Edinburgh Sucks! | Another microscope for Craigmillar’s Cabal

Capacity Building Project

Another microscope for Craigmillar’s Cabal

By The Basa ⋅ April 3, 2006 ⋅

Today’s Evening News runs another story of the investigation into a conflict of interest with the disgraced ex-councillor Paul Nolan and the appointment of a new unnamed chief of said investigation.

It is understood the unnamed official has begun interviewing staff involved with the projects affiliated to the Craigmillar Partnership.

In 2002, the Craigmillar Partnership board was informed that Mr Nolan had resigned his positions in all local groups because of a conflict of interest.

Since then, the ex-Labour councillor has built up links with six groups that receive funding.

Oh, what a wicked web we weave.

News into EdinburghSucks.com is that the unnamed chief is in fact Dr. Ralph Musgrave, the former head of Corporate Services at the Council who retired in early 1998 and rather than what was said in the Evening News, he has in fact completed his interviews of 13 local persons, councillors and council officials and those were complete on Friday.

We hear Dr. Musgrave had indeed wanted to interview a local cabal member Mr. Mick ‘McPuppet’ or ‘McNumpty’ McNulty who is known throught the area as ‘in Paul’s pocket’. However, when McPuppet heard that the good doctor wished to speak to him he quickly made his exit, or as our reporter put it, “did a runner.”

McPuppet has not shown any compulsion to stay silent before. Indeed his grunts and shouts at meetings are known throughout the community in an “all brawn - no brains” type of way. However, he is in constant demand for the use of his body at votes and the use of his name when David Walker at Crapacity Building Project or indeed the disgraced ex-councillor Nolan wishes to say something in a community newspaper but doesn’t want to add their name as that of the correspondent.

Of course Nolan denies all charges:

Mr Nolan refuted claims he dominated the funding panel, claiming he has never used his casting vote on any of the meetings he has chaired since 2001. He added that his resignation from community interests in 2002 was a temporary move to allow a Glasgow University study of Craigmillar Partnership.

It would be interesting to find out why it was a temporary move to allow a study. Where is exactly the logic in that statement.

1999: A review by DTZ Pieda identified lax financial management in a number of Craigmillar community groups.

2000: Another report by DTZ Pieda recommended there should be a register of conflicts of interest.

2002: Mr Nolan resigns all positions on local groups to avoid a conflict of interest.

2002: Glasgow University experts struggle to assess what impact community projects had due to “deficient monitoring”.

2002 to 2006: Mr Nolan renews interest in six groups funded by Craigmillar Partnership.

2004: Two out of the five members of the funding panel declare “difficulties with decisions” but fail in a bid to get an independent chairman.

2006: A letter alleging Mr Nolan of a “gross conflict of interest” is sent to the council from Lismore Parents’ Action Group.