Harrow's Conservative group leader describes Brian Gate scandal as 'deeply disturbing'

5:30pm Thursday 10th January 2013 in News By Emma Innes

Brian Gate has been put on the Sex Offenders Register for two years Brian Gate has been put on the Sex Offenders Register for two years

The leader of Harrow’s Conservative group has described a councillor's possession of indecent images as “shocking and deeply disturbing”.

Councillor Susan Hall has reacted to the news that Harrow Borough Council’s former cabinet member for children, schools and families has been cautioned for possession of indecent images of children and placed on the Sex Offenders Register for two years.

She said: “This is shocking and deeply disturbing news. Given Councillor Gate’s previous position as portfolio holder for children’s services and schools, it is vital that all appropriate enquiries and safeguarding investigations take place.

“In addition, as Cllr Gate has accepted a caution some five months after his arrest, residents are entitled to know whether he continued to accept his allowance as a councillor in the intervening period.

“Trust is paramount to the relationship residents should have with their councillors, and the criminal acts of this Labour councillor amount to some of the most appalling breaches of trust anyone can imagine.

“Though he has resigned, Cllr Gate’s despicable actions have sent shockwaves through Harrow Council. I’m truly disgusted by his actions, and I’m sure Harrow residents are too.”

Mr Gate, 58, who was the West Harrow representative, was arrested at his Harrow home on September 24, 2012, on suspicion of possession of indecent images of children.

He was bailed pending further inquiries and was cautioned and placed on the Sex Offenders Register on Monday.

He has resigned from his position at the council and also from his governorship of St Dominic’s College.

 

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Comments(21)

Harrow Council for Justice says...
9:58pm Thu 10 Jan 13

What the Conservative opposition leader is trying to imply here? Yes, he was a Labour Cllr but then a sex offender could be from any political party – what the political colour has to do with this?
Hope this is not one of her usual pretences ‘to hold the administration to account’!

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starbright says...
12:17am Fri 11 Jan 13

Harrow Council for Justice your post is in extremely bad taste especially in view of the story! It appears that it is you trying to score political points here and do not seem to care about the severity of this!

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starbright says...
12:22am Fri 11 Jan 13

Suan Hall I would like to know if he continued to receive his allowance, and that a further inquiry is going to be conducted by the Council on what checks were made before he was given this post!

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Harrow Rani says...
10:59am Fri 11 Jan 13

Susan Hall may be point scoring but in amongst all that, she does raise some very valid concerns. The fact that this Councillor has abused his position is appalling enough but the icing on the cake really would be if Harrow Concil deemed it appropriate to continue paying him his allowances. Susan, I urge you to get to the bottom of this because we have no hope of any transparency from the incumbent regime. it is imperative that indepth enquiries and proper safeguarding investigations are held so that we can all be assured that this matter is being taken very seriously by Harrow Council.

As for Harrow Council for Justice's comment...Disgracefu
l and totally inappropriate.!!

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Harrow Rani says...
11:00am Fri 11 Jan 13

Susan Hall may be point scoring but in amongst all that, she does raise some very valid concerns. The fact that this Councillor has abused his position is appalling enough but the icing on the cake really would be if Harrow Concil deemed it appropriate to continue paying him his allowances. Susan, I urge you to get to the bottom of this because we have no hope of any transparency from the incumbent regime. it is imperative that indepth enquiries and proper safeguarding investigations are held so that we can all be assured that this matter is being taken very seriously by Harrow Council.

As for Harrow Council for Justice's comment...Disgracefu

l and totally inappropriate.!!”

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Jeremy Zeid says...
5:12pm Fri 11 Jan 13

I see that Harrow Council for inJustice are spouting again. This is a swecretive organization that hides behind a fancy name to libel and slander the Conservative Leader, hardly what I would call "justice". It is no coincidence that since Cllr Akhtar went (anything but) "independent" the amount of invective has increased.

If the Harrow Council for "Justice" is really interested in real justice then where has it been regarding the Council's attempts to slash services to vulnerable residents as opposed to getting rid of bureaucrats and wasting money on the Crapita IT fiasco.

And why no comments or letters by Harrow Council for Selective Justice about the antics of the two GUILTY Labour Councillors, Gawn and Gate, and yet plenty of bile and venom slandering Councillor Hall for doing her job.

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Harrow Rani says...
5:22pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Well said Mr Zeid !

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Jeremy Zeid says...
5:35pm Fri 11 Jan 13

What ths case highlights is the wholly USELESS nature of the CRB, that cannot find undetected past misdeeds, current predilections, no predict furure offences. It is a comfort blanket for the gullible put in by politicians wanting to be seen to be "doing something" and that lulls us into a false sense of security.

One only needs to look back at the teacher who ran off with his 15yr old pupil, or the female nursrey teachers who systematically abused their charges and videoed it.

They all had the all-singing, all-dancing, sooper-dooper, Harry-Potter-magical
, ENHANCED CRB.

You also have to look at the people whose data was WRONG and who ended up living a nightmare, as officials, NEVER admit errors, or only in the most circumspect and ambiguous way, that has blighted thousands of lives and split families as the errors follow them around like a bad smell forever.

So for those who really thing that if they have "nothing to hide and nothing to fear", keep living in your dreamworld until the 3am knock on the door or the refusal of entry when you go on holiday.

And before you decide to reply, the soon to be EX-Councillor Gate was CRB checked.

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Jeremy Zeid says...
6:42pm Fri 11 Jan 13

Thanks Harrow Rani, your points are always well made (especially the last one) :-)

The forthcoming West-Harrow by-election is going to be very interesting.

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starbright says...
1:15am Sat 12 Jan 13

Mr Zeid I am glad that someone appears to know what is going on thank you! If what you allude to is true, Harrow Council for Justice should be ashamed! Interesting that they have not responded to any of the posts above! Am disappointed that yet again Harrow Times have removed posts from here today? Could it be that Harrow Council does not like the truth out there and is trying to stifle Freedom of speech?

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Paul from iharrow.com says...
9:36pm Sat 12 Jan 13

Does Cllr Hussain Aktar have links with the HCJ? I ask because currently, all the links on the site's homepage under 'Headlines' point to a location on the desktop of a 'Hussain Aktar' - a textbook error.

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Jeremy Zeid says...
10:23pm Sat 12 Jan 13

Hi Paul,

YES, Cllr Akhtar ran their website, is/was on the HCiJ and wrote a lot of their copy. A lot of the invective against Susan Hall came from that direction. See my comments above.

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Jeremy Zeid says...
10:31pm Sat 12 Jan 13

Thanks Starbright. When I was on the Coucil before 2010, I was supposed to attenf HCiJ as one of my "outside body" appointments. I was invited to, and attended one meeting and then phhhhhhtttt, no more.

Cllr Akhtar seemed OK at the time and we got on fine.

Since being re-elected something happened or somebody poisoned the well and he became distant and evasive while at the same time starting his incessant overt and covert attacks on Cllr Hall.

I have my suspicions, but will not comment further, except to say that others, the same ones who eased me out of the Conservative Party, didn't discourage Cllr Akhtar as they shared a common vendetta.

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starbright says...
2:05am Sun 13 Jan 13

Unbelievable! HCJ, and Harrow Council need to stop junior playground antics, and start playing grown up politics! Cannot believe these petty people, who it seems care more about scoring points against each other, and less about running the London borough of Harrow properly!

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DimSum says...
12:18pm Sun 13 Jan 13

Never stop laughing, Harrow, I chuckle again.

YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU VOTE FOR.

Lets comission another mosque as well. Hell knows we need it.

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DimSum says...
12:19pm Sun 13 Jan 13

Hell being an affectionate term for Harrow.

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bigapb says...
9:24am Mon 14 Jan 13

Once again, yah booh politics apparently comes to the fore!

Furthermore, regarding the issue of whether a councillor is paid or not, whilst under investigation, I always thought that one was innocent until proven guilty!

In any event, the raising of any points over individual financial arrangements can be achieved without such below the belt rhetoric, as this appears to be!

If one were vindictive one could throw back the case of a Tory PM and a woman obsessed with eggs, whilst having a government programme on family values!

Greenhouses and rock throwing spring to mind, and a far better level of decorum should surely be maintained by politicians, one feels!

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starbright says...
10:43am Mon 14 Jan 13

bigapb as I understand it Brian Gate resigned almost immediately after the police got involved in Sept last year. So therefore allowances should have stopped then?

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Harrow Rani says...
10:57am Mon 14 Jan 13

Dim Sum please do us the courtesy of either making inteligent comment or avoid saying anything at all. If I recall from previous posts, you no longer reside in Harrow. Why then the interest in the Borough you no longer pay in to?

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starbright says...
5:08pm Mon 14 Jan 13

For those of you interested have just had a look at the HCJs website! Wow never really looked before at this site, what a bunch of (or Cllr Akhtar), vitriolic people you appear to be! I am astonished at what appears is a bunch of people bullying a single woman as in Susan Hall! Before anyone asks I have no political sway towards any party, and considering your terrible first post above and no comments thereafter, could there be a touch of Jealousy? Cllr Hall appears to care about this heinous crime, HCJ obviously do not!

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bigapb says...
5:33pm Mon 14 Jan 13

Forgive me starbright, I have only just had time to look at the recent posts!

I have no idea who HCJ are, (though I have just looked at their site), and I also have no political axe to grind, as I have voted in many directions, in many different elections.

One issue here, for me, is that Susan Hall is aligning myself, with her own views and opinions, as a resident, and as a voter in this particular ward.

I have no idea whether the pay/stipend was stopped or not, and that is a valid point, but, this knee jerk reaction of politicians, and the media, to demand action after every single misdemeanour, large or small, on a both a national and local level, appears to be ridiculous to me, and I believe it is a clear effort to gender support in a forthcoming bi-election.

I just hope that the tories will not stoop so low as to use this issue as a campaign issue, and stick to the real issues that are affecting us all.

I do not wish to know, from Labour, what the tories would do!

I do not want to know from the Tories what Labour are doing wrong!

The LibDems waft around accusing the other parties!

I want each party to tell me, what they would do, and not sling mud and statistics about the other party.

Stop the bickering and run the borough, as a coalition if necessary!

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