David Pearson - My part in his downfall*

* Apologies to Spike Milligan (and David Pearson)

Tomorrow evening sees Dukes ward councillor David Pearson try to overturn his suspension from Sefton's Conservative group, making his case at an appeal hearing before regional party bosses.
My colleague John Siddle has been assiduously following this story, which came as a genuine shock when it broke last month (as opposed to things you can see coming a mile off, which all hacks are guilty of calling shocks from time to time).
John's soundings are that the appeal could go Cllr Pearson's way - which would certainly be an awkward prospect for Tory group leader, Cllr Paula Parry.

An accident waiting to happen - in more ways than one

One revelation from the affair certainly caught my eye, namely Cllr Pearson's claim he had taken flak for being too chummy with opposition politicians.
In particular, sources have told us that a snap that appeared on the front page of the Visiter in October raised hackles.
The picture in question shows a smiling Cllr Pearson standing next to Lib-Dem Norwood ward councillor David Sumner in Tulketh Street.
Here I hold my hand up. The picture in question was set-up by me.
But far from being a Machiavellian plot to disrupt the natural order of Southport politics, the idea stemmed from a decent 'councillors demand action' story and a tight deadline.
In fact, the whole episode illustrates that so often the fraught nexus between those two blackest of arts - politics and journalism - is defined by cock-up rather than conspiracy.
A particularly news-packed installment of Southport Area Committee had taken place the night before, at which councillors out-of-the-blue decided unanimously to scrap three disabled parking bays on a part-pedestrianised area of Tulketh Street (the issue wasn't on the meeting's agenda).
The phrase "accident waiting to happen" had a heck of an outing that evening.
Cllrs Pearson and Sumner, plus Area Committee regular Linda Gunn-Russo, all spoke passionately on the use of bays being a safety hazard.
So, the next morning, I set about writing the report and booking an appropriate photo. The Visiter newsdesk and I agreed the story had no party political element, so I set about getting the first vocal participant in the previous night's debate to pose before the bays.
Cllr Pearson had proposed the motion asking technical services chiefs to look at moving the bays, so I tried him first. He was out, so I left a message.
Next, Cllr Sumner had seconded the proposal, and he was up for the photo. Great.
An hour or so later, Cllr Pearson returned my call. When I told him about Cllr Sumner appearing he said something about "stealing my fire", leaving but one option - both councillors would turn up outside the Visiter offices, ready for photo, at 2pm.
And that is it - I thought nothing more of the pic until those sources started talking in the wake of Cllr Pearson's suspension.
Of course, one photo won't have tipped the balance of Sefton Tory group that much in favour of Cllr Pearson’s ousting.
But I'll be happy if my mea culpa sheds some light on the tiniest of episodes in what has been a decidedly murky affair.

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