Fergus Wilson’s response to “Hero or Villain”

Reply to the comment left by AA at 28/07/2018 - 13:14
The rules should apply evenly to all at all times.

What you are saying is that Mr Wilson’s previous controversies (real, perceived or otherwise) should have a bearing on due process now, because you deem him a relic and should see him treated differently.

This is the very definition of prejudice.

It is for this same reason Tommy Robinson courts the support he does - it’s not a question of whether he was right or wrong; guilty or innocent, but that he stood trial, was sentenced and in prison within five short hours of arrest. Normal procedures were altered and due process not afforded in the same way as it would be almost any other, due to historical prejudice.

You are advocating a different/stronger course of action in the very same way.

The problem is, who gets to decide what deserves differing or more robust action?

This is why, logically, the law must apply evenly to all at all times.

I’d guess at you’re not bothered by an illogical approach to enforcement because you believe you’ll never be the one caught up in such matters…except you could very well be. It may be the case that those currently in a position of power share a similar mindset to you, but what if those people in power changed? You’d soon be squealing about fairness.

You: “Fergus is an idiotic dinosaur, so he deserves anything and all he gets.”

Reply to the comment left by AA at 27/07/2018 - 19:51
Off the main topic, but I do not understand why 'pregnant lady' is offensive - I've been one (twice). 'Expectant mother' on the other hand sounds like irritating political correctness gone mad. 'Expectant' means having an excited feeling about something that's going to happen. By 9 months I wasn't excited, I just wanted the birth over with ASAP. BTW I do adore both of them!

Reply to the comment left by Luke P at 28/07/2018 - 14:35
I am going to use an extreme example but bear in mind this is in context of a landscape of a sliding scale. If Adolf Hitler, Vlad the Impaler or Genghis Khan turned up in the dock and claim they have been misunderstood and it's all misreporting, I hope you will excuse me if I am prejudicial and decide they do not deserve due process. And I will be biased. Now slide the scale right across and you consider someone who has form. Yes form. Tommy Robinson has form or otherwise known as previous. He is not appearing in front of the judiciary with clean hands. Similarly with Mr Wilson whether with the media or the judiciary.

What you are commenting on is the failing in the legal system ( though it is as good as it can be) which is the application of a benchmark standard to one and all whether deserved or not. It's a double edged sword. I am just commenting on when I personally one side should have a guard.

I am surprised that a landlord with the stature of Mr Wilson is unable to get plumbers at short notice. He should be the biggest client of many and you would think that they would prioritise his business.

However he has clearly fallen out with a lot of plumbers in the past and has them on his infamous list of people that he won't rent to, along with "coloureds".

He may have a point about the council but it doesn't change the fact that he is a deeply unpleasant person.

Reply to the comment left by Claire Smith at 29/07/2018 - 09:35
Happy to hear you adore your children. Expectant in this context means " in the process of " not "excited about". People sadly mistake politeness , sensitivity and the use, promotion and enforcement of inoffensive terminology as political correctness gone mad. Glad to hear you would not be offended had Mr Wilson had the need to address you and he used his frame of reference. I on the other hand know quite a few colleagues and friends alike who would remove a part of Mr Wilson s anatomy , which every man would testify should only be handled with great care, if he addressed them in that manner. And quite right too.

Further response from Fergus Wilson below:

LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

In December 2016 Ashford Council’s cabinet member for housing Cllr Paul Clokie said: “In cases such as this where a young family were without hot running water and the matter was not resolved, it was right that the council stepped in and took this matter further.
“It is a last resort to take landlords to court, mainly for the sake of resolving the needs of tenants and for keeping the goodwill between the council and the landlords.
“Sadly, no one wins from this situation, but at least the principle has been upheld and we are pleased that the court agreed with us, and that costs and compensation were awarded. I hope by publicising this case it will encourage other landlords to respond swiftly.”
Well I wonder exactly what Ashford Borough Council has achieved! Such publicity is guaranteed to ensure that a landlord, with one house, whom statistically is the average landlord is not going to take a family with young children!
What world are these people living in?
No wonder it has 1500 on the waiting list. It did not think it out very well did it? It has shot itself in the foot!
Let us look at statistics. The average landlord is a Daily Mail reader and owns just one house! The average tenancy now lasts 4 years whereas a decade ago it was under 2 years!
That tells me that it is twice as hard for a young family to find accommodation as it was 10 years ago.
The landlord is having his house back at the end of 4 years and seeks to re-let and has a 5 or 6 applicants. Not unusual!
He looks at them and thinks the Council has nailed its colours to the mast. It is gunning for landlords with small children!
The landlord thinks if I take a family with small children I ran the risk of the Council being over-zealous in circumstances where a Gas Safety Engineer is immediately unavailable. I had better play safe and take a family with a child over five!
The case in question fell out of bed when Ashford Council withdrew its Prosecution! I was awarded costs out of Central Funds. Both parties held different views on whether there was or was not hot water in the property but there was no Formal Determination.
We then move forward to the media. It kicks off as an accurate story then gets picked up by plagiarism and each journalist in turn adds little bits that are untrue until the end product is totally untrue.
Parents of little children become mums of little children! Mums become single mums! Hold on who said anything about single mums? Well it sounds better and makes for better reading. Only problem is that it is totally untrue! Well why let the truth get into the way of a good story?
But hold on! Let’s improve it. Make single mums into “pregnant ladies”. That makes it sound even better!
So by the time it gets to New Zealand and Australia journalists have changed it from lack of Gas Safety Engineers to evicting Pregnant Ladies!
Journalists are forever banging the drum about the Freedom of the Press! Perhaps they need to get their house in Order!
The issue really is the lack of availability of Gas Safety Engineers and here it is necessary to distinquish between a Gas Safety Engineer and a Plumber!
There were 1015 comments to the Mail on Line article and about 1,000 agreed with myself! Well what would you expect from a Landlords’ Newspaper?
Of course for the left wing press is it is kicking landlord time!

Reply to the comment left by Neil Patterson at 30/07/2018 - 08:43
Possession Friend is with you.

Here Here Or is it Hear Hear....

Reply to the comment left by Neil Patterson at 30/07/2018 - 08:43
Just curious to ask Mr Wilson - would he engage a gas engineer if he was a person of colour and would he dictate what was in his pack lunch ? Just asking as he trying to wriggle out of this mess he has created for himself but no wriggle room from your interviews of admission and court ruling of your lets say prejudicial and wholly illegal conduct.
Also as HB noted and to add further given your level of operation you should have on permanent payroll 5/6/7 permanent gas engineers. Or is it a fly by the seat of your pants cowboy operation ?

Reply to the comment left by AA at 30/07/2018 - 15:30Just wondering if it might be an idea for p118 to have a thumbs down button ( as well as the thumbs up ) or does all the thumbs up support for Fergus and None for his single critic make this unnecessary ?