“Race and religion played no part in the decision not to extend his contract”, said investigators, adding that the decision was “purely a cricketing one”.
The independent report into the Azeem Rafiq affair which was suppressed under Parliamentary privilege by Julian Knight, MP.
This is the question the mainstream media have neither the integrity nor bottle to ask.
It arises from three more superb articles in The Yorkshire Post (17/8) finally getting to the bottom of the Azeem Rafiq story. The excellent Chris Waters has pursued the truth here despite a tidal wave of one-eyed, woke moralists looking the other way.
These include a bunch of flip-flop, dishonest and disgraceful MPs who tried to bury an independent report and should be drummed out of Parliament faster than the grasping Lord Patel, Chairman, YCCC, out of Headingley.
It was Patel who settled Rafiq’s claim with an instant £200,000 payment. Anybody with half a brain could have deduced that Rafiq was simply not good enough.
In a first-class career spanning 2009-17 he played 38 first-class games taking 71 wickets at an average of 39.5 in his primary role. With the bat he averaged 21.6. These are the figures of a journeyman.
Well done Chris Waters and shame on the establishment cowards for wrecking numerous careers in the process. It will cost YCCC dear.
Julian Knight, MP, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, is a former journalistic colleague of Mark Leftly, the man who is heading up Azeem Rafiq’s communications team.
Mr Knight and Mr Leftly, who is head of public affairs at Powerscourt, a communications consultancy based in London and Dublin, worked together for several years on the Independent on Sunday.
Mr Knight was personal finance editor and Mr Leftly deputy business editor and then deputy political editor.
How very cozy?
Golf Chic?
Those of us old enough to remember the 1980s will always remember the iconic VW Golf ad featuring glamour model Paula Hamilton. The Golf was a sign of a chic and independent woman.
Hamilton endured a spectacular fall from grace in the years after the ad; you might argue Bradford has mirrored that fall.
So it was with interest that I noted in the Mail on Sunday this. “Live in Bristol or Bradford? You probably drive a VW.”
The symbol of style and fashion is now the car of choice for the uninsured, unlicenced and pharmaceutically inclined…at least here.
C4
The Government’s insistence on raiding the back of the sofa for a few coppers by selling off C4 is based on reasons that are less than convincing. Suggesting that freeing C4 will allow it to compete with the likes of Netflix is laughable.
C4’s revenues recently topped £1bn; Netflix in comparison exceeded $31bn.
Potty
An article in last weekend’s Yorkshire Post was headed: Council could end tax discount for single people with savings.
North Yorkshire County Council are proposing single people with savings over £6,000 could lose their single-home council tax discount from next year.
Work hard, save for a rainy day and this. Pay Deliveroo a King’s ransom to order a shite pizza because you are too lazy to cook – no worries!
Just as sure as there will be some dreadful cases of hardship this coming winter, there will be many who simply believe the state should provide come what may.
Lesiure
Several years ago Bradford Council announced a reorganisation of the district’s swimming pools; little has happened.
A BBC article reveals the state of the West Yorkshire councils so far as provision of swimming pools go post-pandemic.
Local authority Number of pool sites available in 2022 Change since 2019
Bradford 6 -3
Calderdale 3 -1
Kirklees 5 0
Leeds 14 0
Wakefield 5 0
I have written to the useless Cllr Ferriby (Health People & Places) for an explanation; don’t hold your breath.
The Most Dangerous Cities In Europe
Whether you agree or not this article that puts Bradford at the top of the list, followed closely by the current UK City of Culture Coventry, is worth a quick read.
Last Monday I walked through Bradford to follow the route to the site where Hapless Hinchcliffe wants to build a new rail station.
I parked in the retail park and walked through Forster Square station past tent city under the glorious old stone arches. Inside, two people were hauling a third body out of a tent; I had to rub my eyes – is this where we are in 2022?
There were several other tents that begged a question; if this is the first impression of Bradford for a visitor, why would you ever come back?
Yes, all other cities have the same problems, they just appear more severe here. The rest of the trip I will leave for a later edition of The Trumpit but I am glad it was daylight.
James Dunn says
Excellent
S Hart says
Sad but so very true. I use Forster Sq. station bi weekly on a Tuesday at 12am ish, tents with homeless, beggars and refuse, you are spot on. I’m stopped at least once for”any spare change mate?” before I’ve got to Ivegate. Maybe the council could divert some traffic wardens from their revenue grabbing antics and serve some notices on the riffraff that detract from our once great city.