why he has allowed this so-called caseworker to continue like this for so long. CARES and others highlighted Mr Dawson’s questionable activities to the MP many years ago; he knew all about it then and apparently did nothing. Why did he allow the abuse to continue? Were Mr Dawson’s bizarre activities undertaken during office hours and paid for by the taxpayer?”
Cath added:
“John Pugh cannot simply be permitted to run away from this issue, Scott free, without challenge! As parliamentary representative Pugh has a duty to give the people of this town an explanation. Southport residents deserve genuine answers now!”