Why is a council spending £3m doing up a Travellers' site where three scumbag killers of brave PC Andrew Harper lived, asks Kelvin MacKenzie

Debbie asked what the decision would have been if it was one of their children who had been killed. She said; ‘’ None of them answered. They just went ahead with it anyway.’’ As she said; ‘’ They literally stamped on the memory my son.’’

A disgraceful decision. They were simply hiding behind a ‘’duty’’ to rehouse the travellers. I presume, being travellers, they had travelled to other areas and found homes. Let them stay there.

You will remember brave PC Harper, 26, back in 2020 tried to arrest the three boys who he suspected of stealing a quad bike.

But while chasing them he got caught in a tow trap attached to their car and died of multiple injuries after being dragged for more than a mile.

A shocking, shocking way to die. He was simply doing his job. The police soon rounded up these vile creatures and they were jailed for 18 years, 16 years and 16 years. Personally, I think they got off lightly as a couple of them will be out in four years’ time.

During the case the illiterate trio disgusted jurors as they smirked and laughed while the court heard how PC Harper died. One of the accused was so bored he fell asleep as the prosecution showed the court video footage of the office being dragged to his death.

Although the spending has got the go-ahead from the planning committee that is not the end of the matter. It can still be thrown out by the entire council and it should be. Please stand up for PC Harper

I couldn’t give a damn – and am surprised that these local councillors do- if it causes a problem, it is simply the right thing to do. Spending of £3million (or even £3) on a place with a history like that site in Stanford Dingley is quite wrong.

Councils are always complaining about being broke. Surely there is something in West Berkshire that deserves the money more.

The local MP is Laura Farris who is a junior minister with the important portfolio of Victims and Safeguarding.

I would like to see her stand up and give a blast to these heartless councillors and encourage all the bureaucrats at the local council to work out ways to keep that site closed.

Will keep you updated if the situation changes.

Don't give away 40% to lawyers

As you know I have been particularly exercised by the charlatans at wealth managers at St James’s Place who have, through sleight of hand, being pocketing money from their clients for decades through hidden fees and selling financial products which were not suitable.

As you might expect law firms, sniffing fees for themselves, have started acting for SJP clients seeking their money back and compensation.

One such firm AMK Legal based in Bolton charge 40% plus VAT and say they have a 70% success rate. They are currently acting for 15,000 clients.

Can I point out you do not need to give away your hard-earned money like that. All you have to is go to SJP with your complaint. They have to reply in eight weeks. If dissatisfied then go to the Financial Ombudsman.

For all you’ve been though don’t give away 40% to the lawyers unless you really, really, feel generous.

Tory party needs more Lee Andersons not less

I don’t blame Lee Anderson for moving on from the Tories to Reform. After all, he’s been on a political journey all his life.

Dad was a miner, he was miner, being a member of Scargill’s NUM and cites Denis Skinner and Tony Benn as important early influences on his beliefs. He campaigned for Michael Foot in 1983.

Leaving the pits he did a decade of good work at Citizen’s Advice. He served as a Labour party councillor in Ashfield, Notts, in 2015 but defected to the Tories in 2018 becoming a ward councillor in Mansfield before being elected to Parliament in 2019.

Now, five years later, he’s heading off to Reform. I know and like Lee. I wish he hadn’t made the move as the Tory party needs more Lee Andersons not less but it shows, unfortunately, that the broad church of the Conservatism is becoming narrower.

And the Tories will pay terrible price in November which is what really upsets me.

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