If it had been a Single Parent claiming Benefits then they would have
been Prosecuted
I have to make a confession. When I first came to Brighton over 40 years
ago and started squatting I ended up alongside the then plain Steve
Bassam. He then called himself an
anarchist. Soon however he joined the Labour
Party. Even when he was nominally on the
left I never trusted him and sure enough, when he became leader of the Brighton’s
Labour Council he quickly moved to the
Right.
ago and started squatting I ended up alongside the then plain Steve
Bassam. He then called himself an
anarchist. Soon however he joined the Labour
Party. Even when he was nominally on the
left I never trusted him and sure enough, when he became leader of the Brighton’s
Labour Council he quickly moved to the
Right.
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| Add caption |
It wasn’t longed before Tony
Blair ennobled Bassam. This was a reward
for having ensured, in 1992 that the whole of Brighton and Hove Labour Party were
suspended because we insisted on telling the Council not to make cuts,
prosecute Poll Tax defaulters etc. Many
members were expelled and I was suspended.
One thing and one thing only has
characterised Bassam’s career – how best to advance himself. As the title of
the satirical pamphlet I wrote put it, it was a ‘career without principle.’
Even when he was on the Left his only concern was seeking peoples’
support to advance his career.
characterised Bassam’s career – how best to advance himself. As the title of
the satirical pamphlet I wrote put it, it was a ‘career without principle.’
Even when he was on the Left his only concern was seeking peoples’
support to advance his career.
It is no surprise that in the
story broken by the Mail
on Sunday Bassam stands accused of having claimed for a second home he
doesn’t own for the past 7 years in addition to some £41,000 travel expenses in
the same period. Bassam previously was
a ‘consultant’ for Capita and KPMG, whilst being the Leader of a Council. Some might have said that there was a conflict
of interest there, especially as Labour under Bassam’s stewardship tried to
privatise the Housing Benefit department by getting Capita to run it, in the
same way as they mismanaged Lambeth and other borough’s housing benefit operations.
story broken by the Mail
on Sunday Bassam stands accused of having claimed for a second home he
doesn’t own for the past 7 years in addition to some £41,000 travel expenses in
the same period. Bassam previously was
a ‘consultant’ for Capita and KPMG, whilst being the Leader of a Council. Some might have said that there was a conflict
of interest there, especially as Labour under Bassam’s stewardship tried to
privatise the Housing Benefit department by getting Capita to run it, in the
same way as they mismanaged Lambeth and other borough’s housing benefit operations.
 |
| Why hasn’t Bassam been suspended by Crooked McNicol? The Mail’s suggestion that Bassam is an ‘aide’ of Corbyn is fanciful – he did his best to overthrow him |
What galls me though is that
Bassam was a member of Labour governments that called single parents who did a
part time job to feed their kids ‘benefit thieves’. Blair’s government with Bassam’s connivance hounded
and pilloried people on benefit who supplemented their income, even though it
is impossible to live on benefits and not live in poverty. Claimants were prosecuted for claiming less
than 1% of the amount that Bassam has got away with.
Bassam was a member of Labour governments that called single parents who did a
part time job to feed their kids ‘benefit thieves’. Blair’s government with Bassam’s connivance hounded
and pilloried people on benefit who supplemented their income, even though it
is impossible to live on benefits and not live in poverty. Claimants were prosecuted for claiming less
than 1% of the amount that Bassam has got away with.
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| A letter I wrote to the Argus over 20 years |
It is a sign of the utter
hypocrisy of public life in this country that no one has seen fit to call for
Bassam’s prosecution. For 7 years he
claimed for a home he didn’t have, in addition to claiming travel
expenses. This is persistent and
deliberate fraud. I have therefore made
a complaint to Sussex Police for fraud and my incident number is 1488/7.12.17. We shall see the mettle of Sussex Police. The
offer by Bassam to repay the £41,000 travel expenses whilst keeping £260,000 for
a non-existent second home is unacceptable.
hypocrisy of public life in this country that no one has seen fit to call for
Bassam’s prosecution. For 7 years he
claimed for a home he didn’t have, in addition to claiming travel
expenses. This is persistent and
deliberate fraud. I have therefore made
a complaint to Sussex Police for fraud and my incident number is 1488/7.12.17. We shall see the mettle of Sussex Police. The
offer by Bassam to repay the £41,000 travel expenses whilst keeping £260,000 for
a non-existent second home is unacceptable.
Tony Greenstein
Posted in Blog
