THE TOWN HALL TAPES #4

CRUMBRIA: 23.2.2026

SIDE A: The News & Shrug has made a big splash about a councillor in Crumberland being signed off due to abuse from the public.

SIDE B: But speculation about who it was raises awkward questions about the paper’s moral posturing.

SIDE A

THERE’S a bit of open speculation going round certain corners of Crumberland Council, say our spies.

It stems from a typically incomplete article noisily served up by the News & Shrug.

The shocky-horror exclusive – headlined: “Abuse results in councillor seeking sick note from GP,” – went on to leave more gaps than facts.

The paper cited a Labour-daft council report about an unnamed councillor who had suffered abuse from the public.

The online trolling was so serious, the tanking tabloid said gravely, that it led to the councillor being signed off from council duties.

And there the paper’s curiosity ended. Although it was eagerly picked up by BBC Radio Dumbria.

Left unanswered were some very basic questions. When did this happen? What sparked the abuse? Did it follow a specific meeting? Has the Councillor concerned felt unable to continue any longer in the £13,500-a-year role?

The alleged newspaper and BBC Radio Dumbria didn’t ask.

As The Town Hall Tapes has said before, when the local media leaves gaps, speculation tends to flood in.

SIDE B

THE speculation now doing the rounds – and we emphasise that it is only speculation – is that some of the abuse may have its origins in a very public row that broke out last summer.

It emerged that councillors were weighing up expensive cosmetic purchases that would have benefited one of their own.

Given the debatable use of public money involved, there was justifiable public uproar.

Might some of the unpleasantness have had its roots in that firestorm?

And who originally brought that story to the public’s attention in print and online?

Er — The News & Shrug!

The paper quoted one Councillor at length who slammed fellow members for flinging around the fivers in a cost-of-living crisis.

While the paper was justified in reporting the matter, it’s now the very same paper writing in hand-wringing, holier-than-thou tones about, er, councillor abuse.

No public servant should be intimidated in public office. But nor should they expect 20-minute standing ovations when they make questionable decisions involving taxpayer cash.

And as our man in the Civic Hall, Carlisle, says of the media: “You can’t light a bonfire then complain about the smoke.”

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Sympathy is in short supply on the paper’s website: