Lib-Dems nowty over sex claims

THE FRIDAY THING: WELL, who’d have thought it? We are well used to allegations of sexual misconduct of one sort or another from the Catholic Church, but the Lib-Dems?

Who would have thought they had sexual shenanigans in them?

Not that it is altogether new. After all, there was Jeremy Thorpe, a Liberal party leader who was accused of some strange goings on.

Then there was Paddy Pantsdown, sorry, Ashdown, the leader who at least had the gumption to admit he had been playing away.

The current lot seem to have developed an attack of collective amnesia. If they were told what was going on cosy sofas and round sumptuous dinner tables they have forgotten all about it.

No one it seems actually knew anything about sleazy deeds even though there were senior party members who say they actually passed some details about “inappropriate touching” to all those who needed to know.

So, deaf as well as forgetful. No wonder the party is in such a mess.



SEXUAL scandals in the Catholic church in Ireland and Great Britain are, sadly, not uncommon and Cardinal Keith O’Brien has opted to stand down as Archbishop of St Andrew and Edinburgh following claims that he behaved inappropriately with young priests.
Whether Cardinal O’Brien is guilty of misbehaviour or not there can be no denying the Catholic Church has been the focus of too much illicit sexual activity (much of it with youngsters) over the years.

There are those who suggest that ending the rule of celibacy for priests in the Catholic Church could help to reduce the incidence of sexual activity with youngsters and there may be some real value in that.

Is tradition more important than the lifelong torment suffered by the victims?



I HAVE to admit to a guilty pleasure of my own. Over the years I have acquired a soft-spot for Oldham Council’s pugilist in chief, Dynamite Dave Hibbert, definitely going into battle from the red corner.
But has Dave finally taken on one heavyweight battle too far?

Plans for the redevelopment or ruination of a much-loved green area at Foxdenton, Chadderton, have not merely upset and angered some of the local residents... it has upset and angered them all. And Dave lives just round the corner.

Dave represents Chadderton on Oldham Council and has been given the, shall we say, mucky end of the stick by being made responsible for housing, transport and planning. He now has to persuade his neighbours that 450 new homes, the loss of green open space, threats to wildlife (find some newts, folks), drainage problems, increased traffic, road safety and the loss of a riding school are all issues locals can be persuaded to love.



FINAL WORD: Another accolade for Oldhamers - we have more folk watching TV without a licence than any other area in Greater Manchester.
Surprising really because even with access to about five million channels, there’s hardly ever anything worth watching on the box.

Especially now Latics are out of the Cup . . .