THE GREAT BETRAYAL

[jawsbbc]

In summer 2018, the residents of Hartlepool pricked their ears up as a number of Labour Councillors were ousted by members of the local Labour Party.

Mayor Allan Barclay, Cllr Katie Trueman and Cllr Sandra Belcher (Mother of Cllr Stephen Akers-Belcher) were all deselected. Shortly after, Ex-Mayor Paul Beck resigned from Council in protest of this political coup.

Sources tell us that this was a manoeuvre was to 'weaken the hand of current Leader Christopher Akers-Belcher by removing his allies from Council'.

As the majority Party, then with 19 out of 33 seats and the largest political Party in Council by some 13 members, Labour maintain overall control of our Council. The position of Leader of the council is thus determined via a vote from all Labour Councillors, aka the Labour Group.

Out of these 19 Councillors in the Labour Group, Christopher Akers-Belcher supposedly had a bedrock of support from the majority of them, galvanising his position as Leader. This included the Councillors that were deselected.

After the deselection meetings, it looked like an inevitability that Christopher Akers-Belcher would not maintain his Leadership after the 2019 Local Elections. Due to the fact that four of his allies will no longer be there to support him, he won't have had the votes necessary to win when the time comes for the Labour Councillors to once more vote on who they believe should become Leader of the council.

In fact, the candidates that will have replaced his allies have promised to support 'a change in leadership and a change in direction for HBC'.

Since then, the Labour Party lost a seat in the Council to Hartlepool Independent Group; a political party of independent Councillors. Despite having a new candidate to fight Hart ward election who was visibly active in the community and outspokenly opposed to the current Leadership, the independent candidate pipped them to the post after delivering a leaflet prior to polling day describing Labour's new candidate as 'Christopher Akers-Belcher's candidate' which Labour sources have described as 'devastating' to their campaign.

This led to the local Labour Party tabling a motion of No Confidence in Christopher Akers-Belcher's leadership of Hartlepool Borough Council, due to the 'damage that a select few individuals are doing to the Labour brand in Hartlepool'.

This motion was said to have passed 'overwhelmingly' by 85% of Hartlepool Labour Party's voting members and all but one ward in the town (Foggy Furze, ward where Christopher and family live). Christopher Akers-Belcher reacted by describing the motion as a bullying tactic.

Since then, several sources have suggested that due to the fact Christopher's Leadership position is now mathematically almost impossible to maintain (having lost a number of allies in the Labour Group), he has sought to make a deal with other Political Parties.

One source suggested that only one candidate will be running against Labour in several key wards, including Fens & Rossmere, Manor, Headland & Harbour, Hart and Jesmond, with a deal being done between the Hartlepool Independent Group and the Conservative party.

This way the singular opposing candidate can sweep up all voters from varying political persuasions, reluctant to support Labour.

Another source corroborated that suggestion, and also made us aware that both Mayor Allan Barclay and Cllr Sandra Belcher were looking to stand as Independent Councillors in the Manor House and Jesmond wards, challenging the Labour candidate that replaced them.

This seems to us a little unrealistic as we struggled to see why the Hartlepool Independent Group would give way to any candidates that are aligned with Christopher Akers-Belcher, given the fact that they have tirelessly campaigned against him and a minority of other Labour councillors.

We then received notification of something much more sinister...

An ally of the Hartlepool Independent Group contacted one of us regarding an alleged 'deal' being made between Hartlepool Independent Group, the Conservative Councillors and Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher.

They suggested that after the Local Elections in May and after the Labour Group of Councillors nominate a new Leader for Hartlepool Borough Council, that the Hartlepool Independent Group and Conservative Group will welcome Christopher Akers-Belcher, Stephen Akers-Belcher, and two other Labour Councillors into the Independent camp.

Apparently, these soon to be ex-Labour Councillors have pledged to support the Independent Group's bid for Leadership out of sheer spite toward the Labour Party and potentially in exchange for Policy Chairships and the extra allowances that accompany them, as well as a continuation of the numerous revenue channels they are currently benefiting from (HealthWatch, Rifty Youth Project, and several other CICs).

This could be the nail in the coffin for the faith that Hartlepool residents have in local politics...

A great number of residents have turned away from Labour due to the Leadership and those surrounding them in recent years. For the Hartlepool Independent Group to betray Hartlepool residents and join forces with the very people that pushed the masses away from Labour would be 'unforgivable', as our source described and could see voter turn-out at Local elections drop to less than 10%.

To us, it is clear that serious change is required in Hartlepool Borough Council. The rumblings of prolific Community Interest Company fund-funnelling abuse from a couple of Labour Councillors were heard for years, eventually quaking into the prosecution of one Angie Wilcox for fraud back in 2013.

But arrests for alleged financial misconduct, repeat drink-driving offences, sexual assault charges, money laundering, blackmail and bribery from the opposition Councillors all generally go unnoticed. Don't they? HOT OUT OF THE CIVIC





https://www.facebook.com/The-Hartlepool-Aye-982335555304113/

[nelly]

I cant believe this! this is a final nail in the coffin of our council if true!

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

Its just a bit of devilment. Not true at all. Of course they could step down from labour & stand as 'independent independents' but there's not a cat in hell's chance that ANY of the established groups would take on a toxic brand. And to stand alone would mean loss of paid appointments, so that would hardly appeal. Reckon the national events of the last few days have put the idea in the mind. Corbyn's little pixies, perchance?

[Inspector Knacker]

You don't invite woodworm into your house.
Pre-election mischief?
Now let me guess, who has form for this.

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

You don't invite woodworm into your house.
Pre-election mischief?
Now let me guess, who has form for this.

Shock horror ... surely not?  ... A sign of utter desperation and panic, to my mind ...

[fred c]

Phewwww this has the distinct whiff of printers ink, in fact it has all the hallmarks of The Crackpot Compositor.

It's blatant mischief making why would any group or individual get involved with the most disliked political figures in Hartlepool, it would be political suicide for them to do so.

Just read through this again on the Hartlepool Aye fb page.......First thing I noticed was the page set up, it's the same set up as other produced by the C-C, second thing of course was the mandatory Dummy FB ID, he has had more nom de plume's than than Masterspy.

He appears to have a sever case of........   

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder

[SRMoore]

This is nothing more than a certain group of Labour members getting desperate and lashing out.

It is obvious that the leaflet that went out in the recent Hart ward by-election stating that the Labour Candidate was 'Christopher Akers-Belchers' candidate really stung them at a time when they were trying very hard to distance themselves. They are simply trying to make that odd connection to HIG now.

Well i'm sorry to burst your bubble guys (I know you'll read this and call me on Facebook) but none of the people you have suggested might leave Labour would be invited to sit with HIG.

I will, however, state quite clearly to the more moderate members of Labour -from both sides of the split- that I am always more than happy to work with you, as we probably already do, together in the best interests of this town and the residents. Quite simply I can't be ar**d with the toxicity you are allowing to surround you but am always on the other end of the phone or email and my door is always open for a cuppa if you want to chat.

[jawsbbc]

Phewwww this has the distinct whiff of printers ink, in fact it has all the hallmarks of The Crackpot Compositor.

It's blatant mischief making why would any group or individual get involved with the most disliked political figures in Hartlepool, it would be political suicide for them to do so.

Just read through this again on the Hartlepool Aye fb page.......First thing I noticed was the page set up, it's the same set up as other produced by the C-C, second thing of course was the mandatory Dummy FB ID, he has had more nom de plume's than than Masterspy.

He appears to have a sever case of........   FRED i  put  the post on here  just to show people how desperate they are getting quite sad

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/conditions/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

Thanks to Hartlepool TV & members of HIG for formally debunking one of the silliest rumours to ever lurk in the murkier depths  of Hartlepool's social media.

https://www.facebook.com/HartlepoolTV/videos/vb.1773778589599090/1152018798304474/?type=2&theater