Hello <<First Name>> <<Last Name>>!

Let’s start with a few videos; one from our man in studio of the last demo held on 7th December 2009 [Watch] and a video from a new splinter group calling themselves R.A.T.S. who chained their bikes to entrance of Westminster City Hall [Watch].

Now more news about campaign progress and numerous investigations against Westminster City Council

With the new year looming, I write, safe in the knowledge that the majority of you will not be victim to this most vile of taxes, and attack on the motorcycling community for the last few days at least, not of calling you to arms are similar, but more in a tone of reflection.

We cannot shy from the reality that the tax is still here, a full 17 months after its inception, and some would have been caught on 26th December as, due to its falling on a Saturday, with Monday 28th being declared the Boxing Day holiday, and Ebeneezer Chalkley couldn’t even see fit to recognise the day after Christmas as a public holiday worthy of suspending his legacy, lest he upset his master, the real villain of the pantomime, Alastair Gilchrist.

However, we can take great pride in what we, as a collective have achieved, and whilst the above still prevail, our achievements have won plaudits from a multitude of people, and have left Mssrs Gilchrist & Chalkley with the prospect of a New Year grilling from a plethora of quarters as I will explain.

It is crucial that all appreciate, Westminster City Council is the richest & most powerful borough in Europe with resources aplenty to bury dissenters and any others who dare question them. Many present on our demo that ended with our giving evidence at the Built Environment Scrutiny Committee Meeting of 31st March bore witness to the extraordinary arrogance that emanates from those who feel so totally above reproach.

But oppose them we have, and boy! have we ever. To say that they have never known anything like it is an understatement. From demos to deluges of FOI’s, we have all done our bit to make their lives as miserable as they have clearly set out to make ours, and their "opinions" so readily stated as "facts" have been exposed to be as groundless as they are fictitious merely by simply asking for the barest of proof or justification. Also, our latterday support from a new, splinter group, "RATS" (Riders Against Tory Stealth-taxes), has shown that the people are not to be ignored, watch their video from their own demonstration right under the nose of Westminster City Hall and read this article.

The most ridiculous claim of the scheme being "revenue-neutral", as if any scheme could ever be, or more specifically, which Council in its right mind would spend a pound to make a pound, thankfully led to the exposure of Alastair’s extolling favour on his old pals from his days in the Mobile-Phone Industry, Verrus UK Ltd. After all, even if the cost of implementation & enforcement could ever simply be met by the revenues generated, and no profit realised, there would always be one party that was guaranteed to make profit – that’s right, the private company contracted to collect the dosh.

The investigations.

Problem for Alastair is that, to ensure that Verrus, over all other 7 bidders (not the 22 that Verrus claim to have "beaten") became a major beneficiary of this ever-expanding scheme, rules & regulations had to be bent & broken, and our continued questioning of how this has been allowed to occur has initiated full-scale investigations from:-

1. The EU Commissioners; who ensure that competition & codes of procurement are maintained, following a complaint surrounding the awarding of the main contract to Verrus UK Ltd. Official case number: SG-CDC-2008A-7695.

2. The Department of Communities & Local Government; to whom we have demanded a full Public Inquiry since they funded Alastair’s pet Partnerships-In-Parking, who we have exposed as being the vehicle by which he wanted to confer all similar Council contracts to Verrus UK Ltd.

3. Office of Fair Trading; who are also investigating an official complaint lodged by us based on the findings listed in our demand for a Public Inquiry. Official case number: EPIC/ENQ/E/75795.

However, whilst all the above will hopefully render the contracts, both Pilot Scheme & main awarded to Verrus illegitimate due to the procurement irregularities, the important element is having the whole Pay-By-Phone scheme dismantled since we feel certain it is a blatant abuse of the Powers of Well-being, as decreed at section 3 of the Local Government Act 2000, under which all such contracts are bound.

And this is by far the biggest problem for WCC Megalomaniac Ali G, and where we are most confident of wiping the arrogant smirk off his face. If ever confirmation of the true impact of the Well-Being Powers and why they have high ranking legislators most concerned.

Its not often that you can make the hairs on the back of a senior politician’s neck stand up, so to do it twice is quite an achievement. The politician in question is Bob Neill MP, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party for Local Government. The first hair-raising came at my mere mentioning of these Powers of Well Being. Visibly stirred, Bob was quick to pour scorn on this element of the LGA 2000 (In full), claiming that all parties were committed to repealling it. Shame that won’t happen in time to save WCC Ali G, as his contracts will be based on the prevailing laws as they were when he drafted & signed them.

>Whilst acknowledging that "all was not well" at WCC, and asking for the names of the culprits there, Bob was unprepared to see me & Graeme, some 7 days later, sitting in the same lobby at Portcullis House, but this time with Labour MP, Steve Pound, who was quick to shove a copy of the Demand for a Public Inquiry under Bob’s nose declaring it a "smoking gun" – hair-raising no.2 for Bob.

read the posting by Graeme on our forum, but here is the message I received from Steve Pound MP following our meeting, and specifically in response to my request as to who in the house could help ensure that the Public Inquiry is implemented:- "Dear Warren, Thanks for this and I was pretty much astounded by what I heard. Karen Buck MP, as a Westminster MP, is the best person to "lead" on this but we’ll work closely together and you have my unqualified support. Best to you and to Graeme, Steve".

All of this has left us with a rather bemusing dilemma.

There is no disputing that our main aim is to see the end of the insidious tax. However, a mere scrapping by Cllr Chalkley, and a pack-up and all go home attitude by us could let some seriously inappropriate individuals in positions of power with their electorate still unaware. The above agencies could impose severe penalties, but these could simply be absorbed by a Council deft at media manipulation to ensure no mud would stick to any persons therein.

The only way in which we can truly "out" these power-crazed and above-reproach people is by a hearing at which we can guarantee what information is brought to the public’s attention. And the only way we can do that……afraid to admit it, and never thought I would, but we actually need them to make the scheme permanent so we can lodge papers in the High Court, and exploit the awakening media interest in the run-up to the general election.

Either way, I hope you will all appreciate, the odds are severely stacking in our favour, and that is purely down to the persistence & belief of all involved in this extraordinary campaign. Thus, as I wish you well for the New Year, I must ask you for more patience and support by your attendance at future demos, to help ensure that victory will be sooner rather than later.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! <<First Name>> <<Last Name>>

Warren and the No To The Bike Parking Tax Committee

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