Neil Wilby Media

In a Neil Wilby Media article headlined ‘Nationally known campaigner says she does not back calls for Oldham CSE public inquiry’, published on Thursday 13th July, 2023, two councillors accused of lying during a debate that took place the previous evening were offered right of reply (read that article here).

Cllr Arooj Shah, the Leader of the Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council, exercised hers the following morning and a comprehensive statement, in an article headlined ‘Council Leader responds robustly to Maggie Oliver claim’, can be read here.

Cllr Steven Bashforth has now provided his response which, helpfully, includes a transcript of what he actually said during the debate (below his statement):

“I would like to clarify my position and speech from Wednesday’s council meeting which is being widely misquoted by Raja Miah and his followers.

“I have attached copies of the notes I used on Wednesday (read here) and have included the text below.

“The intention of the speech was to try and emphasise that using this very serious issue as a means to discredit political opponents and suggest that they are protecting and covering up evil doers wrong on so many levels.

“I wanted to emphasise that I, and my colleagues are sickened by these crimes and would, could, never condone such evil.

“Rather that using the suffering of victims and survivors against political opponents we ought to be putting the victims and survivors feelings and needs first, whilst we simultaneously learn from what went wrong and make sure the guilty are tracked down and punished.

“My reference to the Maggie Oliver Trust at the end of the speech was included after reading what was published on the GMCA website published at the end of June.

“Contrary to what social media is saying, from the public statement issued by the Maggie Oliver Trust and from her personal right of reply to Neil Wilby Media, she does support the work of the Review and that it has her backing. Also that she is “not convinced” that a public inquiry is the way forward.

“I really cant see how such clear statements can be turned around and used to call me a liar, but it abundantly clear that social media will allow anything to be said about anyone with no fear of consequences and deflects attention away from what is really needed.

“I would personally like to say to Maggie and her Trust, that I would be very keen to learn more from them so I can get a better insight into how victims and survivors can be helped and would be very happy to discuss my speech directly with Maggie if that would be helpful”.

This is the transcript of Cllr Bashforth’s speech

“I just want to say that we can and should all do better in this chamber, we can do better as
individuals and as political parties.

“We can and should be having debates and discussions on these issues so that we can improve how we work so we improve people’s lives and better protect people

“We should not be using the tragic and horrendous experiences of the women and girls who have suffered abuse for political gain.

“I am continually appalled that there are people doing just that, people who are adding to the worry, hurt and anxiety of those who have already been let down badly.

“Child abuse, any abuse is not to be weaponised for political gain.

“There is nobody in this chamber that would tolerate child abuse, and there is nobody in this
chamber who does not support the most severe penalties for those who commit these vile crimes.

“This is not an issue to be tackled by casting aspersions, by making and encouraging false,
outrageous, and sickening claims towards people who would, and could never have anything to do with such inhumane and disgusting crimes.

“This is not an issue to be treated as a mudslinging political race to the bottom.

“This is an issue that must be tackled by putting the survivors and victims first. By being sensitive and sympathetic to their wishes and needs, ever mindful of the truly terrible experiences they have endured.

“Any right-minded person will agree that this is about real peoples lives, real people who have
suffered and endured real evil.

“And any right-minded person will agree that to use these real peoples suffering to further a fleeting political gain is almost as disgusting as the crimes committed.

Let’s move forward, together united in the shared goal of making sure this town, this council, the social agencies and the police force are doing everything that can be done today, and tomorrow, to tackle exploitation and abuse of children.

Doing this using the full weight of the law against the perpetrators and by using every single means of support and care coupled with the upmost sympathy towards the victims and survivors of these dreadful crimes.

The UK Government and The Maggie Oliver Foundation support us in this, hopefully this chamber will support us as well.”

From a leaked email that purports to be from Maggie Oliver to a notorious, long term unemployed, Tameside-based conspiracy theorist, Raja Miah, it now appears that the Foundation’s statement was issued later on the same day to appease him and his supporters whom self-style, appositely, as ‘The Rabble’ (or Raja’s Rabble), a vile group largely comprising of cranks, political malcontents and axe-grinders who revel in Miah’s violence and rape fantasies that are a central feature of his disgraced, frequently banned Recusant Nine social media channels.

Miah, well known as the Region’s most persistent, mendacious liar, continues the futile attempt to smear Clls Bashforth and Shah over what was, or wasn’t, said in the council chamber last Wednesday. He remains on both conditional court and police bail over harassment and malicious communication allegations and is also facing a life-changing defamation claim brought by the present Oldham Mayor, Dr Zahid Chauhan OBE. He denies wrongdoing (read more here).

Maggie Oliver has, again, been offered right of reply and, unsurprisingly, a number of specific questions put to her regarding the Miah email.

Follow Neil Wilby on Twitter (here) and Neil Wilby Media on Facebook (here) for signposts to any updates.

Page last updated: Sunday 16th July, 2023 at 08h45

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Picture credit: Oldham Council

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