Liverpool City Council launches Dale Street News, make sure you accept no imitations
Imitation, they say, is the sincerest form of flattery.
Imagine my surprise then to discover Liverpool City Council is creating a news website and calling it Dale Street News.
I kid you not.
As regular readers know this blog was launched under the name of Dale Street Blues in 2008.
Last year it was revamped under the title of Dale Street Associates (due to its expansion, and wish to include more contributors), but it is still known around political circles as Dale Street Blues.
We're told www.dalestreetnews.com "will be aimed at people who love Liverpool, and will keep them in touch with all the good things happening in the city".
"Whether it's (sic) cultural events, regeneration projects, business news or what's happening in neighbourhoods - the site will showcase and promote the hard work going on to improve life for anyone who lives, works or visits the city."
The one and only original Dale Street Blues/Associates which often reveals stories that those who run the city would rather you did not read, will happily continue to do that.
Liverpool council, of course, insists the similarity of names is all a mighty coincidence.
But why they didn't choose a website name that has, for instance, the name of the city in it is beyond me. My blog is named after Dale Street because it is at heart of politics in the city, with the town hall at one end and the council offices at the other.
A spokesman said: "The council is based in Dale Street, so it seemed a natural choice."
The website launches on Thursday and there is no word on who chose the name.
So it's probably just another mighty coincidence that Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson referenced Dale Street Blues/Associates at a meeting the other night (Mayoral Select Committee).
Polite laughter rang out when he cleverly lamented why a particular question had been asked by a councillor because the answer had already been in the news, Brocklebank, and in his words "Dale Street Bad News".
If the scarily similar sounding council website makes angry noises about adverse publicity, we will have to put this down to another mighty coincidence.
Accept no imitations, Dale Street Blues/Associates is here to stay, free from council spin.
10 Comments
Leave a comment
Dale Street Associates
David Bartlett
City editor of the Post and Echo covering politics, regeneration, and urban affairs.
Read My Posts »
Desperate stuff, and horrible misjudged. In fact it's just childish. The Council is entitled to get its side of the story out: it hardly lacks for opportunity. But imitating another website is so unprofessional. Still, let's wait and see. If it allows 'comments' like here, that could make life interesting. I'll not hold my breath though
No one will read it will they?
I agree with Ronnie Brown Nose- I wonder if like this blog, the council's effort will also involve smears and lies about local politicians, alongside gossip and tittle tattle stemming from the author's infantile mind?
Well they don't call him Uncle Joe for nothing. Typical Labour stuff. They are pathetic and silly. Grow up you Labourites.
I do believe this, Anderson and his spin machine (Farnell et al) are driven by misinformation. Remember when he swept to power promising to right all the wrongs; Edge Lane, Norris Green, Croxteth, the school building programme, job creation.....I could go on. Quite frankly he has done nothing apart from taking credit for projects that had already been signed off by the other crowd. I wish the people of this city would learn, the only politicians that are in this city are those who want to earn a good living living from it. What this city needs is real people independent of politics who haven't got an ulterior motive and don't have to rely on the council tax payers to line their pockets!
Looks like the Council's Press Office has been active on this thread
There appears little doubt that Dale Street News is a direct attack on Dale Street Associates. Its even written in the same font!
I suppose the Mayor is laughing his long socks off in his attempt to get one over on nasty Bartlett and the nasty Daily Post & Echo.
This is also real evidence that the new oppostion group in the City is the Daily Post & Echo. Who happen to be holding the administration to account. I challenge the view that only bad news is reported. There is numerous articles highlighting good news for the City.
As for the new Dale Street News site (yawn). At present its current content is just duplicated from City Press releases, its LCC website and the Mayor site. Yawn, nothing new just more of the same.
One depressing aspect of this entire affair is what it reveals about the mindset of the Mayor and those close to him. The creation of a website that imitates another in order to sow confusion, is an insult to citizens. They deserve to know what the Council is saying about itself, and what contrary views exist, without having to work out the one from the other. The Mayor and his office are guilty of the kind of dirty tricks and sleazy game-playing that one would normally see in Putin's Russia or in some tinpot banana republic. It's so small-minded and petty. It debases the dignity of the City Council to the level of undergraduate stunts. Above all, it reveals the weakness of the Mayor, rattled by a blog, and lacking the self-confidence to present the views of the Council in a clear and independent manner. It should be remembered too that Liverpool City Council is not the personal plaything of the Mayor. It does not exist so that Joe Anderson can pursue some spiteful personal vendetta against David Bartlett & DSB. It exists to serve the people of Liverpool, and nothing else. So change the name of that website. And end the infantile game-playing. It's embarrassing.
Perhaps Monsieur De Ramper could induce Cllrs. Robertson-Collins and Hanson to ask for a scrutiny panel to be set up to investigate the setting up of the Dale Street News website?
You couldn't make it up :-)
It is like a plot from Mr. Brocklebank.
It is a good tribute to David Bartlett and Associates, and may lead to people reading both the official and 'what the official don't tell you' pages and being bettered informed from both sides.