A former mayor has caused controversy by saying travellers should go “back to Ireland” with “their thieving and filthy ways” in a heated email row.*settles in with big bag of popcorn*
Chris Walker, an Eastwood Park councillor, made the remarks to Labour councillor Julian Ware-Lane when referring to travellers in the borough.
In the exchange, seen by the Echo, the councillors debated the growing number of travellers camping in the borough. Milton ward councillor Mr Ware-Lane urged the council to find a space where travellers could set up camp temporarily and felt the council was “neglecting their responsibilities in this regard.”
He then wrote: “I am seriously concerned the traveller community gets treated like pariahs and are shifted from pillar to post. Whilst, of course, there are elements in the traveller community that do bad things, to the best of my knowledge none of the crime committed in Milton is committed by anyone from the traveller community.”If they get treated 'like pariahs', maybe there's a reason?
Mr Walker responded: “They are treated like pariahs because they are pariahs. They have been driven from Ireland whence they emanate because of their thieving and filthy ways.
“They contribute nothing to society in the way of taxes etc and create filth wherever they go. Why should we make allowance for them? It would be better for all if they were to learn the foolishness of their ways and go back to Ireland. They are their own worst enemies.”How come we know the contents of private emails between two people, anyway?
Mr Ware-Lane published the comments on his blog, awordfromwier.blogspot.co.ukAh.
Stephen Aylen, Independent councillor for Belfair Ward, was also involved in the email exchange. He said to Mr Ware-Lane: “Next time we have these so called travellers arrive in Belfairs or Oakwood park (remember a large majority of the residents in the area around these parks are proper gypsies) could you please provide me with flyer maps of locations in Milton (such as the cliffs ) that these travellers may use.Heh!
Mr Ware-Lane told our reporter the comments were “shameful” and shamed every councillor. He added: “His (Mr Walker’s) ideas belong in the 19th century, we are in the 21st century.”
When asked why he publicised those comments, he responded: “I want them to realise what they’ve done and apologise, and not to repeat it again.”And if they don't, will you thcweath and thcweam until you're thick?
The Echo called Mr Walker five times for comment, but we received no response before the paper went to print.Awful when people won't comment on...
Oh!
*rolls eyes*
9 comments:
I do hope that post Brexit we deport the lot back to the Irish republic. They cause trouble wherever they go.
"I do hope that post Brexit we deport the lot back to the Irish republic."
By 'the lot' you mean Essex Councillors? Sterling idea!
Way to shut down discussion, part 1. "It's the current year. How can you say that in the current year? Your comments don't belong in the current year"
Alternatively, make it compulsory that anyone insisting we all make allowances for them or ignore the law to their benefit is easily recognisable. They'll be the one with a compulsory "travellers welcome here" sign in front of their property.
I am sure that there are travellers who leave a village green, school playground, or war memorial area in as clean, or even cleaner, than it was when they moved on them, but in 26 years as a Police officer, I never met, or heard of, them. I am sure that there are travellers who never change their name, date of birth, or turn up to answer bail, but in 26 years of being a Police officer, I never met, or heard of, them.
Offer them the same courtesy hey afford other people and hey, and their SHE snowflake supporters, scream "racist"'
The main problem is that, unlike in Ireland, trespass is a civil offensive, as is fly tipping, and the travellers know his and take full advantage. until some brave politician is willing to stick his head over the parapet and prose that these offences be made part of criminal law, this is going to continue.
A colleague of mine, brave but very foolish, arrested 9 travellers, men, women and children, on suspicion of criminal damage as no one would admit cutting through a padlocked iron gate to a park. In the end, a 9 year old boy admitted doing it but as he was below the age of criminal knowledge,nothing was done about that and the PCs career went downhill from then on. Sadly, the area crime figures shot up as when the travellers returned to the park, most of their vehicles and caravans had been damaged.
Penseivat
I'm part Mick. Proper bogtrotting stock. You can't comprehend how much "travellers" are loathed across the puddle.
Why are they not arrested for their crimes? Incarcerated? Deported?
As Penseivat says the ROI allows the Garda to move travellers on relatively easily, that is why there are so many in the UK. For those who are interested the legislation is covered in The Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions ) Act 2002 Section 24.This is ROI legislation of course. I did see after a search that the Conservative Party were going to make a similar law part of their manifesto pledge, this was in 2009, since then nothing. At the moment I believe that figures show that 1 in 20 of prisoners in UK prisons are identified as of traveller origin as well. Until the law is strengthened as it was in the ROI then this problem will continue, don't look to the current government to supply any answers.
Retired
"Way to shut down discussion, part 1."
Quite!
"I did see after a search that the Conservative Party were going to make a similar law part of their manifesto pledge..."
Who'd believe them?
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