Candidates clash over Miller case

“This is the biggest self-inflicted disaster for Oldham in living memory” - Michael Meacher

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ELECTION 2010

Rival parliamentary candidates have squared up over the bungled Vance Miller case.

Michael Meacher, Labour candidate for the Oldham West and Royton seat in tomorrow’s general election, has laid the blame for the failed prosecution of the kitchen trader against his Lib-Dem opponent Mark Alcock.

However, Mr Alcock has branded the attack as “politically motivated mud slinging by a desperate Labour candidate”.

In a letter to Mr Alcock, cabinet member for Environment and Infrastructure, Mr Meacher claims the case will result in a significant financial burden on every household in the borough.

The letter said: “My reason in writing to you is that you are the Oldham Council cabinet member responsible for the assembly of this case, for the decision to bring it to court, and for its general conduct.

“This is the biggest self-inflicted disaster for Oldham in living memory, and is going to impose a significant burden on every household in the town.”

Mr Meacher has claimed Oldham taxpayers will have to foot the £3m council costs in the case, and could face having to pay the £2m co-defendants legal costs.

He claims residents will also have to fork out for the £500,000 costs awarded by the judge against the council at a hearing last week.

Mr Meacher said altogether, this would amount to a charge of £65-70 on each household in Oldham.

He said: “Since this occurred on your watch and you bear personal liability for this debacle, perhaps you could explain how you propose to make an apology to the people of Oldham and, even more importantly at this time, how you can think that someone who has been so negligent at such enormous cost to Oldham can be a fit person to represent the town in Parliament?”

But Mr Alcock countered the stinging attack by attacking Mr Meacher for failing to raise any issues under previous Labour administrations.

Mr Alcock said: “Mr Meacher has suddenly decided that for nothing other than for political reasons he would attack me, having said nothing before when the case was started by the Labour council in 2004, or in 2006 after the raid on the mill, and even before the court case started in 2009.

“This is just politically motivated mud slinging by a desperate Labour candidate.

“Would he have attacked the council if Labour were running the council, I think not.”

Mr Alcock said any costs that the council have to pay will be covered by the council’s own insurance so Oldham residents will not have to fork out.

He added that at the directions hearing at Manchester Crown Court, the judge accepted that he could not make a final order on the costs application until an assessment had been made on the claims sought by all parties.

He said: “We are still awaiting the judge’s written order. The council will vigorously defend any separate legal proceedings brought by any of the defendants in this matter.

“Mr Meacher says that decisions I made have cost the tax payers money. This case was started by his Labour-run council in 2004 not by the Lib-Dems. As I have said, any costs are covered by insurance, so that claim is false.

“On costing taxpayers money I would like Mr Meacher to justify the millions of pounds and hundreds of lives lost by him and his Labour party voting for an illegal war in Iraq.”

Catch up with the candidates at www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/elections/