Time for Steve McNamara and the LTDA CoM to go…today!!!

After reading the email sent to all LTDA members this morning it’s clear Steve McNamara had no will or desire or influence to move the Taxi Trade forward. It’s time he and the rest of the CoM stood down.

The LTDA CoM, as it stands, has failed the trade without question. If Steve McNamara knew of what was coming and never mentioned it or stood up to it then he should go today and if he didn’t know about it that’s an even clearer indication that he has lost the confidence and respect of tfl and the trade.

How he can speak of demonstrations when, only a few weeks ago, he derided those demonstrating on London Bridge and Bank Junction? He and the entire CoM are devoid of ideas and motivation to stop the relentless assault on this fine industry.

Mr Orange calls upon every taxi driver and ‘stakeholder’ to demand the removal of Steve McNamara and that the entire LTDA Council of Management stand down with immediate effect and allow new and invigorating drivers to take their place and start to defend and rebuild the trade that the LTDA have been complicit in dismantling through their apathy.

All Taxi drivers and not just LTDA members should be demonstrating outside Taxi House and asking what the hell the LTDA have been doing with the £2.1 million pounds worth of subs it gets each year, because they have not been using it to protect the jobs and livelihoods of its members and the trade. Today’s email proves that without any doubt. .

Don’t allow Steve McNamara and the LTDA CoM to tell you they will stand up for your job. They have not and they cannot. Act today while you can.

Steve McNamara and the entire CoM should go immediately!!!!!

Intimidation is Rife at the LTDA…From The Very Top. The COM should be removed IMMEDIATELY!!…

The LTDA released an email yesterday (27/09/18) regarding the AGM on the 21st September 2018. It stated the following.

“The behaviour of some members, the same members involved in accusations of intimidation, was frankly shocking”

They are absolutely right. The LTDA COM are guilty of intimidating members, lying to protect their jobs and misleading you to make you think it’s not the LTDA COM, it’s those other people who seek to cause trouble.

Let’s get a few things straight about the AGM.

Richard Massett, Steve McNamara, Paul Brennan, Anthony Street and the rest of the COM behaved disgracefully at the AGM.

Here’s how:

At the AGM, Richard Massett laughed and incited the meeting by saying “You will like this one” prior to trying to bring in a rule that leaves more questions than it supposedly answers.

It was clear provocation and frankly he should be removed immediately for his statement to the members present. The manor in which the so called rule was brought in was under handed and sneaky in the most extreme way.

When the LTDA speak about violence it’s against ordinary members who were pushed and threatened at the AGM by COM members.

Steve McNamara continued to try to tell stories about meetings with frothy coffee and fancy biscuits but the members present got so bored that they groaned aloud so much that even he realised he’d lost the room and quickly shut up. As the LTDA Secretary he should resign immediately for continually failing to protect his members and the trade.

There was a recording played at the AGM in which it was proven that the COM had lied about claiming at an AGM in 2016 they had voted to dissolve the North and South branches, there are even minutes available that show there was no delegate proposal to allow such a vote to take place at the AGM in question.

They even claimed the recording had been doctored like they were in an episode of CSI. If it wasn’t so serious it would have been laughable to the extreme. This COM will lie, lie and lie again to protect their own self interest. At your expense!

The 2018 AGM revealed that there was a COM meeting held in June 2018 under Chatham House rules, which means what is said at the meeting can be shared but who said what cannot. It was agreed at the meeting that any breach would result in removal from the COM.

After the meeting Anthony Street and Paul Brennan then spoke to another member of the LTDA and revealed the name of a person present and what he said at the meeting, leaving this member potentially accountable for the suspension of the branch and exposed to reprisals towards this member in clear breach of the Chatham House rule agreement and as such should be dismissed from the COM.

They both lied about revealing the name of this LTDA member at the AGM last week stating they could not remember saying the name despite being presented with clear evidence to support the breach against them at the AGM.

This leaves anything they say or do regarding the so called investigation into the Central Branch in question. In fact it puts every single email and statement they make into question.

Regarding this so called postal vote in the name of democracy ask yourself this.

Who….

Sets the questions?

Decides how often?

Nominates new members too stand for election?

Checks the results of the so called ballots?

That’s right… THE COM.

The same people that for 20 odd years have been telling you they’ve been fighting your corner. What have they won? Nothing!!

Not a single case of significance have the LTDA won. Uber, TFL, Credit Card Mandate, Bank Junction, CSH…

Nothing!!

Do you trust them to be fair and transparent???

The LTDA say that most members are happy with them. Are you? Start asking serious questions about how the COM protect themselves at your cost.

You’ve suffered,,Have THEY!!!

Look closely, it’s not hard to see for yourself.

Doors Locked and Be Lucky 😉

“You Will Like This One…” Richard Massett and Andy Kavanagh please step forward and explain yourselves….

On Friday 21st September at approximately 12.15pm the LTDA COM tried to fundamentally change the rules and voting system of the the entire Association.

As people might know, the Central Branch, which represents over 90% of the membership, has been suspended since June on the most flimsy and ridiculous allegations possible. Since then the only remaining Branch is the Suburban one and that has been blocked by the LTDA COM from being attended by Green Badge holders. In those Suburban meeting the LTDA COM have been plotting the demise of the Association and at the AGM they attempted to fundamentally change the system of rule changes and branches with the vote of one man call Andy Kavanagh.

What happened right at the very end of the meeting began with the words “You will like this one” from Richard Massett. In a clear attempt to goad the 100 or so Green Badge members in the hall, he proposed a rule change on the basis of there only being one branch and that Andy Kavanagh had been nominated as a delegate to vote at the AGM by the Suburban Branch. Remember this Branch is rarely attended by any regular LTDA members. In fact it’s mainly attended by LTDA reps and Mr Massett and Anthony Street only. This sole branch had put forward this rule change that was suggested by…. An LTDA COM member.

In case you missed it here’s the timeline:

1. LTDA COM member suggests a major rule change at COM meeting.

2. Goes as a formal question to the only remaining Suburban branch.

3. At the Suburban branch the question is approved.

4. The Suburban branch appoint Andy Kavanagh as a delegate.

5. At the next COM meeting the rule change is approved.

6. At the AGM the rule is voted on by the only delegate allowed to vote, Andy Kavanagh, and is passed by Richard Massett.

Does that sound proper? Does that sound right. A branch with less than 5% of the membership changing a rule that no Green Badge holder can vote on?

Of course it’s not right. It’s a total stitch up by the LTDA COM. Depriving the Central Branch from any say or participating in the vote or discussion.

The LTDA COM should hang their heads in shame at the treatment of members who take time of work to attend Branch meetings and put work into the trade free of charge and are then treated with utter contempt.

Be prepared for an email from the LTDA stating that they wish the Association to be fair and democratic. That they want more people to take part in the running of it. That your input is valued. It’s not. It’s considered irrelevant. It’s considered meddlesome. They want you at arms length where they can control the agenda and not have to answer questions from drivers who only want the LTDA to be stronger and more proactive to protect your trade and your livelihood.

How do you know that? Well for 3 years drivers have sought to engage with the LTDA COM and been treated with total disrespect by Steve McNamara, Richard Massett, Paul Brennan, Anthony Street and the rest of the COM.

Do you think they will change now???

Don’t bet your house on it!!

Coming next. The end of Steve McNamara and how his stories and tales have finally run out of steam.

LTDA AGM 21st September 2018…Why you Should want to attend!!

With the AGM on Friday 21st at Friends House being the most important meeting of the LTDA, Mr Orange is going to set out some possible scenarios that the LTDA COM might seek to do.

1 – Key COM members not turning up.

Will Massett, McNamara, Street, Brennan and even Oddy actually attend?

2 – Cancellation of the AGM.

It’s been done with the Branch so why not with the AGM? The COM have history of using anything to avoid being held accountable. They will use anything as a reason. Don’t give them one!

3 – Surprises!!! Yes the COM love surprises don’t they. What will it be this year?

Abolition of all branches?

Rules changes to say that new members on the COM have been/will need to be approved by the… er…COM?

Resignations? Who knows, maybe certain COM members can see the writing on the wall and want to get out while they can.

LTDA Enterprises! Expect some surprising news with this company, that you have no share in, being announced.

The dissolving of the LTDA! Yes that’s right, maybe they will decide to dissolve it and try to go of into the sunset with the assets??They are already refusing to be transparent with LTDA Enterprises so who knows.

One thing is for sure, this AGM should be attended by every single LTDA member.

It’s vital that you as a member take time to look after your Association otherwise it’s left open to manipulation and abuse by the people who have, for over 25 years, done very little to protect your job.

If you don’t look after your job who do you think should?

Give up an hour of your time, see what happens when drivers like you ask questions to the people running your Association.

If it goes wrong you’ll only have yourself to blame. Don’t be that person!

10am Friends House 21st September 2018

Doors Locked and Be Lucky 😉

LTDA AGM this Friday….Part 2

The AGM on Friday is the first and possibly the last chance for the majority of LTDA members to see what is happening with their Association.

The LTDA COM have a history of lies and manipulation of the rules, as well as avoidance and obstruction when it comes to being held accountable.

LTDA members must be aware that the Association is in such financial trouble that it’s possible it could be bankrupt in the next 2 or 3 years unless there is wholesale change in regards to how the LTDA is run.

Leaving Steve McNamara, Richard Massett, Bob Oddy , Anthony Street, Paul Brennan and all of the other COM members to walk away and potentially deprive you and the entire membership of millions of pounds with the sale of the property and assets owned by LTDA Enterprises. Remember the LTDA itself owns nothing of value!

Mr Orange is asking that as many LTDA members attend the AGM as possible so you can all see for yourselves how devious the COM are and how they treat its members with distain and disrespect.

The LTDA have advertised this AGM only because they have too. They have not sent an email out informing the membership of it. They have not even mentioned it in their newspaper columns in Taxi Magazine.

WHY??? THE LTDA COM DON’T WANT YOU THERE, THATS WHY!!!

Don’t you think that’s strange??

Come along and find out what exactly is going on.

See you there, Friends House from 10am on Friday 21st September.

Doors Locked and Be Lucky 😉

LTDA AGM this Friday….Part 1

It the AGM this Friday at Friends House from 10am and it’s vital every single LTDA member attends. The new Taxi paper came out today and once again not a single mention of it is in there. The same happened last month. Why do you think that is? In truth, it’s because the LTDA COM do not want you to attend. They want to be left alone to run the LTDA by themselves without being held to account.

They enjoy Private Healthcare, Paid Holidays and Huge Pensions all paid for by your subs. Do you know how much Steve McNamara, Richard Massett, Paul Brennan, Anthony Street and the rest earn?? No! And the LTDA won’t tell you. Shocking isn’t it!!

Considering £1,000,000 plus was spent on salaries last year you’d think they want to tell us what your subs are being spent on.

Well come down and ask.

It’s at Friends House from 10am.

Later this week Mr Orange will be telling you all what misdemeanors the LTDA COM have been up to I’ve the last few years to show you why your attendance is vital at this critical time in the LTDA history.

Doors locked and Be Lucky 😉

Miss Represented asks the LTDA to let women have the vote!

Undertaking the Knowledge of London has to be one of the most open and transparent routes to a professional qualification, it doesn’t matter if you’re male/female/black/white/young/old/rich/poor if you have the tenacity and determination you will qualify. It is a great equalizer.

The London Taxi Trade has been open to anyone for over 360 years and it has always been like that, long before the PC brigade came along.

As a female cab driver I have been made to feel welcome and included whether it be starting out at Knowledge School or later with my colleagues at trade meetings or just at places where cab drivers gather, be it at green huts or cafes.

But this is not so as regards the largest trade organisation the LTDA, which is trailing way behind with representation of the cab trade. There is not one single female representative on the COM or in any position of influence at the LTDA.

For this to be or even be a possibility we must have our democratic right as members to vote at Branch Elections reinstated. This individual should be voted for by her colleagues on merit and suitability for the position.

It could be a really positive move forward to have a woman representing the Trade in terms of media (TV/radio interviews etc) and PR. It could really help to grab the publics attention and highlight Trade issues and dispel the old stereotype of the middle-aged, tired-looking white man (sorry guys, but I think you know who I mean!)

The LTDA must reinstate the Central Branch and allow proper representation to its members and the trade as a whole.

See you all at the AGM at Friends House on the 21st September 10am.

It’s your Association. Look after it!!

Miss Represented

When it comes to Branch Elections, abuse of power goes right to the top of the LTDA COM….Part 2

Come the elections in 2017, again the LTDA tried to ship in large numbers of cab drivers who had NEVER attend Branch meetings with the purpose of rigging the election in their favour but on this occasion the LTDA lost and their candidates for Chairman, Paul Kirby, and Sam Houston for Secretary were unsuccessful in opposing the Branch nominated candidates Anthony Minas and Peter Walsh as Branch Chairman and Secretary respectively.

These two cab drivers were now representing the Central Branch and in their first meeting with the COM were told in no uncertain terms that they were not wanted by the LTDA and were considered trouble makers. The COM actually didn’t want a candidate that they themselves hadn’t approved! The next year was spent with Anthony Minas bringing back answers to the Branch every single month by the ten COM members. Only one or two minor proposals made by the Central Branch were carried through and not one question of any importance answered and in some cases the LTDA COM outright lied and misled the Branch and the Association. This is an absolute abuse of its power and ALL drivers should be appalled at the behaviour of the LTDA COM.

During that year, incredibly, the only COM member to attend a Branch meeting was Steve McNamara.

On one occasion when the Chairman could not make the meeting for personal reasons, Bob Oddy attended a Branch meeting where he and was obstructive and sarcastic towards Branch members and even at one point suggested that the HMRC might look into the finances of ‘troublesome’ Branch Members. It was nothing short of a disgusting approach by the LTDA COM to stop and stifle hard-working ordinary drivers like you from taking part in the Association that you all pay for.

After a year of being Branch Chairman and Secretary those members are then allowed to stand for election to the LTDA COM and, sensing that the COM would have an ‘enemy’ on board, the COM decided that anyone who they do not approve off must be stopped at any cost. They realised that if they were to lose the 2018 Election that potentially 4 non approved and vetted ordinary LTDA members would be allowed to stand for election to the COM in 2020, in fact there might be 6 members, if the LTDA lost the 2019 election. This was simply unthinkable to the current COM. They want an easy life where you cannot challenge them directly. Where you cannot get together collectively and ask serious questions about how they do the jobs properly and justify their huge salaries with perks such as:

Company cars, Private Healthcare, Pensions and paid holidays. All paid for by your subs.

How many drivers reading this have those luxuries?

 So they decided to reach for anything they could to stop this from happening and on the 20/06/2018 sent out an email to all members saying the Central Branch was being suspended and that the Elections were being investigated.

Mr Orange Not so Fun Fact 😦

How many times has the LTDA emailed its members regarding the Elections?

Only one, to tell you its suspended. It’s never informed its members by email of when the Elections are held and when the Elections take place. Why do you think that is? 🤔

 During this so-called ‘Investigation’ members have been ‘interviewed’ by the LTDA COM in what can only be described as an appalling abuse of power. Members have been interrogated and bullied by Paul Brennan and Anthony Street using tactics straight from a Police interview handbook. The LTDA COM have been nothing short of outrageous.

Mr Orange Not so Fun Fact 😦

Did you know that Bob Oddy, Steve McNamara and Richard Massett are ex Policemen?

Lets wonder where Paul Brennen and Anthony Street get their interview techniques from?

After nearly two and half months no conclusion has been reached. This phony investigation is solely being used to stop ordinary working drivers from standing for elections and having the chance to stand on the COM. They do not want YOU to be able to question close up and in person their practices and mismanagement of the LTDA. The Central Branch should be reinstated asap. Drivers have a right to have collective access to the LTDA COM and the Association.

If the LTDA COM spent as much time trying to protect your working practices and securing the future of this trade as they did in preventing ordinary drivers from partaking, as is your right, in the running of the LTDA how much more could have been done? Unfortunately this is only the tip of a very big iceberg of obstruction, intimidation, misinformation and down right lies from YOUR Association all paid for by YOUR SUBS!

The Annual General Meeting is later this month. All drivers should attend and ask why 10 men are doing everything they can to stop anyone they don’t like from assisting this great trade in making sure it survives the hardest challenges it’s ever had.

See you all there….Doors locked and Be lucky 😉

LTDA COM and Branch Elections….Part 1

When the LTDA COM discovered that drivers were actually taking an interest in the trade and most importantly the LTDA itself alarm bells started ringing. They’d run the LTDA with total impunity and without any questions from its members for over 30 years and they wanted to prevent anyone outside their own inner circle from having any say in how the Association is run.

Drivers started attending branch meetings regularly and asking questions, these are then taken by the Branch Chairman to the COM meetings, held once a month, and then the Chairman reports back the following meeting.

Remember, at this time Uber had their feet well under the table in London and drivers, like you, were up in arms about how this was allowed. Members felt the LTDA were not doing enough to protect and support its members. Did you feel that way?

Members then decided to get organised and wanted to run for the positions of Branch Chairman and Secretary themselves. They followed the rules, attended meeting and put themselves forward in the correct and proper way.

At the time there were 2 Green Badge Branches (North and South) and members decided to ask the LTDA if there was a possibility of being able to have 2 branches but one meeting as many more drivers were now taking an interest in the running of the LTDA. Also it meant that if you asked a question at, say, the South Branch it would take 2 months before an answer was given. Motions like these have to be put forward from the Branch and go to the COM for ratification then they are approved. This is where the LTDA COM saw an opportunity to stop these drivers from running for election.

At the Branch Elections held in Harlesden in 2016 the COM suddenly announced that they had decided to remove the 2 green badge branches and replace then with ONE Central Branch under the guise of the request made by the drivers to hold one meeting but have the two branches. Also at the elections, suddenly there were drivers turning up who had never been to a meeting at all that year but were now being driven in by the LTDA to vote for a candidate that the LTDA COM supported, standing against the one drivers had put forward to stand for Branch Chairman. The person they had put forward? Paul Brennan, who is now a fully paid member of the LTDA COM! Within 2 years he’d been promoted to the Executive COM, one of the highest and most lucrative roles in the LTDA. The Branch Secretary nominated by the LTDA? Paul Kirby! He drives the LTDA ad van and makes extensive marshalling appearances.

Mr Orange Not so Fun Fact 😦
Paul Kirby has been the only member to vote against the request for a reinstated North Branch made at every single Central Branch meeting in the last year.

This is how desperate the LTDA COM were to stop anyone from standing for election. Naturally there was uproar from the drivers who felt as if they were being shut out and stifled by the COM. There are plenty of video footage from this election online and the most striking thing about it is the absolute arrogance of the LTDA COM in what it had done and the dismissive response to the members’ questions. The LTDA had broken all the rules to ensure that the Branches were merged and the elections rigged to go the way the COM wanted to prevent ordinary drivers obtaining the chance to question close up the LTDA COM on its practices and purpose. All drivers should be greatly alarmed by this.

Mr Orange Not so Fun Fact 😦
The LTDA COM are supposed to be impartial and are not supposed to nominate candidates. It’s there to follow the instructions of the members and guide the Association and trade. Why is it supporting candidates for election?

By now the Branch was attracting over 100 people and having spent a year asking Paul Brennan and Paul Kirby questions to take to the COM and, getting little or no response in return, were fed up of the way the LTDA COM were treating its members and Association. They were constantly being stonewalled and were given misinformation by the COM with its answers and attitude.

Incensed by what had happened the drivers attending the now Central Branch wanted to make sure that they were able to get the member, that had gone through the correct process, voted as their Branch Chairman and Secretary at the following election in 2017.

In the next blog, Mr Orange will explain what happens when the LTDA COM do not get their man voted in…the behaviour of the LTDA COM just gets worse.

Doors locked and Be Lucky 😉

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