Candidate denies apologising for offensive posts; Nicola Bulley documentary; Lancashire left lacking
The Lancashire Lead - June 14, 2024
Hello and welcome to this week’s extra edition of The Lancashire Lead. Read on for my take on what’s missing from the main parties’ manifestos, some Lancashire-based BBC productions, and some warm words from Martin Lewis.
Before diving in, a quick thank you for taking the time to read this - if you haven’t already, please consider subscribing to help support my work and if you have any feedback don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Workers Party candidate under fire over offensive posts
A candidate for Rossendale and Darwen has become embroiled in a row with his own party - over whether or not he apologised for offensive Facebook posts.
Tayab Ali is running for the Workers Party but was accused of posting a string of content which included sexism and homophobia as well as being derogatory towards Jewish and Hindu people, the Royal family, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
As first reported by the BBC, the posts also included accusations the Royal family and other celebrities were paedophiles and were deleted after the BBC approached the party. A spokesperson said Mr Ali had “realised his error in judgement and unreservedly apologises for any offence caused".
"The offending posts have since been deleted. We trust this will be the end of the matter.
"The Workers Party is committed to a zero-tolerance attitude to any form of discrimination unlike the Labour Party, we do not operate a hierarchy of racism nor tolerate the concept."
A Workers Party spokesperson on Tayab Ali
However, this is where things get more complex and where a line has definitely not been drawn under the matter. Instead, Mr Ali has doubled down and denied issuing any apology, accusing the BBC of “fake news”.
Sharing a screenshot of the article, he wrote: “BBC upto their usual fake news. I NEVER apologised for my Facebook post. But I do look handsome, wouldn’t you agree.”
He followed it up with a series of screenshots relating to the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, each one accompanied by the message “BBC will label me Antisemitic for this post”.
He also posted that the Workers Party would “cancel BBC fees”, though this does not appear to be party policy. I contacted the Workers Party - who saw George Galloway elected as its first MP earlier this year - to clarify the situation but sadly received no response.
I asked whether Mr Ali had indeed apologised and why the party said so if not. I also asked whether it would stand by the candidate but sadly the questions went unanswered. Likewise, Mr Ali did not respond to my invitation to elaborate on his remarks.
Jude Rowley, who lives in the constituency and first raised the offensive posts, told The Lancashire Lead he was disappointed to see Mr Ali doubling down. He said:
“It is especially disappointing to see antisemitism being trivialised. This is not a helpful attitude and suggests to me that the candidate does not recognise the magnitude of this issue, or why his previous activity was such a problem.
“This does not help the cause of the Palestinian people and it certainly doesn't help us build an inclusive and welcoming community across Rossendale and Darwen.
“It's very important that when we rightly called out injustice and the horrors being inflicted on the people of Gaza by the Israeli government, we do not resort to antisemitic tropes or the tired racism of a century ago.
“This notwithstanding, the candidate's social media activity was not only antisemitic but also deeply sexist, homophobic, and anti-Hindu, which risks alienating our diverse and inclusive community in Rossendale and Darwen. His social media activity is permeated with a deep vein of hatred and discrimination that fills me, as a resident and voter in Rossendale and Darwen, with significant concern.
“I would like to see all candidates for Rossendale and Darwen, regardless of the party they represent, call out all forms of discrimination, including antisemitism, and affirm their commitment to building an inclusive community rather than playing the politics of division.”
What’s missing as manifestos finally published?
We have now seen all of the main parties publish their manifestos for the upcoming election and I’ve taken a look through each one. Away from the headline-grabbing statements and promises, I wondered if we might see anything aimed specifically towards Lancashire. The elephant in the room here is devolution - which almost became a reality but was left unfinished when Parliament dissolved before it was passed as law.
Given many in Lancashire, particularly those running lower tier councils, were unhappy with the agreed settlement, it stands to reason that we could still be a long way away from any real progress. But those hoping to see some clarity in these manifestos will be left disappointed.
The word Lancashire doesn’t make an appearance in any of the manifestos (or ‘Our Contract With You’ in Reform’s case) but that’s understandable - not a lot of places are name-checked. Where I was hoping for something substantial was on the topic of devolution but the topic isn’t even discussed by the Lib Dems, Greens or Reform.
For Labour, there are some promising words but little in the way of detail:
Labour will transfer power out of Westminster, and into our communities, with landmark devolution legislation to take back control. In England, Labour will deepen devolution settlements for existing Combined Authorities.
We will also widen devolution to more areas, encouraging local authorities to come together and take on new powers. Towns and cities will be able to take hold of the tools they need to pursue growth, create jobs, and improve living standards.
Local areas will be able to gain new powers over transport, adult education and skills, housing and planning, and employment support. We will ensure those places have the strong governance arrangements, capacity, and capability to deliver, providing central support where needed.
The Conservatives meanwhile keep things much briefer, though do also tease another fund which in theory would benefit parts of the county:
Empower communities through devolution and new powers. By 2030, every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal. We will offer our ‘level 4’ devolution powers to areas in England with a devolution deal and a directly elected leader, starting with the Tees Valley.
Launch a Seaside Heritage Fund to support enhancements to our seaside heritage, preserving and restoring our coastal assets.
BBC takes on fact and fiction with Lancashire-based shows
News of a couple of Lancashire-focused BBC series for you now. First up, the Beeb has shared new pictures and details from new crime series The Jetty. Set in an as yet unidentified lakeside Lancashire town, it tells the story of the aftermath of a devastating fire.
Described as a coming-of-age story and detective thriller, it is said to examine issues of sexual morality, age of consent, grooming, identity and memory. You can see more here.
The second production takes us away from fiction to a very tragic, very well known real life story - the disappearance of Nicola Bulley. Having covered much of this case while at LancsLive, I must say I felt mixed emotions upon learning of the documentary.
The thought of certain conspiracy theorists being given another window to pipe up fills me with some dread but I’m glad to see the family will be able to speak about their experience.
All too often it is forgotten what they went through both in losing someone so beloved but also spending weeks of agony in an unprecedented media spotlight. If they can have their say in a manner they’re comfortable with and make a few more people understand exactly what they experienced then some good can come from this.
Blackpool’s cool for Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis
Finally, we finish on a different tone with some very warm words about Blackpool from Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis. Discussing a recent visit to the town, he said:
“We were in Blackpool a couple of weeks ago. I loved it as a kid and wanted to share that joy with mini MSE, so this was actually her third time there and she loves it, as do we.
“Huge great, long, wide sandy beach; rides at the pleasure beach, tuppenny machines, water parks and more.
“When I mention it to other friends who live in the SE, most look askance at the idea of a couple of days in Blackpool. Yet they've never been. So I wanted to pop up and say a good word. Do it right and it's a joy.”
Martin is often voted the most trusted man in Britain and, with reviews like that, I can see why.
Thanks for reading this edition of The Lancashire Lead. I’ll be back on Sunday with a full edition. As ever, thank you very much for your support and please do share this post and subscribe to receive future editions.
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