The ‘PRIVATE EYE’ Collection

The ‘PRIVATE EYE’ Collection

In recent years, the investigative-journalism of the CORRUPTION BUSTERS – supported by a growing number of researchers, analysts and informants – has drawn the attention of the country’s pre-eminent political exposé magazine PRIVATE EYE.

In the confident expectation of continuing in this fraternal collaboration, the North Yorkshire Enquirer presents a growing ‘picture gallery’ of scans from the ‘ROTTEN BOROUGHS’ column and elsewhere in Private Eye.

The scans are presented in reverse chronological order, so that the most recent addition will always appear at the top of this page.

Enjoy the first THIRTY-TWO!

032 – “Dame Gluey” – Infamous eco-loon Councillor Theresa ‘Gluey’ Norton has been recognised in the Eye’s equivalent of the New Year’s Honours list.

031 – GLUEY AGAIN! – Priceless exposé of how the Labour-led SBC administration, having been forced to remove the Whip from notorious eco-loon Councillor Theresa NORTON, has shoe-horned her into the Planning & Development Committee – just in time for the critical vote on the despised West Pier ‘Regeneration project.

030 – The EYE Says – Acidic sarcasm eviscerates eco-loon Councillor Teresa ‘Gluey’ NORTON.

029 – Cops Cop It – Enquirer followers will recall that it was editor TIM THORNE who first exposed NYP Deputy Chief Constable Phil CAIN’s high-risk COVID-19 transgressions:

028 – Loch Up Your Waters – Readers with an interest in the ‘preferred developer’ status of Scarborough’s favourite Tory donors will appreciate this update:

027 – Down With The Kids Award – Scarborough Borough Council shames the Borough once more, picking up another ‘gong’ for a starring appearance last summer.

026 – “Vexatious”, By George – The self-serving antics of the Scarborough Borough Council Directorate (web-link) once again laid bare by our friends at the Eye.

025 – Bogey Man – Outgoing East Riding of Yorkshire Council Leader, Councillor Stephen PARNABY [Con.] and his sidekick Alan MENZIES, ERYC’s Planning and Economic Regeneration Director, metphorically spotted on the way to the 19th with their chum David DOWSON, Bridlington’s finance wizard extraordinaire.

024 – Oops, They Did It Again – Another starring appearance for Scarborough Borough Council’s “award-winning” (see below) legal vulture, Lisa ‘Liar-bility‘ DIXON.

023 – Nooks & Corners – In less than three hundred words, the Eye sums up Scarborough Borough Council’s vandalistic hubris.

022 – Big Bother – SBC Solicitor David KITSON reaps the rewards of his ‘interference’ with Councillors’ emails and Council is pulled up over the major dropped bollock of an unsecured £9 million loan to a favourite developer.

021 – Scarred Borough – Scandal threatening to erupt in a probity crisis on a scale not seen since the Highpoint Rendel scandal of 2005, which saw the departure of previous SBC Chief Exec Mr John TREBBLE and the then Leader Councillor Eileen BOSOMWORTH.

020 – Peacock’s Pride – the NYE’s very own NIGEL WARD lodged a Formal Complaint against ERYCC ex-Tory Councillor Dominic PEACOCK, with predictable results.

019 – Knacker’s War Chest – Highlighting a sharp attack of double standards on the part of Julia MULLIGAN, Police & Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire, who apparently believes that CPOSA should not maintain a litigation ‘war chest’ – but North Yorkshire Police should.

018- “North Yorkshire Boors” – Regular readers of the North Yorkshire Enquirer who have followed the progress of Operation Hyson – the civil legal action pursued by North Yorkshire Police following the failure of Operation Rome (an abortive attempt to criminalise Enquirer contributors Nigel Ward and Tim Hicks) – will be interested to read today’s (31/08/16) coverage in the nation’s leading political exposé magazine.

017– “DIRTY TRICKS” – In accordance with popular prediction, short-odds favourite Scarborough Borough Council picked up the ‘Rotten Boroughs’ 2014 Annual Award for “DIRTY TRICKS”.

(‘Silent’ Jim DILLON, the Council’s ineffectual Chief Executive Officer, will  no doubt wonder why he ever left East Anglia, where Council improprieties go relatively unnoticed – didn’t they, Jim?)

Read the full background here.

016– “REVELLERS IN SCARBOROUGH” – Once again, Private Eye has picked up on an North Yorks Enquirer scoop – this time it’s the ‘NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE’ breathalyzers deployed around the town to clamp down on “red light” revellers – no doubt to the passing benefit of somebody or other’s brother-in-law, at a cost yet to be disclosed. A spokesperson for Scarborough Borough Council was bereft of speech. No change there, then.

015 – “KNACKER FOXED” – Though the UK’s two most prolific paedophiles Jimmy SAVILE and Peter JACONELLI are long dead, somehow they will not lie down. That may be because they were not alone in their offending – as evidence passed to Operation Hibiscus has been indicating for some time. No doubt there is much more to come. Someone should have all the answers . . .

014 – “SCARRED BOROUGH” – More dirty tricks in North Yorkshire. Just when you thought that Scarborough Borough Council could sink no lower, the worst Council in the country has now excelled itself by progressing a totally false allegation levelled at Real Whitby contributor Nigel WARD. And by a curious quirk of circumstance, this comes as an apparent ‘return of service’ after Real Whitby published “The Genie is out of the Bottle” in mid-March 2014, an article containing excerpts from an apparently fraudulent 1996 benefit claim by a couple of serving Councillors, the documentation of which was widely circulated in late February 2014, seemingly by an SBC insider.

013 – “HATS OFF TO REAL WHITBY” – Once again, Private Eye – the most prestigious exposé publication in the country – has expressed full support to the citizen-journalists of Real Whitby, in recognition of our persistent investigations into the activities of the Scarborough paedophile-ring headed up by Jimmy SAVILE and former Scarborough Councillor, Mayor and Alderman Peter JACONELLI – now (like SAVILE) stripped of all civic honours.

012 – “CONGRATULATIONS” – Private Eye’s ‘Rotten Boroughs’ page tips its distinguished hat to Real Whitby over the recent BBC1 “INSIDE OUT” documentary (aired on Monday 10th February 2014) in which Corruption Busters’ issues were in-depth scrutinised by the Beeb’s legal boffins – and scored a resounding 9 – 0 victory against a scratch side composed of dodge-pots and self-servers from Scarborough Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the North Yorkshire Police!

011 – “OPEN GOVERNMENT AWARD” – in our determination to provide readers with news of Lisa DIXON’s runner-up spot in the “Legal Bullies of the Year” category of the 2013 ‘Rotten Boroughs’ Awards (see below), we omitted to mention the splendid achievement of Councillor Harry SMITH of Seamer & Crossgates Parish Council, who scooped first place in the “Open Government Award” category. Sorry Harry – here’s your fifteen minutes now.

010 – “LEGAL BULLIES OF THE YEAR” – another starring appearance from Scarborough Borough Council’s Director of Legal & Democratic Services Lisa DIXON, runner-up in the ‘Rotten Boroughs’ “Legal Bullies of the Year” category.

009 – “ANARCHY IN THE UK” – under this extreme tongue-in-cheek caption,”Rotten Borough” reports on the incredibly autocratic pomposity of the Old Guard intransigence in the Borough of Scarborough – deservedly one of the Eye’s most popular targets. Isn’t democracy wonderful?

008 – “EGG ON FACE” – in a hard blow to Scarborough Borough Council’s threats of legal action against Real Whitby and it’s main contributors Nigel, Tim and Tim – the CORRUPTION BUSTERS –  “Rotten Boroughs” reports on the recent ruling that Carmarthenshire County Council’s similar action against blogger Jacqui Thompson was unlawful. As this article concludes, “If only the chumps took more notice of Gnome”.

007 – “LEAKS LIKE A SIV” – featuring “Eye favourite” Scarborough Borough again, this time lampooning  the Council’s ill-considered choice of business-partner for its struggling Tourism Portfolio. Onwards!

006 – “LISA MAJESTY” – featuring Scarborough Borough Council Head of Legal & Support Services LISA DIXON, who is also Monitoring Officer to the Borough Council – and to the North Yor Moors national Park Authority.

005 – “THEY CANNOT BE SIRIUS” – featuring Scarborough Borough Councillor TIM LAWN (subsequently resigned (who was also Chair of the North York Moors National Park Authority Planning Committee, scheduled to consider the Sirius Mineral YORK POTASH LTD planning application to mine polyhalites under the moors) and Secretary of State appointed Member JANE MITCHELL.

004 – “MOOR THE MERRIER” – featuring Scarborough Borough Councillor TIM LAWN (subsequently resigned (who was also Chair of the North York Moors National Park Authority Planning Committee, scheduled to consider the Sirius Mineral YORK POTASH LTD planning application to mine polyhalites under the moors) and County Councillor HELEN SWIERS.

003 – “EXPENSES FIDDLERS OF THE YEAR AWARD – 2012” – featuring the ten North Yorkshire County and Scarborough Borough Councillors who ‘double-dipped’ their Broadband/IT Allowances.

002 – “DOUBLE-DIPPING” – featuring County Councillor JANE KENYON, ROBERT GOODWILL MP (Conservative) and the ten North Yorkshire County and Scarborough Borough Councillors who ‘double-dipped’ their Broadband/IT Allowances.

001 – “WOODEN EXCUSES” – featuring County Councillor JANE KENYON, Dales Timber Ltd and NYCC Head of Legal & Democratic Services and Monitoring Officer CAROLE DUNN.