Back in January 2013, shameless, unapologetic, inveterate liar (see here, here, here, here, here, and here.) Council leader Phil Davies was offered a ticket for an Everton match, along with a free slap up meal – by Trinity Mirror Newspapers, owners of The Wirral News.

As can be seen in this councillor’s register of gifts and hospitality, the “gift” was gratefully accepted (does he ever turn people down?) and off he went.  Happily, Everton won and the councillor registered one more nice little freebie on his ever-growing list:

But who’s losing out? (apart from West Bromwich Albion)

Unlike The Wirral Globe, which is still going strong, faithfully pumping out Wirral Council scandal as and when it occurs, The Wirral News stopped including the stuff that nightmares are made of in February 2013, right after this football game.

As far as Wirral In It Together are concerned, Trinity Mirror won’t be handing out freebies without expecting something in return.  No siree.

And ever since then, there’s been nothing scandalous about the council (and as we all know, its reputation has not  exactly clambered up from the gutter just yet).  The space that council scandal used to occupy has been stuffed with an unlikely preponderance of happy ‘good news’ stories featuring three new stalwarts:

• the smiling Mayor
• beaming local councillors
• grinning local MPs

But how can the two competing local newspapers on Wirral be running such starkly differing versions of reality?!

And what exactly are the kickbacks?  Has anything worthwhile (paid for in public money) been funnelled in the direction of Trinity Mirror in the form of ‘thank yous’?

I’ve no idea.  But my antenna have been bristling for well over a year on this one now.  Something stinks to high heaven.

Here’s a full pager from a recent Wirral News – space which any local business or charity would give their eye teeth for.  It’s reams of puff and bluster, vote grubbing stuff, courtesy of your 4 x political representatives, occupants of the ££Westminster bubble.

Observant readers will spot how I’ve made some gentle redactions to stop the participants gaining even more free publicity via these pages.

And I say free publicity, because nowhere on this item have I been able to find the tell-tale words “Advertising Feature” .

p.s.

@angelaeagle Just a quick Q. Do you pay any of the local newspapers for space to air your opinions? If so, is it party funds? Many thanks

— Wirral In It 2gether (@Wirral_In_It) April 25, 2014