Taxi Driver Online

Correct.

Councillor who resigned after a RAPIST got a taxi licence set to receive AWARD

https://www.mkfm.com/news/local-news/co ... ive-award/

A councillor who resigned during the 'Taxi Gate' scandal in Milton Keynes, in which a convicted rapist was given a taxi drivers licence, is set to receive an honour from fellow councillors at a meeting tomorrow.

Cllr Gladstone McKenzie is set to receive the 'Honorary Aldermen' award tomorrow night, 'in recognition of the eminent service rendered to the Council'.

The award is designed to recognise councillors in the UK as a reward for their services as a councillor, and requires two thirds of councillors to back the award.

But Mr McKenzie resigned from his committee vice chairman post in 2014 following the Taxi Gate scandal in Milton Keynes.

The resignation came after it emerged that the licensing committee he was on the panel of oversaw a convicted rapist getting a licence to drive taxis in Milton Keynes.

At the time, McKenzie said in his resignation letter, which was obtained by the Milton Keynes Citizen: "I believe that I made a serious error of judgement on making a decision for a taxi license to be retained by an individual who had committed a series of serious offences."

“I was part of a committee that reached that conclusion and accept responsibility for my part in that decision. I therefore feel I can no longer serve on that committee.”

In 1994, taxi driver Nadeem Ahmed Kiani was sentenced to eight years in prison for two buggery offences, rape and assault with intent to commit buggery and rape.

He was later given a licence to drive taxis in Milton Keynes at two points. The first was in 2011 but this was then suspended in April 2012.

The BBC reported that Kiani's licence was suspended after Thames Valley Police raised concerns and listed further details of his convictions.

But the licensing committee lifted that suspension allowing Kiani to continue as a private hire driver. Kiani also received a licence to drive hackney carriages in Milton Keynes in March 2014.

Following the scandal, the Mayor Subhan Shafiq along with chairman of the licensing committee Stuart Burke and Gladstone McKenzie, who was deputy chairman of the committee, all stepped down from their role

The meeting and vote on whether to honour McKenzie with the Honorary Alderman award is set to take place tomorrow night in the Milton Keynes Council chamber.

Cllr Peter Marland, Leader of Milton Keynes Council, has not responded to a request for comment earlier today.

Milton Keynes Conservatives have said their councillors will be voting for Mr McKenzie to receive the award, along with another councillor who is nominated.

Cllr Alex Walker, Leader of the MK Conservatives, said: "I believe both have dedicated a significant period of their lives to public service and it is right they receive acknowledgement of that.”

"The Council’s criterion for the title of Alderman is that former councillors with 15 years’ service are eligible for consideration by the Council. The meeting of the Special Council tomorrow night will decided on whether former Cllrs Steve Coventry and Gladstone McKenzie should receive that honour."

Milton Keynes rapist taxi scandal: Deputy council leader apologises

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-b ... s-57333700

A newly appointed deputy council leader has apologised for his part in allowing a serial rapist to get a licence to drive a taxi.

Liberal Democrat Robin Bradburn took on the role at Milton Keynes Council after his party and Labour agreed to form a coalition.

Taxi drivers have called for him to resign over his decision to grant Nadeem Ahmed Kiani a licence in 2014.

Mr Bradburn said: "In hindsight I know it was a bad decision."

The council revoked Kiani's licence in 2014 after it was revealed he had been given a private hire licence by the licensing committee in 2011.

A second committee had lifted a suspension on his licence in 2012, despite Thames Valley Police having written to the authority giving more details of Kiani's convictions for raping and assaulting sex workers in London, in 1994.

Councillors Stuart Burke and Gladstone McKenzie resigned from the council's licensing committee as a result.

Mr McKenzie also stood down from the council, while Mr Burke lost his seat at the next election.

Subhan Shafiq, who had vouched for Kiani as a friend in 2011, resigned as mayor and later quit as a councillor.

Mr Bradburn had sat on both committees, but had lost his Bradwell seat in May 2014, three months before the scandal broke.

As he was no longer a councillor, Mr Bradburn avoided much of the scrutiny his colleagues faced.

He was then re-elected in 2015, despite concerns being raised.

Mr Bradburn had told a 2014 council investigation into the scandal that "everyone is saying [Kiani] was a risk but he has not done anything in the 14 years since his release".

He added he was "confident the right decisions were made".

Following Conservative gains at May's local election, Labour and the Liberal Democrats formed a coalition administration.

It allowed Labour's Peter Marland to continue as council leader, while Mr Bradburn became his deputy.

At the time of the taxi scandal, Mr Marland had said the decision to grant Kiani a licence had been a "tragedy" and the incident had "damaged the reputation of Milton Keynes".

Angry taxi drivers told BBC Three Counties Radio Mr Bradburn should not continue as deputy leader.

One said: "Questions should be asked. Why should he be trusted to be deputy leader of the council?"

Another said: "If he thinks it is right to give a licence to a rapist he's living in cuckoo land."

A third added drivers had lost business over the scandal, adding: "We lost our good name because people were thinking taxi drivers are bad."

Mr Bradburn, who admitted he had been aware of Kiani's offences when making the decision, said "the matter has lived in my memory".

Having had seven years to "ponder on this", he said, he had learnt from his mistake.

"The council now has robust, good regulations in place so no other councillors will ever be put in to the position that my colleagues and I were put in to in 2014," he added.

Have to wonder what's worse?

The fact that this councillor could be a party to such a disgraceful decision, or the fact that the people of MK voted him back in.

_________________
IDFIMH