Aftermath again

Last night I wrote to all councillors with the 4 complainants and the press all copied in. I asked Cllr Walsh the following questions since he has ignored my suggestion last week that he should resign. The complainants have said no elected member was involved but we all know very little happens in Kilmory without senior councillors knowing about it:

From: Breslin, Michael
Sent: 26 October 2016 19:51
To: Freeman, George; #All Councillors
Cc: Sneddon, Cleland (Cleland.Sneddon@argyll-bute.gov.uk); Hendry, Douglas; Milne, Pippa; ‘sally.loudon@cosla.gov.uk’; gordon@argyllmedia.co.uk; editor@obantimes.co.uk; editor@helensburghadvertiser.co.uk; Campbeltown Courier (Editorial) (editor@campbeltowncourier.co.uk); news@buteman.com; ‘lesley@feistyproductions.co.uk’; ‘mghannan@btopenworld.com’; Russell MW (Michael), MSP (Michael.Russell.msp@parliament.scot)
Subject: RE: Councillor Mike Breslin hails victory in landmark free speech case [NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED]

Good evening all.

I note that Cllr Walsh has adopted his usual head in the sand technique and not replied to my proposal that he should resign. The complainants have stated, via Mr Sneddon, that this was their complaint and he stated:  I want to be clear that no elected member of the council was a party to the either the decision to submit a complaint or the terms of that complaint.  Officers did not require formal approval from the council to exercise their rights and submit a complaint and no elected member was required or asked to approve the complaint. 

Let me now address the following questions directly to Cllr Walsh:

• Were you aware of the fact that the complaint was being prepared by the officers prior to its submission? Yes or no.
• Did you see the final version of the complaint and/or any earlier versions of it? Yes or no.
• Do you agree with the complainants that you were not a party to the complaint or the terms of that complaint? Yes or no.
• If the answers to 1,2 and 3 are no, no and yes, can you confirm that you knew absolutely nothing of the complaint prior to its submission? Yes or no.
• If yes to 4, when did you become aware of the complaint and what was your reaction to it?
• When you became aware of it, did you agree or disagree with it? Yes or no.
• You were interviewed by the investigating officer when they were carrying out their flawed investigation. I have told the commissioner that I was astounded that you were interviewed because the commissioner knew full well that you have made me the subject of a vendetta since before the 2012 election. Will you now please tell us what you told the investigating officer?
• Were you at any time aware of the 4 separate attempts to resolve it prior to the hearing? Yes or no.
• If yes to 8, what was your advice to the 4 complainants?
• Can you tell us all now what your thoughts are on the fact that not one of the complaints that I “disrespected” the four complainants has been upheld? Please feel free to be frank Cllr Walsh.
• Can you tell us please what involvement the complainants, or other officers, had in the earlier complaint submitted by yourself, Cllr E Morton and Cllr Scoullar?
• Why do you think that the 4 complainants submitted their complaint when they knew that the earlier one covering one of the topics had not been concluded?
• Did any of the 4 complainants have any input whatsoever to the earlier complaint submitted by you and your two amigos? Yes or now.
• If yes to 13, what input please?
• In the earlier complaint submitted by you, was this discussed and/or approved by your wider amigos in the administration?
• If yes to 15, is there a minute of this meeting and can I have it?

I have already asked the four complainants for the following and were you or any other councillor in attendance at the meetings I have made the subject access request about? My questions to them were: I wish to see the following please which I assume you will treat as a subject access request:

1. Dates and time of all meetings when the subject of the complaint against me was discussed.
2. Names of all attendees.
3. Minutes of all of these meetings.
4. Any external advice sought about this complaint to any person or body whatsoever, verbal or written.

I look forward to hearing from you by return. The press, copied in, also await your reply.

Thank you

Today, The National did another piece on the issue and I circulated this to councillors and the complainants as follows:

From: Breslin, Michael
Sent: 27 October 2016 09:18
To: #All Councillors
Cc: Sneddon, Cleland; Hendry, Douglas; Milne, Pippa; sally.loudon@cosla.gov.uk
Subject: The National today

Here is the link to today’s National:

http://www.thenational.scot/news/msp-calls-for-inquiry-into-breslin-furore.24037

This is now the 4^th piece on my case and I suspect there will be more. When will this council, Cosla and the council leader start to understand that when questions are asked, the best bet is to answer them rather than evade them. Evasion makes most journalists even more interested.

We now know that when Cllr Walsh states “To assist with your understanding…” he really means “I won’t answer your questions..”

Regards