Glasgow Labour Councillor William O’Rourke sacked over rape remarks

I do wonder sometimes if elected politicians get up in the morning and say to themselves, time for a major blunder?

I write this post, not for political point scoring, I can do that anytime with real facts and figures against the SNP, Labour and the Conservatives, instead, I write this post in sheer amazement and disgust.

Only last month my good friend Caron blogged about Bill Aitken, the Conservative MSP who implied a rape victim was a prostitute just because the area she was attacked in was a known area for prostitution.  You can read HERE why Caron felt he should have resigned.

Well this time it is a Glasgow Labour Councillor who has made a stupid and completely unjustified comment and even worse it is about a nine year old alleged rape victim.

The only difference is that the Labour Councillor has been sacked for his comments by the new council leader, I applaud him for his swift action.

What is concerning though is that two other Labour Councillors were present at the meeting in January and it appears they failed to do anything about the comments made by Councillor O'Rourke, which is as bad in my opinion.  The complaint was in fact made by a police officer present at the hearing.

I'm pleased he has been sacked, losing around £37,000 worth of salary in the process, but he now needs as Carons suggested for Bill Aitken to visit Rape Crisis Scotland and meet them to understand more about what rape victims go through, believe me, it really is not pleasant.

Today's Herald carries the story;

A female police officer, who investigated the case, raised the matter after giving evidence at the personnel appeals committee. She referred her complaint to one of her senior officers, with Strathclyde Police then referring the matter to the Standards Commission.

Mr O’Rourke, who had been touted as a possible future chairman of the police authority, is reported to have asked if force was used during the alleged rape and when she told him it was not, he is alleged to have asked: “So she wanted it to happen?”

He is then alleged to have commented on the fact the child’s mother was a prostitute and made arguments about lowering the age of consent.

If the young girl's mother was a prostitute, what the hell has that got to do with the alleged attack on her daughter?  Nothing, absolutely bloody nothing and Councillor O'Rourke should never have said anything about it.  It doesn't add anything to the hearing and should have been ruled out immediately.
You can read the full story in today's Herald.

Labour have failed the people of Glasgow according to Bill Butler MSP

Last week the Scottish Government published a report on the City of Glasgow which found evidence of
poor diet, increased anxiety and ill health.

Now, two years ago during the Glasgow East by-election there were hundreds of stories describing the deprivation, the shorter life spans and many other health concerns of the residents of Glasgow.

So I was a little surprised to see this press release in response to the above mentioned report, from the Scottish Labour MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Bill Butler, which quoted him as saying;

"This report shows that much more needs to be done to fight poverty and should serve as a wake-up call to politicians. We need a relentless campaign to raise expectations, drive up living standards and encourage people to live healthier lifestyles.

"In this context, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition's decisions to cut programmes that will hit the poorest hardest is absolutely disgraceful.

“Many of Glasgow’s communities are still struggling to recover from the last Tory government and further cutbacks will condemn too many vulnerable people to a hard life, ill health and an early death."

 I have never heard such a hypocritical rant from a Labour politician for a while now.

The Labour Party ran the Scottish Government for eight years from 1999 to 2007, they ran the Westminster Government from 1997 to May this year and have run the City of Glasgow Council for around 40 years.

So why did Bill Butler's Labour Party not solve the problem during that 40 year period?

I will explain why, because Labour didn't know how to solve the problems so just threw money (and continue to do so) at the problem areas and hope someone somewhere will sort it out with no one person responsible for reviewing the work of the schemes that just hand the money out.

The Labour Party like to operate by blaming everyone else for their mistakes, whether it be the previous Tory Westminster government (thrown out of power back in 1997) or the new current Lib Dem-Tory coalition government which has been in power a mere 6 months.

Just look how many ministers over those 13 years were Scottish MPs and yet they failed the people of Glasgow who despite being let down by Labour over the years continue to ignore the problems thrown at them and continue to thrive within their communities.

Bill Butler needs to accept he has played a part in the issues contained in the report he has casually thrown out comments to.

Prostitution and Glasgow City Council - End the DEMAND

Last week I was in the Glasgow City Chambers for a meeting and as I signed out I noticed a stack of postcards and pin badges.

The postcards were for END PROSTITUTION NOW although I do applaud Glasgow City Council for running this campaign, I was somewhat disappointed that it mainly targets the men using female prostitutes.

Male prostitutes, as is male rape are topics very rarely covered either in the media or by Governments.  This campaign gives just one line of text to male prostitutes.

Anyway, I digress.

End Prostitution Now is a campaign led by Glasgow City Council which aims to raise awareness of the harm caused through prostitution and put the focus on the buyers of sex - the DEMAND - who have in the past been invisible from public debate.

We believe that it is the demand which fuels the sex industry in Glasgow and, only by targeting this demand and challenging attitudes towards buying sex, will we be able to put a stop to this harmful activity which blights cities and towns across Scotland.

Prostitution is not a choice.

The only choice in prostitution is that of the buyer, who decides when, where and how he will buy sex. For this reason we believe that legislation which criminalises the purchaser of sexual services is needed. Credible legislation is vital in order to send the message that people are not and should not be for sale.

There are many myths about prostitution, I have selected four from the END PROSTITUTION NOW website, but please do read the myths and facts page and then download the three page handout.

Myth: Women choose to get involved in prostitution


Fact: Most women become involved in prostitution because of lack of choice and many are groomed, pressured and/or coerced by pimps or traffickers. It is well documented that a majority of women in prostitution are poor, homeless and have already suffered violence and abuse throughout their life.

70% of those involved in street prostitution have a history of local authority care and 45% report experiencing sexual abuse during their childhoods (Home Office 2006). Many enter prostitution before age 18. Once in prostitution, 9 out 10 surveyed women would like to exit but feel unable to do so (Farley et al, 2003). It is the men who buy sex who are exercising free choice, and it is this “choice” to purchase vulnerable women and girls that maintains prostitution and fuels trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Myth: Prostitution is just sex

Fact: Prostitution is not about sex. It is about exploitation, violence and abuse. More than half of UK women in prostitution have been raped and/or seriously assaulted at the hands of pimps and punters (Home Office 2004). Up to 95% of women in street prostitution are intravenous drug users (Home Office 2004); and 68% meet the criteria for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Ramsay, Retal, 1993).

“I would numb my feelings. I wouldn’t even feel like I was in my body…

I don’t know how else to explain it……it was rape to me” (In Farley, 2003)

Myth: Only women sell sex

Fact: While the overwhelming majority of those who sell sex are female, it must be acknowledged that there is also a hidden population of men who sell sex and experience many of the same issues of exploitation and abuse. The problems of poverty, addiction, homelessness, grooming by a pimp continue to be the routes into prostitution for men who sell sex and similarly to women sellers of sex there is a clear lack of choice. It is the circumstances combined with the demand for sex which have forced the individual into prostitution. What is clear, however, is that those who buy sex, either from men or women, are predominantly male.

Myth: Criminalising the purchase of sex drives prostitution underground

Fact: The nature of the sex industry is that it is underground and it is very difficult to scope or quantify. However, prostitution can never truly exist “underground” – if punters can those selling sex, so can the Police and those offering services to help exit prostitution. Criminalising the purchase of sex and offering support services to people in prostitution is the only viable way to work towards an end to this exploitative industry. In Sweden, where they have criminalised the buying of sexual acts, there has been a significant reduction in trafficking and prostitution with a halt in recruitment of new women (Baklinski, 2007).

Sweden is no longer an attractive market for traffickers and pimps – the law clearly works as a deterrent.

Please do sign up as a supporter and if you live in Scotland use the very easy to use email system to lobby your MSPs so that together we can sort this problem out.

Liberal Democrats now the only effective opposition in Glasgow

It appears the SNP Councillors in Glasgow are not taking there jobs seriously any more and have given up.
SNP Councillors have yet again failed to attend one of the key Scrutiny Committees on Glasgow City Council.

In the week when news surfaced of a Labour Councillor being arrested the SNP were quick to rush out press statements about the tip of a corruption iceberg and the need for more scrutiny of the Labour Council.

Yet just last week SNP Councillors failed to attend either the Finance & Audit or the Operational Delivery Scrutiny Committees and yesterday failed to attend the External Governance Scrutiny Committee.

These committees are chaired by opposition Councillors and are the very bodies that allow opposition councillors to hold the Labour Administration to account.

As the current official opposition the SNP Group earns over £60,000 in additional salaries from Glasgow’s external companies and have a full time policy officer paid for by the Council yet they don’t think scrutiny of these arms length companies or whether Labour are failing to deliver on front line services is worth turning up for.

Voters elected the Councillors and therefore pay them, and to represent their interests and to hold this Labour Administration to account for its actions.

If the SNP Council Group won’t do its job as an official opposition then Glasgow’s Liberal Democrat Councillors will step and be the official and effective opposition that Glasgow so badly needs.

Labour must be held to account in Glasgow and the SNP are failing the voters of Glasgow so it is down to Councillor Paul Coleshill and his fantastic team to step up and hold the Labour Councillors to account.

Glasgow Labour Councillor Gilbert Davidson arrested over lewd text and voice messages

A Glasgow Labour councillor and former Lord Provost of Glasgow has been arrested and charged over allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards a female colleague.

Councillor Gilbert Davidson faces criminal prosecution after police investigated claims he sent suggestive voice mails and text messages to former civic chief and senior councillor Liz Cameron, asking her to share a hotel room with him.

The BBC reports:

It is claimed Gilbert Davidson sent offensive voice mails and text messages to former Lord Provost Liz Cameron.

Councillor Gilbert Davidson has also been suspended from the ruling Labour group.

Strathclyde Police have said that a 67-year-old man had been charged with an alleged breach of the peace following an inquiry at Glasgow City Chambers.

A spokesman for the Scottish Labour Party said:

"Councillor Gilbert Davidson has been suspended from the Labour group on Glasgow City Council with immediate effect.

"As a police investigation is now ongoing it would be inappropriate to comment further."

 A police spokeswoman said:

"We can confirm that a 67-year-old man has been arrested and charged with an alleged breach of the peace in connection with a police inquiry being carried out at Glasgow City Chambers and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal."

The arrest and allegations closely follow the story last week in The Herald.

Labour councillor Gilbert Davidson is already being investigated after being accused at the weekend of groping counterpart Ruth Black.

Given all of the issues the Labour Party have faced in Glasgow - Councillor Steven Purcell, Councillor Ruth Black and now Councillor Gilbert Davidson it really is time Labour were voted out in Glasgow, they have and continue to let the people of Glasgow down.  You wonder what tomorrows headline is going to be.

Councillor Bailie Gordon Matheson is new leader of Glasgow City Council

While all eyes were on Westminster today watching the outcome of the talks between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives and then the resignation speech of Gordon Brown here in Scotland there were political announcements of our own.

Councillor Bailie Matheson, of Anderston/City ward in Glasgow has been a Councillor since 1999.

He was elected as the new leader of Glasgow City Council following the shock resignation of the former disgraced leader Steven Purcell back at the beginning of March who initially claimed he was standing down because of stress, then admitted it was cocaine use.

Councillor Matheson was voted in as leader at a meeting of Labour group members this morning. Councillor Archie Graham will be his depute.


Councillor Matheson takes over from interim leader Jim Coleman.

He has previously held the positions of City Treasurer and Executive Member for Education.

Exclusive: ‘Stressed’ city leader Councillor Steven Purcell to stand down

As any big named celebrity, politician and member of the Royal family will tell you, don't believe everything you read in the newspapers, so is this morning's exclusive in The Herald spot on or way out?

The headline screams - Exclusive: ‘Stressed’ city leader Purcell to stand down.

It is of course talking about the leader of Glasgow City Council, Labour Councillor Steven Purcell.

A statement issued to The Herald last night said those around him had become “deeply concerned about the stress levels he had been displaying” recently.

Now, if he is genuinely standing down for personal reasons, ie his health then I and many others will wish him a speedy recovery, if this is a quick way to get him into Westminster then I don't agree in the manner in which it has been done - please see my own health warning in the first line of this blog post!

Steven Purcell is one of Labour's rising stars in Scotland and so many Labour folk want to get him into Westminster or Holyrood, and given he has led Glasgow City Council since 2005 and been key in securing the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014, you can understand why.

If however this is Labour's way of fast tracking him into a Westminster seat, then shame on them.

However, the statement issued to The Herald continued;

The recent expenses debacle at the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and the “enormous pressure” surrounding preparations for the Games had “got on top of him and he was exhausted”, the statement said.

“Steven agreed to seek medical help immediately and subsequently he is now under doctor’s orders.

“He would hope to get back in to active politics in the next few weeks and months,” the statement added.

“He hopes the people of Glasgow would appreciate what he has tried to do for the city that he loves.”

Let us therefore watch this space.......

Senior SNP Glasgow Councillor Alex Dingwall defects to the Liberal Democrats

Glasgow City Senior Councillor Alex Dingwall has decided to leave the SNP after 31 years as an SNP member and has today joined the Scottish Liberal Democrats.

I know there is bound to be the usual dismissal from the SNP that this isn't big news but actually it is.

The SNP gloss is peeling now and people are starting to realise that they said anything in 2007 just to get elected and are now just going back on so many of those election promises - part of the very reason why trust in politics is so low.

For an established and well respected Councillor and long time SNP member to turn his back on them after 31 years takes guts and I applaud Alex in making this decision.

It is a damning indictment that someone at the heart of the SNP for so long has lost confidence in the SNP’s ability to solve Glasgow’s many problems.

I am happy to welcome Alex to the party. Defections are always going to happen from time to time – and while it’s easy to pick out past disagreements or criticism (from all sides), it’s better to look at the future.

I would urge anyone wavering in their support for the SNP to join Alex Dingwall and back the Scottish Liberal Democrats which offers positive local change in Glasgow.

Alex Dingwall topped the poll in 2007 in the Maryhill/Kelvin ward and now joins fellow Liberal Democrat Councillor Mary Paris representing the people of the ward in the Westminster constituency of Glasgow North which Katy Gordon is campaigning in to become the next MP for the area.

Alex Dingwall said of his defection from the SNP to the Scottish Liberal Democrats: “I believe that Glasgow needs a change in how our city is run and a party that sets out a clear, credible alternative to the current Labour Administration. Regrettably over the last year it has become clear to me that the Glasgow SNP Council Group lacks both the leadership and the authority to set out an alternative vision for our city."

“After 31 years of membership with the SNP the decision to leave has not been an easy one but the move away from a local to a centrally set income tax and the recent threats to take away control of schools and care for the elderly from local authorities show the SNP simply doesn’t trust its councillors, preferring instead to govern local communities by ministerial decree."

“That’s why I am pleased to be joining the Liberal Democrats. I share their commitment to local government and to the core principle of keeping local decisions local.

“I will continue to work constructively for my constituents and for the people of Glasgow, but now in a way which is entirely in keeping with my personal and political beliefs.”

Liberal Democrat candidate for Glasgow North, Katy Gordon added: “I’ve known Councillor Dingwall for many years and I’m really pleased to welcome him to the party.

“This is a real boost to the Liberal Democrat campaign in Glasgow North. People are fed up with Labour and Councillor Dingwall’s decision demonstrates once again that the real alternative is the Liberal Democrats.”

The Liberal Democrat MSP for Glasgow Robert Brown added:  “I’m delighted that Councillor Dingwall has decided to join the Liberal Democrats.

“As a talented and able politician, he will be a real asset to the Liberal Democrat group.

“I’ve no doubt that he’ll work in close harmony with his Liberal Democrat colleagues and with Liberal Democrat principles for the greater good of Glasgow.”

Unison vs Labour then Unison funds Labour

I do find it slightly odd that the Trade Union, Unison, who are campaigning against the cuts to services that the Labour controlled Glasgow City Council are making will then in a few months give yet more money to the Labour Party to campaign in the General Election in Glasgow.

Surely, if Unison really cared about these jobs they would divert that money and instead of giving it to the Labour Party actually give it to the Council to protect jobs and services?






When I worked in Haringey, despite the Labour Council slashing services, spending £2270 on a TV for the then Council Leader and spending wasting millions of pounds on an IT scheme not fit for purpose, Trade Unions spent thousands and thousands of pounds writing to people in wards at risk from the Liberal Democrats.

It didn't help in most of the wards, we won them all bar one and were just 94 votes from taking control of the Council, on May 6th 2010, Haringey Council will become a Liberal Democrat run Council, of that I am very confident given the recent record of Labour there with Baby Peter.

Even one of Haringey's long serving Labour Councillors, Councillor Brian Haley who is also one of Britain's senior black Councillors has turned his back on Labour and defected to the Liberal Democrats.

So, if someone from Unison Scotland would like to explain to me and my little blogs readers why there appears to be this apparent hypocrisy in Union attitudes?