"Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Sir Cyril was faced with the possible loss of thousands of jobs. No MP worth their salt would sit back and let the factory just shut down. He worked hard to ensure that the people of Rochdale were protected as much as possible." This is what your current MP said in defence of this sleaze ball former MP our yours. What MP of today looking at the consequences would condone his buddy’s actions. Smith built up a fine reputation playing up his trademark Lancashire accent and the fact his dear old mother cleaned at the Town Hall. He would say “hey up lads” while out in his slippers on Rochdale market and feed off the crap this idea or seed he planted in ‘good old Rochdale Folk’ that he is in it for them. The reality of course he was a sleaze ball all the time, I say this and forgive the reference to good old Cyril but the Parliamentary standards would not put up with MP’s speaking ion behalf of companies where they hold substantial shares. The MP of today, I forget his name as I am fed up with sleazy politicians that I only vote for X factor candidates. Anyway, this M.P defends Smiths ownership of thousands of pounds worth of shares in terms of what a few thousands pounds is worth today with his 2008 specs on. However, lets put our 2008 spectacles on and look at the facts. The facts are in or about the 1970s.

v Smith owned say £1500 shares in Turner Newall v He claims he purchased them to give him the right to attend a Turners AGM. v His Smith Springs in which he was Managing Director had contracts with Turners. v He read, in Parliament, the custodian of our civil liberties, a speech drafted by the Managing Director of Turner Newall. v As a shareholder and MP he was privy to company documents like the minutes of a board meeting suggesting they should cover up the dangers of Asbestos.

Today, we put our 2008 specs on and we see the following.

v Parliamentary standards would require obligations to declare an interests before he spoke in Parliament. v He did not then as now need several thousands pounds worth of shares to attend an AGM but just a ‘quid’ Sorry a pound, like he did I am trying to win the hearts and minds of good old Rochdale folk but alas my mom did not slave on her hands and knees scrubbing floors at t’h tewn hall t’o make mi one of us v What would say £1,500 shares be worth today, I don’t know but my wages in 1980 for a weeks work were £25 quid each week. Could these shares be equivalent to twenty grand today? A modest car was about £600 and house about £8,000 so his shares were quite a lot really and not just about a ticket to an AGM. v The M.P today says his pal did it all for thousands, I mean Thousands not hundreds but wow, thousands of jobs fo’t Rochdale folk. v Well, these thousands were sucking in Asbestos and Smith, the sleaze bag, did an I’m alright Jack and went int market talking wise tot Rochdoll folk wi his slippers on tha knows, so thas wud vote for im kas his one of us real folk tha knows. v Fact is he could walk wi king nor lose tha commun touch! What a load of utter tosh!!! He walked with Kings and abandoned the common that now walk death. I don’t wish ill of this former M.P but I sort of so angry that I am sort of hoping he sucked in a couple of Asbestos fibres at this AGM or could it have been held somewhere else like a fancy venue in London v Thousands are dying of Mesothelioma and I mean a terrible death that has waited god damn thirty years.

Could he walk with crowds and keep his virtue? Well, I don’t think so cause Sir Cyril, you did bugger all defending these poor folk sucking in this crap but on behalf of Turner Brothers, you chose not to talk to wise and you pass this failure off as safeguarding jobs or your chums of today do. With a tedious inevitability why do sleaze ball politicians defend their failures by claiming, “I did it all for you”. Fact is, he would have sacrificed everything in the 1970’s for a little bit more the greedy scumbag. Harsh words from me I know but, these are the harsh realities, that will doubtless expose me to criticisms but, I want nothing, I am not seeking election but caring for someone with Mesothelioma and I will do everything I possibly can to make sure this sleaze ball is exposed a fraud who fooled everyone. But before you condemn me for harsh words on’th old th’hero o’t Rochdale workers then go check tha selves o’t at’th T’infirmary an get tha sen an xray of tha chest. You may find Turners planted a seed that dwells within you and if it does, I shall love and support you too because Smith and his chums are passing this failure of his as being or yesteryear whilst forgetting it takes twenty to 30 years for its to strike.

    Regarding Sir Cyril Smith, Turner and Newall, and the 1981 Debate on Asbestos. Sir Cyril Smith spoke at length on the good safety record of Turner and Newall, The technical problems of production, the need for less regulation, unfair competition from abroad etc. At one point the Speaker had to correct him and explain that the amendment was not about an immediate ban, (therefore no immediate loss of jobs) According to the The New Statesman, The speech Sir Cyril Smith made was almost identical to the speech Turner and Newall drafted for him. He reserved seats in the Public Gallery for Directors of T+N (to hear his speech) and invited them to dine in the House of Commons. T+N knew in the 60s that many people who had no connection with raw asbestos production were dying from asbestos diseases. Dockers were refusing to unload bales of asbestos, builders and insulation engineers were refusing to work with their products. Yet in the 1981 debate, Sir Cyril Smith (with advise from T+N) declared in the House of Commons ”People at large are not at risk and it is necessary to say this time and time again” No wonder fellow MPs cried shame when he spoke in the following 1983 debate. T+N found the perfect champion in Sir Cyril Smith. They could not have a better representative. Sylvia Conway