The Politics of Wrath – Chapter 1.

In May 1979

I won an election to Wansbeck District Council for the ward of Newbiggin by the Sea.

In May 1981

I won an election for the Newbiggin by the Sea Division to Northumberland County Council. At that time the Labour Party was used to having a ‘walkover’ at elections. For me to win seats from Labour was considered remarkable and the local Labour leaders were bewildered and angry. I used to joke that it was like winning a seat in Moscow Central!

1982.

Unfortunately, the anger was manifested by some extraordinary events that were so bizarre that people find the stories difficult to believe.

On one occasion in 1982 I went on holiday with my wife, Pam for two weeks. On our return I arrived at my business in Ashington full of joie d’ vivre to be greeted with a mute reception. When I asked what the problem was, I was asked to look in the yard at the rear of my premises. The yard was two to three feet deep with household rubbish. It was a large yard and the only source of such a huge quantity of rubbish was the Local Authority. One of the Labour Councillors who also represented Newbiggin by the Sea, actually boasted that he had arranged the deed with the Council’s refuse department. Staff did as they were asked if they wanted to keep their jobs? Moscow central was not too far-fetched.

The fact that I had to pay the Local Authority refuse department to remove the garbage was a source of great amusement for the perpetrators. I must add that some Labour Councillors expressed their shame at what had happened, but they would only say so on a one to one, in private, for fear of recrimination. The event made me even more determined to attempt to expose the appalling maladministration that took place in Wansbeck.

Reyrolles

One of the major employers in Wansbeck was a company called ‘Reyrolles’ which manufactured components for the electricity industry. One night having just arrived at home from my business I received a phone call from a Mr Wooton who worked on the shop floor for Reyrolles. Mr Wootton told me that the workers had been called out on strike and that Wansbeck Council had provided a Portacabin for the pickets at the company’s entrance. I was very suspicious, I thought it may be a ruse by the Labour Party, however, I received a second phone call from another worker who was angry that he had been called out on strike. I ruminated for a while then went to check out the Portacabin and it was there as described and inhabited by the pickets.

The Politics of Wrath continues –

The following morning – 

I went to see Gerry White who was then the Leisure Services Officer. Mr White was obviously uncomfortable when I asked him why the Council was supplying a Portacabin to the pickets who were in dispute with their employers. Thinking quickly, he told me that he had received a request to supply a Portacabin from the Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) official, Mr John Mc Cormack and he was obliged to do so to bring income to the Council. I knew that the man leading the strike was also a Senior Councillor with Wansbeck District Council (Mr John McCormack just happened to be Councillor McCormack, the Leader of the Council) so I asked White if I could see the order from the AEU and the invoice that the council had submitted to their ‘client’.

White went white and said he had to excuse himself whilst he secured the documents. I was asked to have a seat and a coffee. Some 35 minutes later a breathless Mr White returned with the two documents. White had driven to the Reyrolles factory on the Jubilee estate, obtained a letter from McCormack, the Union official who had called the strike. Shortly afterwards the invoice was delivered to his hand. Struggling to stay in control, White handed me the two documents to show that everything was in order. Unfortunately for him the order and the invoice had the same date on them; that day’s date?

White was furious that he’d been found out and the Portacabin was promptly removed. It would be almost certain that the due payment was never received.

There are many more bizarre tales to tell in the Politics of Wrath.

by Alan Thompson.