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Unless he has changed parties – which I very much doubt – Steve Radford is a Liberal councillor, not a Liberal Democrat
He told the Echo: “The police are supposed to represent all sections of society and not discriminate in favour of particular groups.”
Isn’t the rainbow flag a symbol for diversity in society? Equality for everyone… It represents humanity, not particular groups within humanity.
He’s an English Democrat. He was also in the BNP.
That explains it then. Someone after cheap rabble rousing points.
He soils the name Rimmer.
For a man who is “homophobic” he has a very unfortunate last name!!!
If he wants to waste his money on a needless and pointless campaign by suing Merseyside Police then (in one sense) he should do so, and I hope he loses and has costs awarded against him. However, I do not feel that this is about winning for Mr Rimmer – and is more about creating publicity for his homophobic views.
Many, many public (and commercial) bodies regularly or occasionally fly the rainbow flag. These include:
The Cabinet Office, Merseyside Police, Lancaster City Council, North Cumbria Hospitals, Manchester City Council, Preston City Council, Cardiff City Council, Plymouth City Council, Oxford City Council, Thames Valley Police, West Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove Council, Leicester City Council, Norfolk County Council, Oxford University, Cumberland Infirmary, York Mansion House, Glasgow University, Greater Manchester Police, Isle of Man Police, Northumbria Police etc etc
Does Mr Rimmer intend to sue all these organisations?
Does he not recognise the precedent set?
Nothing says suitability for public office like squandering time and money on a spurious, hysterical, theocratically prompted nonsense suit. Imbecile.
Fool.
I believe Mr Rimmers understanding or interpretation of the law is dodgy.
You need “express” consent from the local planning authority to display an advertisement unless it would fall within the “deemed” consent provisions (Schedule 3) of the Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) Regulations 2007, or it would fall within 1 of 9 classes of development which are totally excluded from control (Schedule 2).
The following are excluded:
Adverts on enclosed land (e.g. inside a railway station), adverts forming an integral part of the building’s fabric, price tickets or markers and trade names on branded goods for sale, adverts relating to parliamentary elections, those required by parliamentary order, traffic signs, national flags (implying other flags may not be) and adverts displayed inside a building.
The rules enable certain specified classes of advertisement to be displayed without application being made to the local planning authority. There are 16 such
classes of outdoor advertisement. The rules on deemed consent are rather complex.
Some of the classes which may permit the rainbow flag to be flown include:
“Class 3(D) permits temporary notices or signs which are intended to advertise
any local event being held for charitable purposes, which may be religious,
educational, cultural, political, social or recreational, but not for any
commercial purpose. This permission would include an advertisement for:
a church bazaar
a fete for a parent-teacher association
a sponsored marathon in aid of charity
an amateur sports event, but not any sporting event organised for commercial purposes.”
“Class 7(A) permits an advertisement to be displayed as a flag, on one flagstaff, fixed upright on the roof of a building. There is no height limit for this consent”
Sounds like the flag qualifies as a permitted advertisement for IDAHO, as long as the flagstaff was on the roof of the building, and upright. Wonder if the suppliers of flagstaffs fully advise buyers on the locations and perpendicularity requirements?
Goodness, Google Street View [ https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=admiral+street+police+station,+liverpool&ll=53.387552,-2.962478&spn=0.000869,0.002226&fb=1&gl=uk&hq=admiral+street+police+station,+liverpool&hnear=admiral+street+police+station,+liverpool&cid=0,0,13867145728339768640&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=53.387431,-2.962446&panoid=G8zl9gNZyDwPr-NDvBh14A&cbp=12,247.28,,0,-10 ] shows said flagstaff (flying a Union Flag on the day immortalized) is exactly as it would need to be.
Exactly the sort of person IDAHO is targeted against. Well done, Mr Rimmer, you’ve proved the point.
Try not to bankrupt yourself paying the other sides’ fees won’t you?
If the complainant was indeed quoting Leviticus then can we have it confirmed what the gentleman was wearing that day. If it was not an all in one of the same material then I trust he shall be surrendering himself for stoning yes? :P
You volunteering to cast the first stone?
Rimmer? RIMMER? Is this a wind-up?
Yes, only in this case the H on his forehead stands for Homophobe ;-)
(Yes, I did just take the pre-watershed joke option)
when the role is called up yonder wonder who will be there lol .. it amazes me that men spend so much time on homophobic // when there are so many other ways to help society .. all we want to do is be respected and have the same rights that heteros do .. I also wonder if these men arent hiding some deep rooted feelings about who they are
A study already shows that the more homophobic these people are the more likely that they themselves have a deep resentment against their own homosexuality.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-big-questions/201106/homophobic-men-most-aroused-gay-male-porn
Thank God Mr Rimmer didn’t become the mayor of Liverpool; he would have wreaked havock with his discriminatory attitude towards innocent men and women.
Stay firm, Liverpool Police Force!
Its just a shame that Merseyside Police have are said have no visible ethnic minority officers despite policing one of the most long established as highly ethnically diverse cities in the world, and that the particular police station in question, in the heart of the Black community area, doesn’t seem too popular locally – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WJJ7i1S9fo
Why do I have the feeling that this might be both a desperate attempt by Rimmer to avoid criminal charges (he responds to bail relating to homophobically motivated public disorder later this month) – perceiving that Merseyside Police may withdraw charges due to threat of a private prosecution; AND another of the ridiculous and perverse failures of that “legal eagle” Andrea Minichiello Williams?
It will fail. Hopefully it will incur huge costs and they will be awarded against Rimmer too.
Dear God. This specimen really needs to get a life.
or a higher cranial lead content…
what a joke he will be with that surname…and making a gay issue….he will be laughed out of court…the prick….Liverpool lad…..me
What a sad, pathetic little man.
All he has done is highlight his own bigotry, nothing more nothing less.
Perhaps he’s very bitter that people didn’t vote for him but hey-ho that’s democracy for ya. Shame Mr Rimmer (giggle) could find something better to do with all his free time without discriminating.
Good luck with that one, idiot..The American madness of ridiculous claims seems to be coming over here.
The bizarre thing about this is that the organisation who have the authority to grant permission to fly flags in Liverpool (the City Council) believe the flying of the rainbow flag by Merseyside Police was legitimate.
Ergo, no case to answer and private prosecution is a malicious prosecution????
This is a case of a boy who lost a game of street cricket, and is taking his bat and ball home
“Mr Rimmer alleges that it may have been discriminatory under the Equality Act 2010′s protections against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.”
For flying a flag one particular day in the year in honor of diversity and in support of protections against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation? Does he even understand the meaning of the Equality Act 2010?
What a fool.
He is just nasty because he lost his bid to become Mayor of Liverpool. As for suing the police for flying the Rainbow Flag I just hope that the judge has the sense to throw out the case and award the costs to the Merseyside Constabulary.
Also could anybody enlighten me about the English Democrat’s views about homosexuality? I have visited their website and the subject is only mentioned as one that ‘some people feel strongly about’ as they would do abortion or animal rights in the FAQ section.
I find it
amusingdisturbing that despite the fact that he lost his deposit in the mayoral election, was arrested for homophobic public order hate crimes that the only way he can conceive of fighting back is a fatuous and legally unfounded private prosecution (not supported by the controlling authority) against Merseyside Police regarding a flag that was raised on one of their police stations for one day to support action against homophobia.Rimmer ridiculously ignores that many other buildings in Liverpool and throughout the UK raised the rainbow flag the same day nor does he explain how he would discourage homophobia (perhaps he would encourage it?), nor does he explain how his legal argument is supported when the authority entitled to permit flags in Liverpool approves of this flag and when the law permits occasional use in particular circumstances.
Nothing betetr to do with his time, does he? As for “English Democrat”, he seems not to know the meaning of the terms….and he wonders why a basket case like him wasn’t voted into a position of responsibility. What a buffoon.
Increased Religiosity => Increased Stupidity.
Rainbow flags were also flown in Liverpool on the same day at the following venues (and probably more):
Liverpool Town Hall
St Georges Hall
Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Liverpool Cathedral
University of Liverpool
Everton FC
Liverpool FC
Merseytravel HQ
Merseyside Probation Service
Liverpool John Moores Uni
Voodou
Liverpool Community College
Jackson Canter Solicitors
Liverpool Law Society
Merseyside Police
Rotunda
Unite Union
National Museums Liverpool
St Helens College
British Transport Police
Mersey Fire & Rescue Service
Edge Hill University
Mencap Liverpool
cafe Tabac
United Snacks
Wirral Metropolitan College
Does Rimmer intend taking actions against all these too?
Is this all he has to worry about thank god he didn’t get elected!! Grow up !
Rimmer is bitter and twisted because:
a) he lost his deposit in the mayoral election (most Liverpool people do not support his views)
b) he was arrested for a hate inspired (homophobic) public order offence, which he remains on bail for
c) he hates gay people and anything he perceives as publicising gay equality
d) he seeks to demonise and subjugate gay people – but he is losing his battle – society does not support him
He’s crying and losing and throwing his teddy out of the pram – but it won’t change a thing – society (by and large) support equality and fairness – Rimmer is still an ignorant bigot who lies, deceives and fails in his “Christian duty” to love his neighbour and fails to recognise that he should not cast the first stone!