Driven

Last month, British car production for the home market fell by a staggering 14.2 per cent. On Durham County Council, the ruling Labour Group, or so it styles itself, must be delighted. In its persecution of me, it has done more than anyone else to sabotage the development of the British motor industry, as part of its 32 years and counting of merely managing other people’s poverty.

For some months, despite the best efforts of the supposedly Labour County Council in trying to send me to prison instead, I have been working with everyone worth approaching on a proposal that, following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, or in anticipation of that withdrawal, the Volkswagen Group move to this historically industrial County of Durham all of its production for the British market that was not already located here in the United Kingdom, as I appreciate that a very small amount is.

The suggestion is for a company wholly owned by Volkswagen. One Director would be nominated by each of the Groups on Durham County Council other than the Labour Group, which is clearly unsympathetic to this project, and one Director would be nominated by those Councillors who had no formal political affiliation. A number of Directors equal to the number of non-Labour Groups would be nominated by Unite the Union, including one by Durham Unite Community. One Director would be nominated by the Durham Miners’ Association. A Chairman appointed by Volkswagen would exercise the parent company’s veto over all decisions.

This new company would undertake to match (by such means as to avoid any conflict of interest) the Members’ Initiative Fund of £2000 per annum at the disposal of each of the Councillors who were represented on its Board of Directors. It would underwrite the cost of the activities of Durham Unite Community. It would underwrite the Durham Miners’ Gala. And it would underwrite the cost of maintaining the Durham Miners’ Hall.

Were it not for Simon Henig and his ghastly little mob, then this would now be very well-advanced indeed. But they are determined to stop many thousands of well-paid, highly skilled jobs from coming to County Durham. They are determined to deny any kind of voice, both to all political positions other than their own, and to the trade union movement. They are determined to punish financially wards that have had the temerity to vote for anyone else. And they are determined to prevent a secure financial future for Durham Unite Community, for the Durham Miners’ Gala, or for the Durham Miners’ Hall.

So determined are they, in fact, that they are engaged in a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, and in malfeasance in public office, in an attempt to kill this scheme, among others, by sending me to prison. If I am wrong, then let Simon Henig sue me.