This Editorial at a Glance:

• A Ringside Seat ~ Watch UK democratic Public Accountability at Work !

• The Delivery of Complaints;

• Failures of Duty;

 ♦ What happened to the Nolan ‘investigation’ into disabled FSV~RRB’s pension complaint?

 ♦ Why can Nolan find the time for a malicious false complaint but none to answer 10 Questions of Public Interest about his appointment?

• Is Nolan 'fit for purpose' as the Clerk to the CFA?

• A CFA Councillor stirs! The Chief Constable stirs!

Dear Reader,

It is a rare occasion on 'The Morning Bugler' for loyal Readers worldwide  to watch the UK deliver on democracy.

A subject it regularly lectures other EU nations about and regularly points its imperial finger at in other so called 'developing' nations.

This is an opportunity to occupy a ring side seat  during which UK civil servants, both local and national, can be observed in the transparent  execution of their democratic duties which we the UK Taxpayers pay them handsomely for.

Duties which involve the calling to Public account of those  who have engaged in misconduct in Public office.

Usually what happens is that these civil servants are well ahead of ‘the game’ of ‘cover up’ before even the accusations are laid before them.

They already know what they have done wrong, or failed to do, and well know that sooner or later this wrongdoing will inevitably be uncovered, exposed, or accidentally discovered, by those they  have unjustly wronged.

This of course, in vox populus, allows these civil servants to get 'all their ducks in a row' before the storm breaks.

They have a selection of well-practised public statements to cover what can, on stark occasions, simply be murder by incompetence, carelessness, or wilful disregard.

A  ‘professional’ excuse usually goes something like this … “We are sorry for what has happened but we have now put in place procedures which will ensure that this type of failure will never happen again.”…

But as we well know this is but accomplished meaningless cynicism compounded by the fact that no one ever gets called to account, disciplined, or gets the sack for gross misconduct.

We have all heard these ‘professional’ excuses but what we never hear is genuine profound sorrow by the individual involved standing up before the world and saying…

“ I am truly sorry for my human errors for which I accept full responsibility and can only hope in judging me that you will not judge me too harshly but will remember I am human and to err is human, but because my job title and my salary reflect that the ultimate responsibility rests entirely with me in this matter, and  because I am a responsible person, I am from this moment forward resigning my office.”.

Simple words with a heartfelt meaning it would be nice to hear.

Conversely as we have seen with the mendaciously arrogant defenders of the tattered remnants of the 'reputation' of the LFRS we have never seen either edition.

But what we have seen in defending the indefensible is the counter smear of an innocent complainant’s good name and the whingeing when the Truth is revealed.

A ‘vexatious’  Truth, which the LFRS cannot handle or defend against because the Truth is supported with hard evidence usually from their own documents or from very accurate ‘sources’ within the LFRS who risk all for the dignity of their personal good names and self respect; the dignity of the Truth; and the dignity of Democracy.

Now, dear Reader, to the current issue which the MB has placed before You and before the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner(PCC); the Lancashire Chief Constable(CC); and the UK Solicitors Regulation Authority(SRA) et al not forgetting the Elected Members of the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority.

So just before they all get their ‘ducks in a row’ behind closed doors 'The Morning Bugler' is now publishing the continuing saga of the Clerk of the Lancashire Combined Fire Authority, Mr.Mark R. Nolan, who with his complicit ‘Grip’ friends in the Lancashire Constabulary set out unsuccessfully to attempt to muzzle a free press acting within a democracy and within the laws of the UK and Europe for which as we well know the valiant have died in the air, on the beachheads, and lest we forget, in the burning rubble of the UK Blitzed cities defended by the thin red line of Firefighters who paid a disproportionate price.

The Bugler sent a formal Complaint regarding these unlawful activities to the CC on Friday 5^th January 2016. He sent it directly to the CC’s personal email account though this is usually intercepted by his Staff Officer and a timely acknowledgement usually follows but not on this occasion. Go Here.

However, because of its 'professional' content a copy was also forwarded on this day direct to Chief Superintendent 6184 J. Gomery Head of Professional Service at Police HQ Hutton.

No response was forthcoming by the following Monday 8^th February 2016 from either of them.

Also on Friday 5^th January 2016 the Bugler sent a copy of his formal Complaint to the CC about these unlawful activities to the (Labour) PCC Mr. Clive Grunshaw.

The Bugler  received a prompt acknowledgement with a time frame and a proposed course of action . Go Here.

Mr. Grunshaw is regularly mischievously pilloried, denigrated, and mocked by his political opponents because he was a common milkman.

Well at least, as repeated maliciously inspired investigations were to confirm,  he was not a thief, unlike some of his expense fiddling political opponents like Councillor O’Toole.

But these exercises of vicious spleen did confirm one thing, that the PCC had actually worked for an honest living.

Perhaps the Bugler, as a former honest dairy farmer, might well assume that this is why similar vilification is heaped on him by his opponents, or perhaps it is because the Bugler regularly describes the lazy councillors on the CFA as, by and large, bovine, highlighting the parallel that at least cows give a useful product ~ milk ~ outside Sleepy Hollow!

On Tuesday 9^th February 2016 no acknowledgements being forthcoming from the Constabulary the Bugler hand delivered copies of the documents to the PCC and the CC both residing at Constabulary HQ at Hutton(so much for impartiality?) and received, at his request, a timed receipt. Go Here.

Why the necessity to deliver so many copies?

CC O’Toole, Readers may recall, in the unfinished business of the farcical Police ‘investigation’ into his fraudulent expenses claims which was headed up by Detective Sergeant 1620 Pearson M. This involved  207 time wasting days during which the said DS 1620 had rather a propensity for 'losing' things including a tape he made of CC O’Toole

admitting on the record that he had made fraudulent expenses claims…and then the loss of a second tape… of this DS 1620 was being interviewed at Divisional HQ Preston by the Bugler and disabled FSV-JSH.

Presciently, the Bugler retained the two tapes obtained on that day without the DS’s knowledge. Tapes which confirm on the record  DS 1620 admitting that he had not only heard O’Toole make his admission of fraud but that he had taped O’Toole saying so.

On Friday 12^th February 2016 the Bugler finally received an acknowledgement from the CC dated Tuesday 9^th February 2016  via Inspector C. Langhorn(No shoulder number quoted)  by surface mail. One wonders why this was not sent by email on this day.

Was this to ‘buy’ time and if so why? Go Here.

On Friday 5^th January 2016 the Bugler sent a copy of his Complaint by email via LFRS HQ to the Clerk of the CFA Mr. Nolan via Ms. Diane Brooks CFA administrator who acknowledged promptly.

To date Mr. Nolan has not acknowledged this communication, however, under SRA ‘principles’ and its Code of Conduct the Solicitors Regulation Authority which issues Mr. Nolan’s Certificate to practice he is required to inform the SRA of receipt of any, and all, Complaints which he has received and which directly involve his professional practice. So it remains to be seen if in fact Mr. Nolan has complied with the terms of his Certificate in this respect?

In the meantime the Bugler has now lodged a formal Complaint of professional misconduct against Mr. Nolan at the SRA, which is under the direction of Mr. Paul Philip, with a further copy sent to Mr. Nolan at LFRS HQ.

One assumes he will report this also the SRA?

Go Here.

In transparency The Morning Bugler has now published copies of these Complaints with the intention of further publication of progress as the Lancashire PCC; the Lancashire Chief Constable; and the national Head of the SRA advance towards a transparent Public accounting of these matters which are entirely, for the moment, under all their joint responsibilities, controls, and remits.

This is a ringside seat opportunity to see them all at work and to conclude whether or not they individually have the professional integrity necessary for their Public Offices and how they will individually demonstrate that capability and indeed whether UK democracy is working at grass roots level or not?

Lest we forget:

• Mr. Nolan commenced his ‘investigation’ into disabled FSV~RRB pension Complaint on the 25^th November 2015 . Since well over two months have elapsed and disabled FSV~RRB has yet to receive an update from Mr. Nolan’s about the progress of his ‘investigation’ we can only conclude that it is more complex and trickier than he imagined ?

But surely he is making progress and it would only be charitable to let this disabled FSV know how much progress he is making?

• Then there is the Question, or more precisely, the 10 Questions publicly posed to Mr. Nolan regarding the unusual manner of his ‘appointment’ .

One wonders how much time he is likely to need to answer such simple questions?

Perhaps these Questions need to be carefully framed to the CFA under an FOI Request where they will have only 20 working days to answer rather than the elapsed time of 88 days-and still counting- with no answers.

• These Questions, if remaining unanswered, are hardly likely to go away during Mr.Nolan's tenure of office. Perhaps Mr. Nolan needs reminding of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner?

Finally, the Bugler has in his Complaint raised yet another 'vexatious' Question, whether or not a person such as Mr.Nolan is fit, or not, for the purpose and function of high Public Office?

It is self evident that his failures of his duties to act, during these last 4.5 months, includes his failure to comply with his Statutory duties which he outlined in his published letter in response to disabled FSV~RRB’s pension complaint, but for whom Mr.Nolan produces no update of the progress of his ‘investigation’?

One wonders why?

Then there are the 10 Questions of Public Interest which by his refusal to answer begins the process of Public suspicion of more corrupt practice at the LFRS  during which it appears Mr. Nolan et al ignored all the Equality of Opportunities which ought to have been guaranteed to other applicants particularly by a solicitor who crows that his legal specialty discipline is none other than equal opportunity law!

On this single charge alone, if confirmed, his name ought to be struck from the Law Society's Solicitors Rolls…

When the Bugler lodged his Complaint about Clerk Nolan with the Lancashire PCC; the Chief Constable; and the Solicitors Regulation Authority it was copied, as usual, to the Leader of the Lancashire County Council CC J. Mein(acknowledged) and all 25 Elected Members of the Combined Fire Authority who as usual did nothing.

Finally, a second Councillor on the Lancashire CFA Cllr D.Smith(Lab), the first being CountyCllr C.Crompton (Lab)  stirred themselves to acknowledge receipt and exhibit fleeting interest.

It has, after all, only been  20 years since this pension issue arose.

The following Councillors acknowledged( in the order of response with their political party attached Lab-Labour;Con-Conservative):

Cllr D.Smith(Lab)

CCllr D.Stansfield(Con)

CCllr J.Shedwick

(Con-Deputy Leader )

CCllr C.Crompton (Lab)

CCllr K. Brown(Con)

CCllr R. Newman-Thompson(Lab)

So there have been 6 acknowledgement from a total of 25 Cllrs on the CFA and neither response nor acknowledgement from its Chairman CC Frank DeMolfetta.

This, dear World Readers, is how political accountability and democracy actually ‘work’ today in Lancashire England?

Cllr D.Smith(Lab) for reasons best known to himself then decided on reflection to forward the Bugler’s Complaint to clerk Warren who, one would assume, has already more than enough on his survival plate and about whom this has little or nothing to do.

Unless of course he is as usual master-minding the, in his words, 'tricky territory' in the Nolan debacle which Nolan ought to be rather worried about not forgetting what this clerk did to Hamilton and Gardiner.

Perhaps, in breathtaking alacrity, the CFA have suspended Nolan, as they ought to have done immediately and that explains why Cllr Smith sent the Complaint to the only person he could think of?

Though one wonders why in such circumstance he did not think to send it to the Chief Fire Officer Kenny recently dubbed by the ‘troops’ as the Croak less Toad at Toad Hall…

Of Course if Nolan was an honest and honourable professional solicitor he would, as natural justice demands, recuse and suspend himself during the period he is under investigation.

Even Cllr O’Toole managed to do this whilst under Police investigation for fraud and he may well have to manage to do it again shortly when his expenses from his duties at the LFRS emerge for Public and further Police scrutiny.

It is not as if Nolan’s livelihood depends on this income for his part-time job at the CFA the details of which also remain yet another LFRS secret from the Taxpayers who pays his wages. Perhaps this should be the 11^th Question Nolan should answer? How much are you costing us?

Meantime a member of the Chief Constable’s staff in the Professional Standards department headed by Chief Superintendent J. Gomery, a Mrs Jane Mills, has established herself as the Bugler’s point of information in respect of his Complaint. Go Here.