It seems that the brooms are in Craigmillar as we type. Councillor Ian Perry with the full backing of the leader Teflon Don is sitting in a meeting of the Craigmillar Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) Board asking the self-appointed community leader and disgraced ex-councillor, Paul Nolan, to answer questions that he has been ‘representing’ the residents of Craigmillar through a series of Conflicts of Interests
It seems the following letter arrived in the hands of Councillors and has been doing the rounds of the Council offices.
To Whom It May Concern
We write to request that you take immediate steps to initiate an inquiry into what we believe to be gross conflicts of interest regarding the current chairperson of the Craigmillar Social Inclusion Partnership Funding Panel and board member of the said Craigmillar Partnership.
We understand that Mr. Paul Nolan is currently chair of two groups which receive funding from Craigmillar Partnership, namely, Café K and Craigmillar Children’s Services. He is also director of another three organizations, Capacity Building Project, Haywired and PhoneLink who also receive funding from said funding panel. The total projected funding to be given for these projects is almost £700,000 which is in excess of 40% of the money that is coming from the Social Inclusion Partnership fund and a lot of these funds are match funded by the European funds.
As all these organizations are currently receiving funding from the Craigmillar Partnership through the Funding Panel and we believe that there is a clear conflict of interest as Mr. Nolan is also Chairperson of said Funding Panel and a member of the Craigmillar Partnership Board. It is the appearance to the community that Mr. Nolan is funding his own projects to the detriment of other projects in the area.
Having reviewed all the minutes that have been made available to us from Craigmillar Partnership, we can find no instances where Mr. Nolan has excluded himself from voting to award funding to his own projects, indeed from what we are led to believe from other funding panel members, any votes the panel have are 3/2 votes in favour of Mr. Nolan’s proposals with Mr. Nolan effectively ending up with the casting vote to award. We have also been at meetings where he has attempted to remove funding from at least one group in which he has no control, and award those funds to one of his own groups; however, that group which Mr. Nolan dismissed has overwhelming and documentary support from the community. It has also been advised the Mr. Nolan directly and personally recommended the funding for Business Incubator, Capacity Building Project, Craigmillar Childcare Services and MIME – all of these projects are definitely match funded by European funds.
According to the Code of Guidance for Social Inclusion Partnerships on dealing with conflicts of interest, “A member should be regarded as having an interest in a project or activity (or in the provision of services) if:-
(a) his/her spouse or partner, sibling, son/daughter or other close relative;â€
Craigmillar Childcare Services employs Mr. Nolan’s partner and is run by his Cousin who has the position of Director of the Management Team.
Because of the above, we feel that the conflict of interest is clearly evident and we request immediate attention to this problem for the sake of the community.
This could be the beginning of the end for Nolan – further information to this site indicates that the News of the World already have an ongoing investigation. This is not the first time that Nolan’s resignation was asked for, at least once before he he was asked to resign from all the things he runs – he threated to waste the community’s money by taking the partnership to court for a breach of his human rights.
To buy Frank's latest book Boyling Point 2 
Nice to see the Paul Nolan stories are progressing. If you talk to any women who have dealt with him, do ask if he he has ever looked them straight in the eye? Seems he finds it impossible to look women in the eye? Strange!
Following email sent to Deputy Communities Minister:
Dear Ms Lamont,
I refer to two e-mail communications in June, 2005, to neither of which I received even the courtesy of an acknowledgement, far less a reply on your behalf. You will recall that my purpose in writing was to draw to your attention a question of ‘Value for (Public) Money’ in a ‘community programme’ with which you had chosen to associate yourself in a public ‘Launch’.
The attached ‘open letter’ (below) has now come to my attention, again alluding to extremely serious concerns over possible misuse/misappropriation of public funds in the Craigmillar Area of Edinburgh. Although I have no personal interest in this matter, nor am I in a position to comment on the letter’s provenance, I believe that it contains such information as to again highlight an issue with massive implications, relating as it does to Council, Executive and EU funding in the context of potential criminality. I am sure you will recall that previous official Audit procedures have raised serious questions over the management of this convoluted network of ‘schemes, projects and individuals’. Such conduct as is alleged would not be tolerated in Business; I am sure you would not expect the public to accept any lesser standards in the public/voluntary sector.
I urge you both, under your ‘Communities’ brief, (and, in the case of Mr Chisholm, as a local, elected member) to intervene and ensure that any enquiry is comprehensive, independent, robust, transparent and far-reaching enough to overcome any ‘vested interests’. Further, in reporting its findings to appropriate authorities, it should be restore public confidence, not merely locally but to allay what could become a national scandal.
I should appreciate, at the very least, an acknowledgement of this communication.
Sincerely,
Fcuking winkers!! – Edited
It is very good to read on EdinburghSucks.com (posting of 24-01-06) that after decades of ruling the roost in his own personal fiefdom, “King Nolan†may at long last be disgracefully dethroned and forced to abdicate. Let’s hope all his court jesters are kicked into touch along with him too.
But that should not be the end of the affair. For many years it has been common knowledge that all was far from well in Craigmillar and cronyism, nepotism, conflicts of interest and corruption was rife down in King Nolan’s fiefdom. Why did Gavin Strang MP, Susan Deacon MSP and Councillors Jack “Daniels†O’Donnell (Craigmillar), Donald Anderson, Lesley Hinds, Eric Milligan, Ian Perry et al (Nolan’s Labour-ruling colleagues at Westminster, Holyrood and the Council) turn a blind eye and do SFA? Surely they should ALL be properly and fully held to public account too, for allowing these things to go on over all these years and for doing absolutely NOTHING to stop it.
Let’s hope Nolan and all his cronies and hangers-on get their just desserts and are booted out in disgrace forthwith, and that the people of Edinburgh waken up and oust our corrupt and unaccountable Labour-ruling Councillors (and our Labour-ruling MSPs) at next year’s elections. We’ve had this corrupt bunch ruling over us from their Gotham City Hall on the Royal Mile since 1984 – for 22 long years. It’s time for the big long party to come to an end and for them ALL to be shown the exit door from the City Chambers … once and for all. Let’s all do just that next May 2007.
PS. I see our esteemed Council Leader, Donald Anderson (aka “Teflon Donâ€), is standing as Labour’s parliamentary candidate for the Edinburgh South constituency at next year’s Scottish Parliament elections. Let’s hope the people of Edinburgh South remember Teflon Don’s great leadership over the past 7 years and reward him accordingly … by keeping him out of power and electing someone else.
Roll on May 2007.
A brief reminder: When “The Scandal of Craigmillar” (£80m mismanaged, wasted and in the Craigmillar cabal’s dirty / deep pockets) came to the public’s attention in October 1998 (over 7 years ago) that was the golden opportunity for Strang, Donald Dewar (then Secretary of State for Scotland), Labour MPs (especially in Edinburgh) and Labour Councillors to rid the area of Nolan and his henchmen once and for all. But they did SFA. I, and others in the community (Joe Public), did “try” to oust them (by writing to the press etc) and did “stand together” against them, but our efforts came to nothing. The ones with the real power to oust Nolan (the politicos) then, as now, did NOTHING. I wonder why?
I also thought about sending this story to the local rag, The Craigmillar Chronicle – if it’s still in existence (haven’t checked and couldn’t care less about that Nolan influenced rag, quite frankly). Joint smoking Sally Fraser (“Editor” … ahem!) was far too close to Nolan et al for my liking and was never willing to print challenging and contentious material. I wonder why?! Biting the hand that feeds her perhaps? A clear conflict of interest there too in my view. I wonder if she still pays her hubby, Stevie, £500 to deliver her monthly “propaganda pish” – a source in Craigmillar told me he used to be paid very handsomely to deliver the “Crinkle” each month … though i never got a copy through my door (for years) whilst there! Nothing like “keeping it in the family”, eh?! It stinks!
Ask Paul Nolan and Patsy King what happened to the 30 thousand pound they got for a cook to cook the kids dinners at there after school clubs. few months back the Chronicle printed that Haystax nursery got a refurbishment of 30.000 thanx to the lottery funding they got in January.
THATS CRAP, PATSY KING AND DAVID WALKER PAINTED IT OVER A WEEK-END. Please keep looking into them as they cant keep getting away with it
Here we go again Mr Nolan and his cohorts have made sure its jobs for the boys. I was amazed to see Mr Nolan talking about criminalty in the Craigmillar area in the press the other week. He’s got a dam cheek to talk about criminalty what about his old friend Mr David Brown who is sitting on many of the boards for the community groups in the Craigmillar area and acting if he is squeeky clean remember he was booted out of the council for giving Nolans mother a house in Newcraighall village.
Mr Brown is under investigation by the police, the benifit fraud squad and the charity watchdog OSCR at this moment. Mr Brown the disgraced ex councilor has been involved along with Sam Macmillan who is a convicted murderer and treasurer of the Newcraghall miners Club and Mr Brown who is the Chairman. Mr brown has been involved in covering up for Mr Macmillan who has addmitted to fraudently paying himself £22,000 in wages from the club and not doing work for this money – also Mr Brown has been employing a barmaid at the club for 4 years and knew she was claiming full benifit while working Mr Brown allowed her to use a false name.
Mr Brown is under investigation by the charity watchdog OSCR for his part in discrepences of between £70,000 and £100,000 missing from the Newcraghall Miners Charity Society also Mr Macmillan is the liscensee of the club a convicted murderer with a drinks liscence? Guess who is on the licensing committee at the council, yes its their old pal Councillor Jack O’Donnell now we know how the drinks license was given to Mr Macmillan. I Don’t hear Mr Nolan shouting about this criminalty being committed by his old pals do you?
How can Mr Brown be allowed to sit on the boards of community groups if he is commiting criminal offences and being under investigation by the police and other goverment bodies? please open a debate about this one
Cheers Mr Clean
It looks like we need new faces in craigmillar,not family@friends as they all just stick together.Nothing ever gets delt with the proper way.Its there dirty way or no way.Its not what you know in craigmillar ,its who you know.I really dont know how all they people can sleep at night knowing what they get up to,stealing of the community.More people have to stand up to them or nothing will get done.Whats in our community that we really wanted?NOTHING.We dont get that chance to be heard,but we wouldnt get it anyway as there all to busy spending the dosh on things they want to see happen.Everyone knows what they are all like. So lets start doing something about it. SACK THEM ALL AND DONT LET THEM GET THERE HANDS ON ANY OTHER FUNDING.
Our community is suffering because of all these people that are named on ed-sucks. I hope something comes of it as they shouldn’t get away with what there doing. Its always been talk, its not what you know, its who you know that matters in Craigmillar. That statement is so true. I’ve tried to get work in that community and my face doesn’t fit with them. So i never had any luck. Maybe if I was a Nolan or a king I would have got my feet under the table. Thank god i didnt get a job through them,a s i wouldn’t be able to work for people like that. It must have been a godsend. Good luck getting more on these people. Maybe send someone out on the streets to talk to the community and hear what they have to say about them, as I bet loads of people would have things to say about them all. HELP YOUR COMMUNITY.
Nolan and King are the biggest crooks in Craigmillar, the drug dealers aint got a look in. Im out of it now but very angry at there lack of support for all the good families who had to leave the area due to violence and drugs, maybe it was because these poeple had a real interest in the community,not just the money for calling it a ‘deprived area’. Nolan had years to change this place from being named ‘deprived’ but we all know that deprived areas get more funding and this helps Nolan’s trips to Mexico etc. Time to clean up the area and don’t think the enviromental wardens can help here as this kind of scum takes alot of strength to move!!
Nolan@king are getting away with far to much,its about time thats something was done in the community.Its still jobs for the boys,Joanne smith just left Craigmillar ChildCare Service @went right into the mangers job at HAYWIRED IT CENTRE.Only to find out 2night that John Nolan now has a job there from Monday the 3rd of April.John nolan the son off paul nolan.They peopoe dont help our community ,they just like to fiddle the money fi the community@wine and dine there friends.
Not only do they fiddle money and wine and dine friends, but it’s ther utter lack of respect for the people who actually work for them that gets me, (not the related one’s by the way) but there are some decent people in Craigmillar who love working with kids, but PKing and her lot dont give a dam about them, it’s these people I feel sorry for.