Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Some of you regular readers may recall that I wrote a piece a few weeks ago advising people how to get round the drinks ban at Edgbaston Cricket Ground for the Test match. It received a typically po-faced response from, amongst others, The Birmingham Post and Mail. They dragged out some voluntary sector organisation, Drinkwise, and someone from Warwickshire County Cricket Club to accuse me of irresponsibility, and devoted an editorial to the entry in which they referred to me as a 'barmy councillor' who was suggesting people broke the licensing laws.
All of which contrasts with none other than... the alarming hypocrisy of the Birmingham Post which today print this joyous celebration of the profits made by Marston's brewery for their exclusive rights to sell beer at the Edgbaston Test Match.
I wait with breath bated for the Birmingham Post health correspondent's feature tomorrow condemning her newspaper for it's ecstatic response to this news, with condemnation from Drinkwise, and the CEO of Warwickshire County Cricket Club's statement about how disgusted they were that so much alcohol was consumed on their premises.
A rather tenuous attempt to claim hypocrisy by the Post (don't worry, there will be other opportunities).
It wasn't a joyous celebration of Marstons profits - just a report of the facts.
The point of the Edgbaston story was that it was a public representative giving tips on how sneak booze past security.
Obviously you meant it as a joke, which most people recognised and maybe the paper was in need of a story from somewhere. But if you choose to take a public office then you have to be careful what you joke about.
Except it wasn't entirely a joke. I do think the attempt by the ECB and Warwickshire to fleece people into buying their alcohol is wrong, and I also that the Birmingham Post which devoted an entire editorial to attacking me allowed the Marston's thing to go without comment.
Which makes them hypocrites in my book.
Finally, I have been elected as a representative for my Ward, and if the people of that Ward don't like what I say, they will have the opportunity to express their view next year. That doesn't give anyone the right to curtail my opinions or right to speak out on things I think are wrong.
August 26, 2009 12:25 PM | permalink
So much for competition and the free market.