Pilton Sucks dotCom

Friends and readers. The piece by News reporter Adam Morris concerning the potential cuts to projects in the North Edinburgh Area particularly the Forth ward bears closer scrutiny.

Pilton Sucks has already said that the Fairer Scotland Fund  is not without it’s problems,and that a number of projects including the ones Mr. Morris mentions may indeed find funding difficulties.

But what Mr. Morris has not been told and probably does not know is that one or two if not more of these projects have received overly generous funding including the PEP empire manged by local Labour councillor Elizabeth Maginnis,who we are also told chaired the funding panel which dished out these grants,a pure coincidence we are sure.

The projects mentioned, the business incubator base is certainly surplus to requirements ,the black community development which is completely invisible and very few know anything about them, including Pilton Sucks. The spokes person for West Granton Community Council,who everybody knows favours the old guard should ask themselves why were funds allocated in such a way that allowed projects to become mini empires and then complain when others say enough is enough.

North Edinburgh Trust should also be careful about it’s comments or it is in danger of showing it’s Labour party slip if it has not already done so.

If Mr. Morris was keen to know why others have a different view to the one expressed in his piece ,he may well have had his eyes opened at the ill conceived meeting at the Prentice centre earlier this month,when all other views apart from the ones that towed the party line were intimidated into silence,after promises were made that it was not a political meeting yet former Provest Lesley Hinds now a representative in the Inverleith ward was present,that automatically politicised it.

Present at that meeting were the usual suspects, representatives from PEP ,The Black Community Development Project, and a number of party lackeys determined to quash any opinion apart from their own,and conveniently supported by the chair,a Labour party member and former councillor.

You can see how people could make the assumption that this was organised to put the Labour party out front as defenders of the people when in reality they were more worried that the feathers in their own nests were about to be ruffled.

There is a climate of fear in this community for so long dominated by the  Labour party that any alternative opinion offered will be shouted down and threats like the ones made by a PEP employee will be issued towards them,that is the reality of what is happening in this community manipulation by a few who see their own positions threatened and use anybody they can to make sure their voice is the only one heard.

But unlucky for them Pilton Sucks will speak up and doesn’t mind being rubbished,for they know and we know that the favoured few received more than generous funding and that it was wrong.

We ask one question. The PEP Staff group who complained openly about mismanagement of that project and told us all of the murky merger with the then Muirhouse Six Circle Project,why was that merger never properly investigated and the people involved with it,some of the very same people making the most noise now. 

George and Anna for Pilton Sucks .com

Friends and readers. We have a number of inquires asking us about the article which appeared in the Evening News on Wednesday 6th August on bullying within the City Council.

Did we have any direct involvement with the article? unfortunately not but we hope indirectly.

What the News does have is the tip of the iceberg with regards to workplace bullying. Pilton Sucks as you know is leading the call for workplace bullying to be criminalised and those found to be bullying punished.

We broke the story of the goings on at the infamous Muirhouse Social Work Centre right here in our community,and covered up to protect the guilty. We uncovered through our associate George the terrible treatment dished out to several members of staff based at this Centre which included a member of staff attempting suicide.

What action was taken,was the perpetrator punished for the crimes committed?The word in the Community is business as usual and crucify the victims.

If that sounds familiar that is because it is a tried and trusted method that the City departments use as a way of not dealing with workplace bullying.

As one senior manager told George there is a standard phrase that is used when the problem of workplace bullying is mentioned. ‘We take the matter of workplace bullying seriously,and are determined to deal with it were ever it arises’.

Our senior source then told George that this usually does the trick and helps any trail go cold. Then the cover up can go into full swing.

Our senior source also told George that he and his colleagues knew for quite some time that bullying was going on at the centre in Muirhouse,but nobody had come forward to make a statement,and when this situation changed the heavens threatened to open such was the severity of the bullying going on there.

A decision was taken at senior level to quash anything coming out of this centre as it was clear right at the start of the leaks that the problem was of a serious nature,and involved a number of people.

One middle level manager was reported to have said that this was by far the worst mess he had come across,and nobody knew what to do about it.

Institutionalised bullying is how it was put coupled with a touch of corruption,this was potentially an explosive situation,and a lid had to be put on quickly.

Information has since been harder to come by but Pilton sucks has it’s sources and there are still some honest people around. So if we in some way helped the Evening News to ask the question then so be it,but more questions have to be asked and action has to be taken if we are as a society to try and put an end to the scourge of workplace bullying.                   

Friends and readers. This months NEN  indulges itself by allowing a whole page to be devoted to a letter telling us all that there is no Labour party cabal at work.

Everybody and his cousin knows that the old guard is still at work trying to protect their positions and attempting to use the Community Councils as their battering ram. 

We have enquired at the City Chambers to clarify the boundary position. We were told that Drylaw/Telford is within the Inverleith boundary and not the Forth boundary.

We were also told that there are only four Community Councils within the Forth Ward. Trinty, Royston, Muirhouse and West Granton.

That being the case then it can only be political mischief by the Labour dominated Drylaw/Telford trying to include itself in Forth Business.

We would once again advise the NEN to stay away from party politics and drop it’s party allegiance. We are all entitled to a fair balanced community newspaper not a Labour party broadsheet. It is also worth remembering That trying to shove their opinions down the throats of others will only antagonise the community and support for what should be a community asset will dwindle.

Pilton Sucks has no political allegiance and if we wanted a party political broadcast on behalf of the Labour Party we could bore ourselves into submission by watching them on TV.

The Fairer Scotland Fund is not without it’s problems,but what it does identify is the projects which have grown fat on the backs of public funding,and you can be sure it is the employees of these projects coincidently some of whom owe their jobs to the peoples party who will shout the loudest about cuts and service reduction.

There is clearly not enough money to go round and some of these local projects who have been over funded must cut their cloth to suit and share the pot around.

Ideally we would like to see good local projects not allied to any political party or persons delivering cost effective services not expanding to  create mini empires and soak up public funds.

This was brought into focus at the ill conceived meeting held at the Prentice Centre where we are told only a few well funded projects were allowed to shout the loudest,drowning out any other opinion,which might have been put across.

This is not the way to approach the issue of dealing with the FSF.

Nobody wants to see projects going to the wall but more a realignment of funding which sees precious public funds more evenly distributed rather than concentrated on the favoured few.Pilton Sucks will have no truck with threats of violence or intimidation designed to frighten people into thinking a certain way.

Once again we ask who is the hand that is turning the key of fear,who has the most to lose, which of the mini empires will crumble and which Political Party stands to lose the most in any change.

Friends and readers. A question was asked of head of the city councils human resources Philip Barr.

The question asked was how many members of staff are currently absent with stress and depression due to workplace bullying. Mr. Barr gave the usual rehearsed answer,don’t know!

Well Mr. Barr let Pilton Sucks give you a helping hand and improve your convenient lack of knowledge on the subject.

If Mr. Barr cares to contact Pilton Sucks  we will give you four names who were subjected to workplace bullying at the infamous Muirhouse Social Work Centre,which Mr. Barr and his colleagues have covered up with lies, deceit and a total disregard for human dignity.

That will give you a good start and may help you get your head out of the sand and tell the citizens of Edinburgh what many people already know Workplace bullying is alive well and allowed to thrive because of corrupt incompetent individuals only to keen to protect their own backsides,and deny that bullying exists.  

Friends and readers. We have received communication from a reliable source,who tells us to expect movement on the bullying scandal engulfing the infamous Muirhouse Social Work Centre.

While the bully enjoys his break and his sidekick hides in Dalkeith,only to aware of their guilt in abusing,humiliating and harassing of staff, news has reached us that senior management are now convinced that humiliating treatment was dished out to several staff over a considerable period.

Pilton Sucks and others have been aware of this for some time,yet only now are signals being sent out to end this escalating crisis.

Why now,what could the reason be for this abrupt change of heart. Several victims over a period of time reported they were being subjected to abuse yet all complaints fell on deaf ears,and the bully and his sidekick were given full protection by people who should have known better.

Collusion by certain senior members of staff afraid they might be dragged into this scandal ran for cover as stories of abuse started to leak out from this discredited centre.

We now understand that at least three managers at this centre knew of problems but did nothing,two who are now in senior positions. 

Pilton sucks lead by our associate George had uncovered serious staff abuse,with one senior manager claiming it was a cultural thing giving the green light for abuse to go unchecked.

This kind of attitude sickened many existing members of staff,who decided that staff bullying would not be tolerated and immediately stamped on and reported.

We now know that bullying was relentless at the centre in Muirhouse with both the bully and his sidekick covering for each other with well rehearsed stories of innocence.

Pilton Sucks has run a high profile campaign to have this evil removed from the workplace and we continue at pace. We have pushed the door for so long closed, wide open and exposed the crime of workplace bullying,right here in our own community.

Our campaign has now spread and many organisations and individuals are more aware of this workplace disease and are sitting up and taking notice of it’s existence.

We started our campaign after the horrific stories which were leaked out of this infamous centre in Muirhouse. We do not forget that there were victims of this evil behaviour and it is for them that we keep going until we have it enshrined in law.A law that outlaws workplace bullying and punishes the offenders and sends out the message that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated and that the employer has a duty of care to their employees,and to the best of their ability provide a safe working environment.

Both of which were not available to the victims of bullying at the Muirhouse Social Work Centre.

Friends and readers. It’s official,it would appear if all the rumours are true,that civil war is fast approaching our community.

In the red corner,the old guard and comrades determined to hang on to their empire using the community councils to do it. We have already it seems had the verbal assault now behind comes the heavy artillery,in the shape of the vested interests who have grown fat,lazy and complacent on the backs of generous handouts.

Pilton Sucks was not present at the meeting held in the Prentice Centre,but the reports we have received tells us a story of old fashioned intimidation,long since thought extinct,but alive and kicking here.

The North Edinburgh Trust formerly the Pilton Partnership has muddied the waters by getting involved and we wonder if they may have breached their service level agreement.

They all have one thing in common,they owe their jobs and grants to this once dominated Labour Community. And the more they deny it the more apparent that it is true.

This outbreak of intimidation and self interest was put together by the Drylaw/Telford community council itself a bastion of Labour domination, and if our boundary knowledge is correct outside the Forth ward.

Could it be that the Drylaw Neighbour hood Centre so generously funded by the previous regime will now have to compete for funds with Stockbridge and Blackhall,so that would cause desperation to stay within the Forth Ward and join forces with their comrades.

This union of self interest is deep rooted and has the support of one of our local elected members-no prizes for guessing who-and who herself manages a heavily granted local project,with some of her allies either working for or managing other projects.

In the translucent corner are the people who see what has gone on,and are ready to make the change. 

The Fairer Scotland Fund has it’s difficulties of that there seems to be no argument. Threats of violence and intimidation supported by a chair of a Community Council outside the Ward and facilitated by the NET is totally unacceptable no matter what their politics are.

Pilton Sucks and others are all to aware that there is an old pals act at work here,backed by the leader of that group to cause as much disruption as possible but staying in the background,another old Labour party trick.

Those leading the move for a change will no doubt come under attack,simply for rocking the comrades boat,will no doubt be subjected to threats and abuse if that meeting was anything to go by.

Pilton Sucks will join them in the call for change and the removal of jobs and funding for the boys. One interested observer at the meeting told George our associate that in her own words’It was all bloody employees that were doing the moaning and all party hacks’. There you have it a newish community activist from WestGranton/West Pilton telling George that in her opinion the meeting was party political and facilitated by an organisation who itself receives public funding.

Dear oh dear what a mess,instead of quietly working behind the scenes and pushing for the communities interests,greed and self interest has taken over using the potential damage to services as a shield to hide the true intent,political change and a return to the old way of doing things.    

Friends and readers. With unemployment on the rise and many firms shedding labour,what of the future for the residents of the Forth Ward and in particular the Greater Pilton part of the Ward.

With unemployment levels already high things could be difficult on the employment front,this is brought into sharp focus with one of the largest building sites in Europe on our doorstep.

Pilton Sucks time after time over a long period called for local people to be given first chance training and job opportunities on this development,but this fell on deaf ears and local people were kicked in the teeth.

If this advice and demand had been listened to instead of ridiculed we could have had a trained workforce with transferable skills which could have helped them in the lean times.

But no we had lies, deceit and secrecy  and now cardboard flats they can’t sell.Pilton Sucks lead the way along with other people in the community that demanded a fair deal for local people but were just ignored and passed over.

Oh yes jobs were created in the community but for the favoured few and the same favoured few are now moaning about their own necks as the new funding comes into place.

What happens now that we are heading into leaner times and more closely scrutinised public funding of local projects.

What ever inititive we perceived we had with the Waterfront development is now gone if it was ever there at all. For all the good it’s done the local community it might as well never have been there at all.

That in itself is a down right scandal and the finger of blame will point to those that could have done more but in reality done nothing at all. The Community will not have missed the fact that the Waterfront development is hardly mentioned at all now.

The new administration will probably try and do it’s best but after a generation of misrule there is a lot of mopping up to do.

As for the local projects that seemed to go from strength to strength in the good times must now adapt to the leaner times and cut their cloth to suit. There is no bottomless pit of cash to bail the comrades out,and nor they should be.

When this community shouted for a square deal on jobs and training it fell on deaf ears,the very same deaf ears who will shout the loudest about potential reductions in funding as the net closes in on their bulging empires.

Pilton Sucks is deeply saddened and angered that this community did not reap some of the benefits the Waterfront development would have offered but didn’t for reasons shrouded still in secrecy.

Unquestionably difficult times are ahead,which could have been cushioned by what we have already said,but alas no and we will all suffer for that.

What to do?When we had the chance if you can call it that our trust was misplaced and we will all live to regret that. It showed locally at the ballot box,small consolation for the damage done,but still a small start in the right direction.

We see the first shoots of hope with the announcement of the first social housing to be built in this community for over a generation. This time let us learn from the past and argue that the local community must benefit from this good news.

It might just be that this time it will not fall on deaf ears and we will realise the potential this Community has.

Pilton Sucks and others are watching and waiting.

Friends and readers. You will all know by now that the greedy utility companies with no opposition from the Government have pushed through massive increases in the cost of both Gas and electricity.

Before we go any further wasn’t it Mrs Thatcher who told us all when her Government sold off gas and electricity that it would increase competition and force down prices.

What in fact has happened is that these greedy bastards have formed a cartel to keep prices high and then blame outside forces convenient eh.

We are now net importers of these fuels particularly gas as we have only a small storage facility compared to our European partners.

The reality is quite clear. Here in North Edinburgh we have high levels of unemployment despite what our claret drinking MP Say’s and high levels of poverty as well as a high proportion of elderly people.

This combination could spell serious problems come winter and we need action now not just words. The real fear is that some sections of our population could be in danger of dying because of the cold this winter and that position is just not acceptable.

The Government has told us they realise that the hike in prices will be a problem for many but do nothing. Piton Sucks believes that immediate action can be taken to help. Remove completely all VAT from utility bills. Remove or force removal of all standing charges. Force the utility companies to bring down the price of fuel from their prepayment metres which is another con. Raise with immediate effect the winter fuel allowance to £800 across the board for people who are sixty and over. These are real measures which can be put into effect before winter bites and people begin to suffer.

Will they do it. Doubtful there is always excuses why things can’t be done,what the people of North Edinburgh and beyond require is action and put the taxpayers money where their mouth is.

Britain is the forth richest nation on the planet yet the division between the rich and the poor under a Labour Government is now out of sight. Spend the money on salvation of the nation not destruction.

Friends and readers. With the Labour party in turmoil both north and south of the border,comrade Miliband has thrown his hat into the ring and tried to put himself into pole position should a leadership contest come about to replace Our beleaguered PM Gordon prudence Brown.

Of course one or two cabinet toadies are rushing about appearing on every TV programme that will have them denying there will be any leadership race. The interesting fact is that the majority are saying nothing presumably in an attempt to save their own positions when friend Brown leaves to spend more time with his family.

Meanwhile back at the ranch Scottish Labour have their own leadership contest to concern themselves with. Kerr,Jamison and Gray are the three contenders who will battle it out to succeed wee Wendy.

Andy Kerr who didn’t know which hand to raise when he was sworn into office is the bookies favourite,lord help us if he can’t tell his left from his right.

Ian Gray,former advisor to Alistair Darling,hardly a ringing endorsement is second favourite and the establishment candidate. Certainly no match for the first minister,and rumour has it he has a coffin and a sharp pointed stake in his office.

The third wannabee is former Justice minister Cathy everybody’s friend Jamison. Cathy is ultra careful about what she Say’s but we know she paints a pretty picture as a former art teacher, but  she will need  to paint by numbers if she is to win this contest.

As you can imagine this contest has not gripped the nation and as Labour continue to be in freefall,could it be a three candidate leader, with Andy Kerr’s hand being held up by Ian Gray behind him,and Cathy Jamison behind comrade Gray with a pointed stake in one hand and a bucket of whitewash in the other.

Happy day’s.

Friends and readers. One of our associates Ian was out and about in the Community last week looking for items of interest for our site.

Who do you think he spotted on his travels? Well suprise suprise it was George brother Lee the workers friend and former Unison supremo.

Our old friend and regular sucks reader George who was a very respectable 4th in last years prat of the year contest has not been seen much recently since he left Unison to pursue other interests.

Defender of justice and truth brother George never missed an opportunity to promote himself into prominence and the lime light.

But why did brother George leave so quickly. Of course the rumour mill worked overtime,with some saying he left to spend more time with his family,or he left to further his career.

Some of the rumours even say he left because he was getting to close to the truth in the Muirhouse bullying scandal,and some senior management were worried they would be implicated,so brother George was given a promotion.

What ever the truth we wish our old pal and regular sucks reader brother George every success.

Now if any of our readers have had the experience of being Georged then tell us about it we would be delighted to know how many poor buggers  brother George left in the brown stuff.