Legal action threat over fake blog
- Published: 14 August 2008 11:31
- Author: Mark Smulian
- More by this Author
- Last Updated: 14 August 2008 08:33
A county chief executive is considering legal action after failing to get a spoof blog and an insulting film removed from the internet.
Much of their contents relate to allegations about the role of Somerset CC chief Alan Jones in Southwest One, a back office and procurement partnership between Somerset, Taunton Deane BC, Avon & Somerset Constabulary and contractor IBM (LGC, 31 July).
Mr Jones said: "Anyone can set up a blog that purports to be from anyone else and they can get it on the internet in about 20 minutes.
"There need not be any evidence of who they are, but to try to get it removed I have had to produce my driving licence, passport and a dated digital photograph to prove who I am, and it is still up there even though I have contacted Google three times."
The case echoes the 'I'm Tony Parrish' blog, which two years ago carried allegations about senior Liverpool City Council officers and councillors before council lawyers got it removed.
Mr Jones has come under attack from Ian Liddell-Grainger, the Conservative MP for Bridgwater, who has referred matters concerning Southwest One to the Serious Fraud Office.
His researcher Ed Boyle denied the MP was responsible for the bogus blog or the film, which makes allegations about the chief executive's conduct.
He said: "Mr Liddell-Grainger had no role in this. All the material he has published has been above board."
The MP's website contains voluminous material on Southwest One, including a section headed "The scandal deepens starring Judas Jones" and compares the chief to Richard
Nixon and Napoleon Bonaparte.
Mr Liddell-Grainger has claimed no councillor has seen the full Southwest One contract, and the number of resulting job losses had been covered up.
Mr Jones has said it will save Somerset £17m and yield £140m in procurement savings.
