Councillors resign over email scandal

Councillor Mr. Phelps has been an extremely good, hard-working and effective councillor. Yes, sometimes he goes over the top, but he works in the interests of his residents and gets things done. Not only does he listen to us, but he was the moving light behind cleaning up Earl's Court. Before he came, Earl's Court was known for its pimps and prostitutes; he was the one who changed all that. I very much hope there is a way whereby he can be reinstated. (He always comes top of the poll in Earl's Court elections.)

Too thick to understand about the councils email policy.

"Former Kensington and Chelsea mayor Councillor Barry Phelps fired off a series of emails to Councillor Mark Daley, displaying black and white images of young boys with sexually suggestive captions added by Mr Phelps".

Really, not the action of an intelligent man.

What planet does Gay Wilson live on? Phelps is a dirty old pervert and deserved to go. Would she like any photo of her child or grandchild being bandied about by perverts to obtain sexual gratification from?

The supportive comments from Miss Wilson
and Ware are appalling.
The man has committed a heinous offense and is an insult to his office.
Children are not to be considered to be objects of sexual gratification and they think they are need psychiatric help

Found the pics on the web. Here's the URL: http://barryphelps.posterous.com I don't know how anybody could defend pics such as these.

What on earth is going on? Cllr Cockell, Leader of the Council, says in the council's press release that the two villains were "excellent councillors".

Thats it!!!!

What about a forthright condemnation of the sexual abuse of children. He is the Leader. Why does he not take a stand? Unfortunately K&C councillors are so pufffed up with their self importance that they think anything goes and it is impossible for them to do any wrong. Even the dreadful Leader of the Labour Group (Cllr Blakeman) can only bring herself to say that Phelps "should have been familiar with the email rules". What humbug. The woman has no place in public life.

A gay maffia is operating in the conservative group of councillors at K&C where this type of thing is going on. So far, only Cllr Daley has been caught out because his name was on an email distribution. But Phelps has been peddling this stuff for years. No doubt there is much more to be discovered. Quite a few K&C councillors must be nervous as hell today......

Ms Arbuthnot started this thread with fulsome praise of Cllr Phelps. But people in public life are supposed to uphold public standards. Nowhere in our society and culture is it acceptable for good work to be promoted as a mask for hiding or excusing evil.

If Ms Arbuthnot has any lingering doubts, I found this link on Google which shows the tip of the iceberg about Phelps depraved activities

http://barryphelps.posterous.com/

Is this it,

No pornography
No sexual comments
old fashioned monochrome photos with text that is full of many different meanings

It is only the personal interpretation of someones mind who can make it a "hanging offense".

Two councillors have gone because of this and if this is the level we are reduced then we might as well pack up and go to IRAN where they are now using the government to control the style of Haircuts.

Is this it,

No pornography
No sexual comments
old fashioned monochrome photos with text that is full of many different meanings

It is only the personal interpretation of someones mind who can make it a "hanging offense".

Two councillors have gone because of this and if this is the level we are reduced then we might as well pack up and go to IRAN where they are now using the government to control the style of Haircuts.

I've been to http://barryphelps.posterous.com and I was disgusted by the pictures and especially the captions. There is no way that showing pictures of young boys in varying degrees of dress with sexually suggestive captions can be mistaken for some innocent pastime undertaken by ex-Cllr Phelps. Pictures of boys with their clothed bottoms in the air, or boys performing acrobatic acts with each other, are innocent in themselves, but what is disgusting is how Phelps has grouped and eroticised them with suggestive comments for the tittilation of his secretive group of readers. If it was so innocent, why was it so secretive and why did they resign?

On the Wall and The Heckler-obviously one and the same ! What a pathetic attempt to support Phelps.
You are clearly so dumb that you tried to blog the same rubbish twice.
Doubtless behind this facile attempt we will find Phelps the Filth lurking...

When Phelps has been drinking he gets confused and sends out these ill disguised multiple messages.

On The Wall (aga Phelps) and Heckler (aga Phelps) are all part of the same sick mind

Phelps obviously needs to get treatment. Maybe from the hospital ward where they shot those porno films?

An outstanding ward representative he will be remembered for his excellent services to Earls Court not this error

An outstanding representative of the ward, he will remembered for this not some silly error

Philbeach redoubles his efforts to defend himself !!
Some silly error ? How very fortunate that most of us don't agree that the sexualisation of very young male boys is just a 'silly error'.
Phelps won't be missed by officers or other councillors tired of his vulgar, bullying ways.

Philbeach states that it was just "some silly error". The pervert was carrying on with this error for years!!!

This is absolutely revolting. http://bit.ly/aQuHBi

I don't live in your borough and I don't care. He could have been a great councillor but for a man in public life to be so unbelievably depraved, and to do so from a public email account, is unforgivable.

I sincerely hope that his name, his reputation and the rest of his days are as blackened as the lives of those children whose sexual abuse is enabled by this kind of conduct.

He was the most popular and hardworking representative of his ward that means some council officials were discontented; good they should be.

Barry worked tirelessly for Earls Court whatever your colour, creed or sexuality. His departure will be a terrible blow to all in the ward. It wil feel a smaller place without him.

So Nevern and Philbeach think that it is acceptable to disseminate and get excited by images of very young children?
Clearly they are as perverted as the man who represents them.
I wonder why Phelps had a BVI Trust company...very odd

The pictures when COMBINED with the captions are a nasty sexualization of teens and it's right that Phelps has gone.

However they are NOT pictures of child abuse. If they were, Posterous would be breaking the law by republishing them.

In fact, is it right that Posterous is publicising ALL the pictures? Surely one example and descriptions of the others would be more appropriate, otherwise he/she is guilty of almost the same offence as Phelps.

In all of this sorry and squalid tale there is a sadness for Mark Daley who has been a pretty good councillor.
It is a shame that in his naivety, and possibly, misplaced sense of deference to Phelps, he allowed himself to be dragged in.
I see no reason why Mark should feel his political career to be over. The lesson we can all learn is that there needs to be a shakeup right at the top and a Stephen Greenhalgh type leader needs come forward.
Mark, I am sure that we all regret you were caught in the crossfire.

Could Philbeach be none other than our very own Sir Pooter Cockell. After all, he is a great friend of Filthy Phelps and lives in Philbeach Gardens.
I think we should be told.....

Would you want this man near your Children ?

"Would you want this man near your Children ?"

It's obvious that Gay Wilson would have no problems.

I think that a miscarriage of justice may have taken place with regard to Cllr Daley

Years ago Cllr Daley blocked Phelps from his private email after Phelps sent some of his perverted emails. This was an unwanted advance from a senior councillor, Phelps, who is a declared homosexual.

The council says that Daley resigned because he did not report Phelps for inappropriate use of the council email system. It is very difficult for a junior councillor to stand up to a bullying senior councillor who also enjoyed the powerful protection of the Leader, Cockell.

Derek Myers, the Chief Executive, should investigate this matter urgently. He is paid £250k a year and his shoulders should be wide enough to stand up to Cockell

And senior councillors, in a position to know the score, should start to do some discrete lobbying

Jennifer Ware of the Earls Court Society is quoted above in strident defence of Phelps.

This is the same Ms Ware who was a Vice Chairman of the Standards Panel that recently tried Phelps for bringing the Council into disrepute. She did not declare an interest and would surely have been disqualified from sitting on the panel.

The Independent Chairperson of the Standards Panel (Sophie Lambert) had a tough time keeping the show on the road.

Ms Ware may be very old but she is not very wise

Jennifer Ware of the Earls Court Society is quoted above in strident defence of Phelps.

This is the same Ms Ware who was a Vice Chairman of the Standards Panel that recently tried Phelps for bringing the Council into disrepute. She did not declare an interest and would surely have been disqualified from sitting on the panel.

The Independent Chairperson of the Standards Panel (Sophie Lambert) had a tough time keeping the show on the road.

Ms Ware may be very old but she is not very wise

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B4W1BO2jAc

As the initiator of the complaint against Phelps I was very saddened to see Mark Daley unnecessarily caught up.
I am 100% certain he had no interest in Phelps's emails and am sure that he tried to prevent their receipt.
I know for a fact he attempted to block them.
Mark Daley believed his resignation would be in the best interests of the Council and residents; I totally disagree.
I have written Mark expressing my anger that he felt it necessary to resign.
I think him an excellent, hardworking councillor and one who has done a huge amount for residents.
Mark should not have resigned; he had no reason to do so

With arrogant self delusion, Barry Phelps thought he was powerful enough to e-mail photographs of young boys with disgusting captions, to a ring of male colleagues, without fear of dissent.

This folie de grandeur is rife in the council.

Cllr. Cockell should have denounced Phelps without any praise. Phelps actions are totally deplorable. He deserves no accolades. He has bought disgrace to RBKC Council but he has opened residents eyes to the old boys club that rules Mt.Olympus, Hornton St,W8.
It's a long way to fall, gentlemen.
No parachutes available.

http://barryphelps.posterous.com/

Bookmark this link. It might go some way to explain Sir Cockle's very close friendship with Phelps.
Time for Cockle and his gang of self servers to evacuate Hornton Towers.

I attended the hearing of Royal Borough's Standards and Ethics Committee which adjudicated on a complaint about the conduct of Barry Phelps earlier this year.

I made a mental note of the names of the independent members of that Committee and noted that a Jennifer Ware sat on that panel. If the Jennifer Ware of the Earl's Court Society and Jennifer Ware of Royal Borough's Standards and Ethics Committee are one and the same, it should be cause for concern that she sat on the panel which dealt with Barry Phelps' disgraceful conduct whereby he brought the Council in to disrepute. Jennifer Ware of the Earl's Court Society appears to sing Barry Phelps' praises on this website. As she has such a high opinion of Mr. Phelps, she should not have sat on the Committee which adjudicated on his conduct earlier this year. The whole point of having independent members serving on the Standards and Ethics Committee panel is to ensure some degree of objectivity and impartiality so as to provide the public with some degree of confidence in the deliberations of the Committee.

I think it was foolish of Miss Ware to wade in to this minefield in defence of Mr Phelps. I am sure that the Standards Board for England and Wales might have something to say about this matter.

I really don't understand all this public flagellation of a man whose fantasies he has unwisely brought into the public domain.

Had these images been placed into a private mail to friends then there can be little criticism. No laws have been broken and no suggestion has been made that his duties as a councillor have been compromised.

I'm sure that many of his critics have fantasies which would put Mr. Phelps's into the shade - fantasies are just that - the schoolgirl or nurses uniforms, as well as all the bondage and sado-masochistic accoutrements available in all the 'private' shops presumably fulfil other fantasies without implying a more antisocial outcome.

Come on, he must be stupid to use Council emails to send these rather sad pictures but to rubbish his entire contribution to the Borough and place him at the same level as a practising paedophile is not only facile but smacks of a witch hunt.

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone...

Am trying to get in contact with the ResidentsFirst campaign group, if someone knows a contact email of anyone in it, please send it to me daveypadua@yahoo.co.uk

These two men should be investigatied by the police without delay. I can't see how you people, as council tax payers, can stomach your Tory Council and Cockell effectively closing any discussion on this issue. Your council has a reputation of acting in an arrogant disgraceful way and is utterly blind to the needs and desires of the disaffected and vulnerable of the borough as it is. So long as the well healed masses in the middle and south of the borough keep voting Tory, what do they care what you think? It's time you all developed some form of a social conscience and turfed your aloof, dispondent, and irresponsible ruling members.

Justin Downes lost all his brownie points saying

"As the initiator of the complaint against Phelps I was very saddened to see Mark Daley unnecessarily caught up."

thereby protecting his pal

Iain
I imagine your comment is driven by the role Residents First is taking examining your involvement with TMO.
I can think of no other reason, other pique, which would account for your bizarre claim that I seek 'brownie points'. Mark Daley should not have been forced to resign by the very mediocre Merrick Cockell.
Daley is not my "pal";in fact I have never met him. I voice the views of many residents in saying he was a good cllr and well liked

But Daley received the perverted emails and did nothing! and Justin Downes you are defending him!

Iain
You are wrong; he did try to block them.
Why else would I defend him were it not the case ?
Can you think of any other reason as to why I would ? Because I cannot

Justin, "Try to block" is not the same as actually blocking; taking no action is not the same as taking action. What this does is leave kids at risk and that is unacceptable to me.
How can you be 100% certain Daley had no interest in the emails if you have never met him? You deserve credit Justin for bringing this out and that's where your brownie points came from, but I don't think you've really understood the consequences of getting the outcome wrong

I think Iain Smith is right on this one. It makes no sense in praising Mark Daley and portraying him as innocent, when he clearly received these emails over many years. I came across an interesting article precisely on this point on the barryphelps.posterous.com blog here - http://barryphelps.posterous.com/mark-daley-revisited-0

Hope that helps in this discussion.

Francesca

You are making the same error as Iain.
It really is best to contact Mark Daley and ask for his version of events; I did so hence my ability to make a different judgment. The blog you refer to is an excellent one and yes, they do take a sideswipe at Mark but their full fury is vented at Phelps. Incidentally, there were a number of non councillor recipients on the list. I think it really fair to discuss this with Daley. I am one of the harshest judges of this council but have to say this guy was one of the better ones

Francesca you are right, and so is everyone else who's added more info and dont make it a political issue. Making the same 'error'like it's a typing mistake? Seen this 'error' before amongst those who want to cover up. Justin, you have no judgement at all. In fact to suggest the solution is to 'discuss with Daley' is repugnant. To claim that 'this is one of the better ones'. Justin you must be using a nom de plume for harsh Judge Pickles like the others submitting comments under nom de plumes (probably the perverted recipients of the email). Justin do you think it would be fair on the kids portrayed if instead of discussing the recipients with Daley, you actually discussed them with the Police. It could be the last piece of the jigsaw, which would enable the police to bust a ring of perverts.

There are newer comments about this scandal in a newer article published in the paper on the 1st October (click on my name and you will be driven there)