Jase thought he had it boxed off...until the bald legal eagle swooped!

MYSTERY today surrounds the contents of eight huge boxes seized by city council chiefs from the Harbarrowboy.

Speculation is rife that as well as ice cream recipes and a fair amount of CoC Up branded merchandising tat, the confiscated haul also included copies of confidential emails.
It is also alleged that the seizure included Harbarrowboy's personal notes of a series of meetings between him, Fireman Bradley, the Storeyteller and Cover Up.

Together with details about other key Culture Company and Culture Board personnel - including our Lord Redmond.
So what is going on?
When the Harbarrowboy was asked to clear his desk at the Millennium House Fun Palace, he left strict instructions with his PA that all his personal effects should be placed in boxes and shipped over to the hacienda in Spain.

This was apparently agreed with Cover Up as part of his £250,000 pay-off.

Included in the deal, at Jase's strong insistence, was his little laptop computer - an ancient steam-powered jobbie that was still loaded with WIN95.

It appears that Jason Orange actually liked the 'blue screen of death' because every time his laptop crashed, it reminded him of all the events he'd CoC'd-up during his sojourn as "Chief Executive of Nothing".
By the time the Harbarrowboy's secretary had gathered together all his personal clutter, she had managed to fill SIXTEEN large boxes.

(That's an awful lot of 'T' shirts, badges and CoC bollocks, eds)

These sixteen boxes were then referred to the late lamented bald legal eagle, Ken Unworthy, former city solicitor.

His department was given responsibility for vetting the entire contents of the boxes and signing them off for shipping to Espagna, por favor.

So the bald eagle got down from his perch and began scrabbling through the Harbarrowboy's assembled knick-knacks to make sure he wasn't looting the Council's property and stuffing the boxes with council issue paper clips, rubber bands and indiarubbers.

It's far from clear precisely what instructions for stuffing that Jase had given his secretary.

But after the bald eagle had finished rummaging through Jase's haul, the sixteen boxes had been whittled down to just EIGHT.

It took an urgent meeting with Cover Up, who was given a detailed report on the sequestrated contents, before the remaining boxes were cleared for dispatch to the hacienda.

What is beyond doubt is that the Council had recovered a sizeable chunk of its own property from the sixteen boxes.

If Jase had taken a leaf out of Sir Diddy's book, of course, he would have got one of his minions to shred all the incriminating files, dodgy dossiers and backhanders one quiet weekend when no-one was looking.

So we are now starting a City of the Dead competition.

What was amongst the items seized?

First prize of a box full of paperclips goes to the person who makes the best suggestion.

ANOTHER EXCLUSIVE: ALL ABOARD!!!!!!!! THE CAPITAL OF CULTURE GRAVY TRAIN!!!!!!

Below is the Official Register of Gifts, Hospitality and other favours offered by Capital of Culture, 2004-6.

The list shows the:

1. name of the recipient


2. date


3. nature of hospitality offered


4. the reason why it was offered.

Most of the offers were made by CoC staff - we have removed their names - on the orders of The Harbarrowboy et al. We have kept the names of people whose requests for hospitality etc, were unusual.

Unfortunately, the Register does not include the total cost to council taxpayers of the gifts, hospitality and other favours which were doled out.

(Perhaps someone with time on his/her hands will draw up a league table of the Freebie Champions?eds) On an initial examination however, solicitors Hill Dickinson and Radio City appear to be neck and neck.

Of course, this Register does not include figures for 2007. Perhaps someone should ask for that? NB: ALCB is the Alliance and Leicester.

Radio City x 6
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 25/3/05
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson x 20
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 25/3/05
sponsorship benefit

United Utilities x6
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 25/3/05
sponsorship benefit

Martin Joyce - enterprise
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 25/3/05
hospitality

Tim Crutchley - Finch
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 25/3/05
hospitality

Bill Sutton - Alliance & Leicester
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 25/3/05
hospitality

Chris Waring - Littlewoods x4
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 25/3/05
hospitality

Radio City x 6
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 8/4/05
sponsorship benefit

United Utilities x6
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 8/4/05
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson x 6
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 8/4/05
sponsorship benefit

Lucy Marsh, Jaguar
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 8/4/05
hospitality

Damien Farrell, Marriott Hotels
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 8/4/05
hospitality

Tom Cassidey, LFC
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 8/4/05
hospitality

Maxine Martin x4
15 March 2005
invited by John Turner
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 8/4/05
hospitality

Hugh Woollacote x3
15 March 2005
invited by John Turner
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 8/4/06
hospitality

Littlewoods - Philip Han & guest
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 8/4/07
hospitality

United Utilities x2
02 May 2005
Opening event for World Museum Liverpool - 11/5/05
sponsorship benefit

Radio City x2
02 May 2005
Opening event for World Museum Liverpool - 11/5/05
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson x2
02 May 2005
Opening event for World Museum Liverpool - 11/5/05
sponsorship benefit

United Utilities
16 May 2005
tickets to Tranmere Rovers play off semi-final
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
16 May 2005
tickets to Tranmere Rovers play off semi-final - 10/5/05
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
16 May 2005
tickets to Tranmere Rovers play off semi-final - 10/5/05
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
16 May 2005
tickets to Tranmere Rovers play off semi-final - 10/5/05
sponsorship benefit

Radio City x4
12 May 2005
High Society tickets - Liverpool Empire - 11/5/05
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
08 June 2005
International Tennis tournament - table of 12
sponsorship benefit

carolyn roberson (Hill Dickinson)
8-12th June
International Tennis tournament - VIP passes for each day
additional benefit requested

United Utilities
09 June 2005
International Tennis tournament - table of 12
sponsorship benefit

Michael Quinlan, Sayers
10 June 2005
invited by chris green
invitation to International Tennis tournament
hospitality

NWDA
10 June 2005
invited by chris green
invitation to International Tennis tournament
sponsorship benefit

Tony Wilson, Hill Dickinson
10 June 2005
invited by chris green
invitation to International Tennis tournament
hospitality/sponsorship benefit

2x Hill Dickinson
12 July 2005
2x additional tickets for final day
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
11 June 2005
6 tickets to international tennis tournament
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
11 June 2005
6 tickets to internationsl tennis tournament
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
10-12/6/05
3 dbls to Mersey River Festival launch & 10 single invites to swing concert
sponsorship benefit

United Utilities
10-12/6/05
3 dbls to Mersey River Festival launch & 10 single invites to swing concert
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
10-12/6/05
3 dbls to Mersey River Festival launch & 10 single invites to swing concert
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
10-12/6/05
3 dbls to Mersey River Festival launch & 10 single invites to swing concert
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
10-12/6/05
3 dbls to Mersey River Festival launch & 10 single invites to swing concert
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
10-12/6/05
3 dbls to Mersey River Festival launch & 10 single invites to swing concert
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
16 & 17th July
20 hospitality lounge passes for HUB
sponsorship benefit

United Utilities
16 & 17th July
20 hospitality lounge passes for HUB
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
16 & 17th July
20 hospitality lounge passes for HUB
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
16 & 17th July
20 hospitality lounge passes for HUB
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
16 & 17th July
20 hospitality lounge passes for HUB
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
16 & 17th July
20 hospitality lounge passes for HUB
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
29 June 2005
2 x VIP tickets to Summer Pops
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson

12 July 2005
invited by chris green
2 x VIP tickets to Summer Pops
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
29 June 2005
invited by chris green
2 x VIP tickets to Summer Pops
sponsorship benefit

United Utilities
30 June 2005
2 x VIP tickets to Summer Pops
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
04 July 2005
4 x VIP tickets to Summer Pops
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
30 June 2005
4 x VIP tickets to Summer Pops
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
12 July 2005
4 x VIP tickets to Summer Pops
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
20 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - England V Canada
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
20 July 2005

6 x tickets boxing - England V Canada
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
20 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - England V Canada
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
20 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - England V Canada
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
20 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - England V Canada
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
20 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - England V Canada
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
29 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - multi-nations
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
29 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - multi-nations
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
29 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - multi-nations
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
29 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - multi-nations
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
29 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - multi-nations
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
29 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - multi-nations
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
20 & 21 Aug 2005
10 tickets - Honda Racing
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
20 & 21 Aug 2005
10 tickets - Honda Racing
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
20 & 21 Aug 2005
10 tickets - Honda Racing
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
20 & 21 Aug 2005
10 tickets - Honda Racing
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
20 & 21 Aug 2005
10 tickets - Honda Racing
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
20 & 21 Aug 2005
10 tickets - Honda Racing
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
23 August 2005
x4 Empire tickets, Beauty & the beast
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
23 August 2005
x 4 Empire tickets, Beauty & the beast
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
27 - 29th August 2005
10 tickets - mathew street festival
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
27 - 29th August 2005
10 tickets - mathew street festival
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
27 - 29th August 2005
10 tickets - mathew street festival
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
27 - 29th August 2005
10 tickets - mathew street festival
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
27 - 29th August 2005
10 tickets - mathew street festival
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
27 - 29th August 2005
10 tickets - mathew street festival
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
16 September 2005
10 tickets - city of light
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
16 September 2005
10 tickets - city of light
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
16 September 2005
10 tickets - city of light
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
16 September 2005
10 tickets - city of light
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
16 September 2005
10 tickets - city of light
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
16 September 2005
10 tickets - city of light
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
18 September 2005
16 tickets to start of Clipper
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
18 September 2005
16 tickets to start of Clipper
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
18 September 2005
16 tickets to start of Clipper
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
18 September 2005
16 tickets to start of Clipper
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
18 September 2005
16 tickets to start of Clipper
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
18 September 2005
16 tickets to start of Clipper
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
27 September 2005
4 x empire tickets for Jungle Book
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
27 September 2005
4 x empire tickets for Jungle Book
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
29 September 2005
6 tickets to Nelson Dinner
additional sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
04/10/2006
2 x empire tickets for Grease
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
04/10/2005
2 x empire tickets for Grease
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
04/10/2005
2 x empire tickets for Grease
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
04/10/2005
2 x empire tickets for Grease
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
18 October 2005
4 x boxing tickets - world junior finals (plus additional 2)
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
18 October 2005
4 x boxing tickets - world junior finals (plus additional 2)
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
18 October 2005
4 x boxing tickets - world junior finals (plus additional 2)
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
18 October 2005
4 x boxing tickets - world junior finals (plus additional 2)
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
18 October 2005
4 x boxing tickets - wrold junior finals
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
18 October 2005
4 x boxing tickets - world junior finals (plus additional 2)
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
05 November 2005
20 x tickets for fireworks
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
05 November 2005
20 x tickets for fireworks
sponsorship benefit

Radio City
05 November 2005
20 x tickets for fireworks
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
05 November 2005
20 x tickets for fireworks
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
05 November 2005
20 x tickets for fireworks
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
05 November 2005
20 x tickets for fireworks* requested additional 20 (TBC)
sponsorship benefit

Hill Dickinson
29th November 2005
6 tickets - Empire (Sleeping Beauty)
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
21st December 2006
4 tickets - Empire (Cinderella)
sponsorship benefit

HD, UU, RC, Ent, NWDA, ALCB, sayers
27 January 2006
Sports strategy launch
sponsorship benefit

HD, UU, RC, Ent, ALCB
30 January 2006
Liverpool performs launch
sponsorship benefit

NWDA
30 January 2006
Liverpool performs launch
sponsorship benefit

sayers
30 January 2006
Liverpool performs launch
sponsorship benefit

sayers
30th January 2006
6 tickets Liverpool empire (Nutcracker)
sponsorship benefit

United Utilties
16th February 2006
6 tickets Liverpool Empire (Scrooge)
sponsorship benefit

ALCB
21st February 2006
6 tickets Liverpool Empire (My Fair Lady)
sponsorship benefit

Stay posted for more interesting figures....

MATHEW ST 2007 : 'CAN THE ECHO JUST MAKE IT UP?'

Still no approval for Mathew St on June 5, 2007 – the day after Lee Forde resigned

-----Original Message-----
From: Doran, Mike>

Sent: 05 June 2007 13:57>

To: Green, Chris; Harborow, Jason; Forde, Lee>

Cc: Newman, Paul>

Subject: Mathew Street Music Festival>

Importance: High>>

Chris/Jason/Lee,>>

The Liverpool ECHO are on deadline (tomorrow) for a summer festival publication and are going to include the MSMF.

They have already spoken to bands who have been invited - but want the> official line on what is happening this year.>>

I know there's proposal - subject to approval. Do we know when this will happen?

If its not by tomorrow - are we happy for ECHO to make it up?>>

ECHO publication will hit the streets June 23.>>

Cheers>

Mike>>

Mike Doran>

News Officer>

-----Original Message-----
From: Green, Chris>

Sent: 05 June 2007 14:40>

To: Doran, Mike>

Cc: Newman, Paul; Harborow, Jason; Forde, Lee>

Subject: RE: Mathew Street Music Festival>>

Can we encourage them to take the line - 'happening over the bank holiday weekend' without mentioning time and place? This will not be formally approved till after tomorrow.>>

Chris>>

Chris Green>

Operations Director

COUNCIL LEADER BRADLEY GIVEN UPDATE IN MAY ON MATHEW ST - "VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND LOCATIONS'

From: Green, Chris

Sent: 25 May 2007 10:22

To: Bradley, Warren (Leader of the City Council)

Cc: Harborow, Jason; Forde, Lee

Subject: MATHEW STREET FESTIVAL

Warren,
At our Birthday Activity review meeting with Mike Storey yesterday we made him aware of our current plans for Mathew Street this year and I thought you might also want to be aware of them.

The plans are still provisional and are due for review by the joint agencies group on 5 June.

With the loss of the Pier Head it has proved very difficult to find the stage locations without causing too much disruption to the City. The following plan is one which we think will be acceptable to all parties.

Two stages on the Strand and one at Derby Square for Sunday (and Monday), increasing to seven with the addition of Tithebarn St , Chapel St, Derby Square, Dale St and Williamson Square for Monday, (with the retention of the Derby and Williamson Square stages for the Birthday celebrations on Tuesday). Lat year we had five stages on the Monday.

The main logistical issues are the closing of the Strand for two days, and the use of Tithebarn and Chapel Street. As they are new locations we may receive objections.


Chris Green
Operations Director

FORDE FIRST WARNED OF POTENTIAL MATHEW ST CANCELLATION IN MAY 2006

-----Original Message-----
From: Forde, Lee

Sent: 17 May 2006 12:59

To: Harborow, Jason; Donaldson, Kris

Subject: Mathew Street Festival

Guys,

Merseytravel have disagreed with closing the Strand for three days in order to keep the event in the city centre.

I have requested this in writing by end of week.

It is likely I will need a high level phone call to bottom this out and if no change can be agreed then we either go to the parks or cancel.

I would appreciate if one of you would assist with a call to Neil Scales next Monday if as I expect we get a negative written response.

Cheers

Lee Forde

General Manager of Events

-----Original Message-----
From: Harborow, Jason

Sent: 17 May 2006 13:36

To: Forde, Lee; Donaldson, Kris

Subject: RE: Mathew Street Festival

Ok, provide me with a brief that I might ask colin (presumably Colin Hilton) to pursue

Jason Harborow

And Forde's deputy gave another warning a year later….

-----Original Message-----

From: Grant, Eddy

Sent: 29 March 2007 09:46

To: Green, ChrisCc: Forde, Lee

Subject: RE: Updated: Mathew Street Music Festival

Strategic Partners &Director briefing

We need to make this a priority as based on current information we as events team have extreme difficulty in staging the festival in this city for 2007.

Director level understanding and input is essential at this stage.

We are approaching the point where we will not meet with license conditionsand as such the most senior support input and understanding is essential

Eddy Grant

Operations & Safety Manager

HOLIDAY CAPTION COMPETITION AS THE HARBARROWBOY DOES A RUNNER WITH OUR MONEY

LEE FORDE'S MATHEW ST DOSSIER: THE BATTLE BETWEEN STOREYTELLER AND THE HARBARROWBOY

The following emails between Councillor Storey and Jason Harborow illustrate the rising tensions between the two over budgets, but also that Councillor Bradley; the Lord Mayor, Councillor Paul Clark; and Mr Hilton were also all aware of the problems faced by Mathew Street in March 2007.

-----Original Message-----

From: Fogarty, Sandra On Behalf Of Harborow, Jason

Sent: 12 March 2007 11:39

To: Storey, Mike

Cc: Bradley, Warren (Leader of the City Council); Hilton, Colin (Chief Executive); Green, Chris; Forde, Lee

Subject: Son et Lumiere - Mathew Street Festival

Dear Mike

I understand that a meeting took place between yourself, Warren, Colin and Chris Green on 21st February. At that meeting the Son et Lumiere was discussed and also Mathew Street Festival. As you are aware, the planning for one off events for 2007 took place in the second half of last year. At that time the Son et Lumiere event was not being considered. Following a request to look at this a more accurate budget was produced highlighting that £160k would be required to deliver the event, we were asked to look at the budget to see if this could be found and to increase the budget for the pageant and square activities on the 28th August.

Following a thorough review of the budget I regret to inform you that it is impossible to find this budget without looking to reduce the budget for the fireworks on 28th August, however, this would undoubtedly create a serious PR issue if a decent display did not take place.

I felt it was important to inform you of this as soon as possible.

In relation to Mathew Street Festival, there are other issues which I will highlight as soon as discussions with my colleagues are concluded. These do include serious logistical issues around the closing of major roads and the utilisation of space not normally used for Mathew Street Festival, these issues of course do not have an impact on the event taking place but may have on the duration.

I will provide this information as soon as possible.

Best Regards

Jason Harborow
Chief Executive

-----Original Message-----

From: Storey, Mike

To: Harborow, Jason

Cc: Bradley, Warren (Leader of the City Council); Clark, Paul; Hilton, Colin(Chief Executive)

Sent: Mon Mar 12 17:11:47 2007

Subject: RE: Son et Lumiere - Mathew Street Festival

Jason

Not happy about this. wondered why nobody was talking to me about this!

Amazing how we can fin £50,000 for Summer pops in Sefton and other non essential items yet the opportunity for Liverpool folk to celebrate the opening of St Georges Hall is pushed out. Would want to meet up tomorrow morning to discuss this and to go through the Budgets to find the money. This will happen

Regards

Mike

-----Original Message-----

From: Harborow, Jason

Sent: 12 March 2007 20:18

To: Storey, Mike

Cc: Bradley, Warren (Leader of the City Council); Clark, Paul; Hilton, Colin(Chief Executive); Green, Chris; Molyneux, Lorraine

Subject: Re: Son et Lumiere - Mathew Street Festival

Mike

Thank you for your note.

I am afraid I am not available tomorrow but chris green is.

The issue is we don't have this type of budget without cutting other events, which chris has already propised to you. Chris will contact you tomorrow to discuss

Best regards

Jason

Jason Harborow

Chief Executive

So Storey and the Harbarrowboy were at each other's throats in March 2007, in the familiar Liverpool battle for power between councillors and officers.

Storey wanted one thing - his Son et Lumiere pet project - without any notice and without any money being identified to pay for it.

And the Harbarrowboy was refusing to let him have it.

The scene was set....Storey's pet project would eventually get the £100,000 it needed, while the Harbarrowboy would then, in petty revenge, slash the Mathew Street budget by £100,000. The games people play with public money....

And of course that £100,000 budget cut then triggered the entire Mathew Street fiasco.

ANOTHER WORLD EXCLUSIVE: FIREMAN BRADLEY'S EMAILS TO LEE FORDE:

FIREMAN Bradley sent five emails to Lee Forde in the space of three minutes (not very computer literate then, eds) the day after he had promoted a council report which blamed Forde for the Mathew Street debacle. (what a dishonest little hypocrite the Fireman is, eds)

Three of the emails were identical. They are shown below. But this is the killer phrase:

“I am as pissed off as you … how the report can finger people - and not others…” - Warren Bradley

Bradley did not have either the guts or the honesty to tell the press this was his real view the day before, when Lee Forde was fighting to protect his professional reputation which had been disgracefully attacked by a censored and biased council report which blamed Forde for the cancellation. And the report let off the hook, the real culprits - the Harbarrowboy, CoverUp, Storey-teller and the Fireman.

What morally bankrupt and corrupt bastards these people are.

The emails:

-----Original Message-----

From: wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk [mailto:wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk]

Sent: 17 November 2007 13:49

To: leeforde

Subject: Re: FW: Capacity issues>

Lee,

Really need to speak to you, to discuss the next steps. I am as pissed off as you, I really do think we need to get together to talk?

Warren

-----Original Message-----

From: wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk [mailto:wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk]

Sent: 17 November 2007 13:50

To: leeforde

Subject: Re: FW: Capacity issues>

Lee,

Really need to speak to you, to discuss the next steps. I am as pissed off as you, I really do think we need to get together to talk?

Warren

-----Original Message-----

From: wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk [mailto:wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk]

Sent: 17 November 2007 13:52

To: leeforde

Subject: Re: FW: Capacity issues

Lee,

Really need to talk to you and discuss the next steps. I am as pissed off as you regarding this whole episode, and how the report can finger people and not others?

Warren

EDITOR'S NOTE: Bradley has now apparently claimed that the secret meeting was at Lee Forde's instigation, but we think the emails show something completely different. Bradley is an unmitigated liar. He cannot help but be thoroughly dishonest. He will say anything to save his own neck. Damage anyone to save his own unimpressive political career. He deserves to be hounded out of office for the way he has framed Forde. So how are you going to wriggle out of this one now, Fireman?

THE FIREMAN: STILL THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX?????

We couldn't resist reproducing this spectacularly appropriate quote below from Councillor Warren Bradley, (Leader of Liverpool city council, aka The Fireman, and hero of the Mathew Street report) from one of the many press releases which 'Randy' Newman recently issued to the world's unsuspecting meeja. Enjoy......

.........Councillor Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool city council and deputy chair of the Liverpool Culture Company, said: “Put simply, Treasures is about placing your life into a box. The project will start in schools, but eventually we want everyone living in the city – and the surrounding areas – to have a go at creating their own Treasure box.
“It’s a great project which gives everyone the chance to get involved in celebrating what they love most about Liverpool – I can’t wait to start making my own box!”

ENDS

And nor can we. Talk about digging your own grave....

THIS WEEK'S CAPTION COMPETITION....POLICE PROTECTION FOR ONE ASPIRING LIB DEM LEADER AND ONE FAILED LIB DEM LEADER

One of Jase's ice creams to the provider of the best picture caption.

SUPPORT EBBS AWAY FROM THE FIREMAN - JUST LIKE MING!

INTERESTING that not all Lib Dems feel able to support Fireman Bradley's inept handling of the Mathew St debacle.

At the full council meeting, it was noted that Councillors Jan and Paul Clein abstained from voting with their besieged Leader.

Whether Bradley will end up being stabbed in the back like Ming the Merciful remains to be seen.

But the Cleins could not bring themselves to praise his handling of the Culture cock-up and the ridiculous notveryindependent investigation into what went wrong.

Whatever people might think of the weak and incompetent Fib Dems, the Cleins were amongst the few who stood up to the personality cult propagated by the disastrous Sir Diddy Henshaw.

Jan Clein, who can be nine bob short of a shilling on other matters, was the only Lib Dem who had the bottle and principle to refuse to join the public toadying led by two-faced Bradley at Henshaw's enforced departure.

(When will the Lib Dems ever learn that hypocrisy does the city no good? eds)

Hubby Paul, of course, was one of those who unsuccessfully challenged Bradley for the Leadership after Storey-teller walked the plank.

With the other failed contender, Flo 'shall we dance?' Clucas now thoroughly discredited, it would seem Clein might be the only Lib Dem left who is still able to mount a serious challenge to the floundering Fireman.

There is no doubt that a substantial number of Lib Dems are now having serious mis-givings about Bradley's misbegotten leadership.

As well as damaging the city and costing council taxpayers a fortune, he has also succeeded in making his own party a laughing stock and publicly ridiculed.

Judging by the panic-stricken Fireman's desperate swivel-headed scanning of the Lib Dem ranks behind him on Wednesday night, he fears any one of them could plunge the dagger between his shoulder blades.

At any moment...

CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE?

WHY has the media failed to expose the evil cabal?

Why have they largely ignored the corruption and wrong-doing at Henshaw's city council, despite the current council leader handing a secret dossier last year to the chief constable?

Why have the media been largely silent on the waste of millions of pounds in public money by the current city council and the Culture Company?

Is the answer to any of these questions explained by the ownership of the media?

("You might think that, but I couldn't possibly comment," Francis Urquhart)

That's what members of the National Union Of Journalists think anyway.

And it's what many in Liverpool think when they see the cosy deals being done between unholyTrinity Mirror and the Culture Comedians and the local media's failure to hold the Harbarrowboy to account.

Any chance that commercial considerations could be interfering with editorial integrity?

Journalists are today reduced to a cross between call-centre workers and data processors. Stuck at their desks re-jigging press releases. Who knows what corruption, lies, and law-breaking is going on in the corridors of power – no-one has the time to look. Or is even encouraged to delve a little deeper.

Except the occasional brave blogger...

Members of the NUJ descend on Manchester on November 5 to urge their bosses to stand up to greedy media owners.

The NUJ is organising a lobby of the Society of Editors conference at the swanky Radisson Hotel on Peter Street, Manchester.
Union president Michelle Stanistreet said: “The media is owned by a smaller and smaller group of extremely wealthy corporations.
“They make big profits but they want more. So journalists face a constant round of job cuts and dwindling editorial budgets. This means that more and more news is just recycled press releases.
“We want our editors to join with us and stand up to the culture of cuts. If they believe that journalism is important for democracy and for local communities they must take a stand.
“They are meeting on a site that was developed to commemorate the Peterloo massacre. We hope they will take courage from history and seize the moment.”
The Manchester event is one of the focul points of Stand Up For Journalism Day which will involve events all over Europe.
There will be lobbies at the European Parliament and in towns and cities across the UK and Ireland.
In Manchester journalists and their supporters will gather outside the offices of the Manchester Evening News on Hardman Street, off Deansgate at 12.30pm on November 5.
They will march to the Radisson Hotel, on the site of the old Free Trade Hall, to lobby the editors’ conference. There will be a rally in defence of journalism at 1.30pm in the Friends Meeting House on Mount Street.
Michelle Stanistreet and NUJ General Secretary Jeremy Dear will be among the speakers. For furtherinformation visit http://www.standupforjournalism.org.uk/

'SECRET' PROBE INTO CLUCAS AND IRISH CENTRE CONTINUES....

The ‘secret’ investigation by the Standards Board into Lib Dem Flo Clucas and the Irish Centre continues apace.
The self-styled “watchdogs” have been in and out of Lime Street like Maggie May during the last few weeks.
Indeed, they have become such familiar faces in the city council’s Planning Department at Kingsway House, that staff now regularly offer to fetch their lunchtime butties.
The team of borocrats have even been given their own private office and offered secretarial, admin and photocopying support.
They have demanded copies of the minutes of all meetings, notes taken and all correspondence regarding the Centre on Mount Pleasant.
A number of staff have already been interviewed in-depth by the team of investigators.
They include Planning Chief Nigel Lee, who has been banned from taking any part in discussions or decisions about the Irish Centre because he has already compromised his impartiality.
In particular, the investigators have been interested in any documentation regarding Lib Dem Executive member Flo Clucas’s relationship with Dance Liverpool.
Readers will recall how Clucas used her position as a senior Cabinet Member and city councillor to promote Dance Liverpool’s campaign to take over the Grade 2 listed building.
Flucas is, of course, a Director of Dance Liverpool, but failed to declare her interest in the organisation – which stood to financially benefit from any move – at meetings in which she pushed their case.
Flucas promised Dance Liverpool they could have council taxpayers money and European grants – she is also Chair of the European Objective One committee, which doles out the cash.
Flucas has been interviewed by the Standards Board, and protested that she haS nothing wrong and that she is the victim of a disgraceful attempt to besmirch her good name and reputation as a leading Lib Dem councillor. (Surprise, surprise, eds)
Other senior figures been yet to be called to the wicket, including city council chief executive, Colin ‘Cover Up’.
As is the way with the borocrats, their investigation is now taking much longer than expected, such is the volume of paperwork being examined.
So their final report is not expected before early next year.
Of course, you will not be able to read a single word about any of this in the papers, or hear it on Radio Merseyside, all of which appear to have agreed to maintain a discreet silence about the investigation.
This is unusual - especially since the Standards Board is a public body, using public money to carry out a public investigation into a publicly elected city councillor.
Obviously, the public would not be the slightest bit interested in this investigation.

LABOUR GIVES 'SADLY' BRADLEY NOTICE TO QUIT - AND CLUELESS HASN'T GOT A CLUE!

LABOUR'S historic victory in the Warbreck by-election has served notice to quit on the mis-ruling Lib Dems.

A twenty-year unbroken run of Lib Dem rule in the leafy ward came to a spectacular end, with an astonishing victory for Labour's Richard McLinden.

He overturned a Lib Dem majority of more than 1600 votes, with a thumping 770 seat majority for Labour.

The swing to Labour was more than 33 per cent - a breathtaking achievement and a first for Labour in Liverpool.

It means that since taking over as Fib Dem Leader, Warren 'I'm only a fireman' Bradley has now suffered 12 separate defeats.

Labour, with no-nonsense Joe Anderson as Leader, has meanwhile chalked up a series of 16 separate wins in a row.

The result, which took even the most loyal Labour supporters by surprise, means that Joe Anderson could now grab back control of the city council next May.

And what a fantastic victory that would be in 2008 - the year of Capital of Culture which the Lib Dems have done so much to wreck with their cock-ups and bungling.

The Fireman Bradley was noticeably absent from the election count - he was advised not to turn up for fear that his bottle would go when he saw Labour storming ahead.

Lib Dems feared that he would lose control for the second time and again lash out during an official count.

So Bradley was kept in touch at a safe distance by the mastermind behind the Lib Dem's historic and crushing defeat - former councillor Richard 'Inspector Clueless' Marbrow.

Inspector Clueless comprehensively cocked up the by-election campaign - and his (and Paula Keveaney's, eds) glum expression at the remarkable result revealed his sinking realisation that comeback seats are fast disappearing.

Clueless's stupendously stupid by-election campaign reached the nadir of bad taste, when Inspector Clueless came up with the bright idea of getting a dead woman to promote the Lib Dems from beyond the grave.

(What? eds)

That's right - unbelievably, Clueless got the son of deceased councillor Joan Lang to write a letter to every elector in Warbreck proclaimning that it was her "dying wish" that Lib Dem candidate Richie 'I've got less than half a brain' Roberts should succeed her!

(Is there anything to which the Lib Dems won't stoop to try and hang on to power? eds)

This sickening little stunt backfired spectacularly when the voters told the Lib Dems what to do with their nasty little attempts at moral blackmail.

And delivered another resounding victory for Joe Anderson's principled Party.

FOOT AND MOUTH LATEST: Staff and council services suffer

Council staff from One Stop Shops are being diverted to Liverpool Direct to handle the DEFRA foot and mouth calls.

The rottweiller McElhinney is ordering them to do this within their normal working time, instead of overtime.

Readers will remember that the dirty, blonde-loving doctor, got round protests from councillors last time over the bird flu calls, by insisting council staff were collecting overtime.

This time there is no such deal.

This is illegal of course.

Council staff are doing work for someone else which they are not actually officially contracted to do.

But the Lib Dems are powerless to do anything about this breach of the terms and conditions for council staff.

And UNISON officials of course are in McElhinney's pocket so they will also stay schtum.

McElhinney is already infamous for treating staff like cattle, farming them out around the city and treating them with contempt.

This is his management style as an evil cabalist.

The result of him nicking council staff to do private work for LDL is that the One Stop Shops are short of staff.

The Dingle office had just five staff the other day to deal with more than 200 people.

So council services suffer while McElhinney prospers. No change there then.

Dr David McElhinney

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT COULDN'T GET MUCH WORSE....

YOU would have thought that new Premier Gordon Brown would have enough problems - Iraq, Afghanistan, Bush, terror attacks, global warming, floods, the support of the Daily Mail, Ruth Kelly in his Cabinet, etc, etc, etc.


Then foot and mouth disease strikes again.


Can it get any worse? Gordon must have been asking himself.


Well yes, it can, Gord.


Unfortunately, your Government department in charge of the outbreak, DEFRA, has cocked up again.


It has given responsibility for handling phone calls about the crisis to the rottweiller McElhinney!


That's right - Liverpool Direct has been handed the lucrative contract by DEFRA.



Like putting a paedophile in charge of an orphanage.


No wonder you look a bit down in the mouth, Gordon.



Pity the poor farmers who phone up expecting some sympathetic response from the dirty Doc.


He will probably accuse them of plotting the outbreak amongst themselves to get some compensation.


Or worse - he might even insist on asking them for their natural hair colour before ordering his minions to reply.


This new contract follows McElhinney's past successes with Bernard Mathews and bird flu.


What is this connection between McElhinney and sick animals?


What any of this has to do with providing a decent service to the people of Liverpool, who pay the evil, dirty little doctor's astronomical wages, is a complete mystery.


After all, it's not as if the city of Liverpool has been hit by foot and mouth disease.


(Just you wait until 2008! eds)


So Gordon, you have been warned...

Dr David McElhinney

CITY COUNCIL MAKES 150 CARE WORKERS REDUNDANT

LIVERPOOL City Council is to make 150 care workers redundant to help pay for Capital of Culture.

The cowardly council deliberately made the announcement late this afternoon to try and avoid more damaging headlines in today's newspapers for the third day running.

Letters were sent out to the 400 care workers, who are on the lowest wages of all council staff, from the £195,000-a-year Executive Director Tony Hunter (right).

As part of its carefully-timed spin operation, the council's statement claims there is less demand for the care workers.

"This is because all new cases are handled by the independent sector, which has more flexibility to handle calls at times when people who use the service need them," it claims.

"The city council's in-house staff are contracted to provide 10,000 hours of care per week, but are only providing 5,000 hours - which means 5,000 hours remain unused. "

But the real reason of course is very simple: getting rid of staff saves the council money.

Why does the city council need to save money?

Because it needs £29million to pay for Capital of Culture.

So here we are witnessing the disgraceful spectacle of the city's poorest paid workers, mainly women, being made the sacrificial lambs for 2008.

While the hangers-on and the VIP's swig their free booze and munch their canapes at yet another civic reception, the care workers are being thrown out on their ears.

It is disgusting and disgraceful - a cynical, dishonest, cost-cutting exercise, being dressed up as some kind of 'efficiency' drive.

We sincerely hope that the care workers and their elderly clients will take on the city council and force them to stop.

How much will the council raise by cutting the workforce in half and slashing the service provided by half?

And how many bottles of wine and canapes will they buy with it, instead?

MORE FANCIFUL BOLLOCKS ABOUT THE ARENA...

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/capitalofculture/news/tm_headline=echo-arena-will-be-culture-winner%26method=full%26objectid=19284539%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

with thanks to A

THE ROTTWEILLER ATTACKS THE UNIONS AT LIVERPOOL DIRECT

THE ROTTWEILLER McElhinney is trying to force Liverpool Direct staff to do whatever he wants.

The dirty doctor has written to the trade unions to try and get a clause in the LDL contract scrapped.

The clause prevents him from forcing council staff - ie, secondee's to Liverpool Direct - to work for any external business.

If the unions agree, it would mean the evil McElhinney could have Liverpool Direct staff answering calls on behalf of his own private interests, such as Corrupt Bastards Inc, or that infamous local company, Evil, thieving, lying Cabal or the legendary TakingthepissoutofLiverpool.com or anyone else, more reputable, who is prepared to pay through the nose.

The move to scrap the clause follows the blog's recent exposure that Liverpool Direct was handling calls about Bernard Matthews's bird flu crisis for DEFRA.

This caused huge ructions for the thieving McElhinney, with protests from trade unions and politicians that calls to care staff were going unanswered while Liverpool Direct staff answered calls about turkeys.

The evil McElhinney is blaming the unions for leaking the story to the blog (wrongly, ed) and is now trying to get them to agree to the clause being scrapped so he can make sure that, in future, he can take money from anyone he likes.

He wants to take the clause out of the contract that states he has to consult with staff and unions on any changes in contracts and then use the staff in anyway he see's fit.

No union in its right mind would give McElhinney carte blanche like this, of course. But stranger things have happened in Liverpool...

In his letter notifying the unions of an official consultation period for removing the clause, McElhinney's motives become transparent.

He first tries to blackmail the unions over jobs, clumsily reminding them that LDL was originally set up as an alternative to outsourcing (in other words, we can always outsource your jobs again lads, unless you agree to this, ed)

He claims that the council wanted LDL to win "third party work" (who exactly is supposed to have agreed to that then? ed)

He then goes on: "You will know that the success of LDL's support to Defra during the recent outbreak of Avian influenza was heralded by the city as a major achievement." (Who was the numbskull 'herald' in this case then, Dr? ed)

McElhinney has clumsily included the bird flu example to anger the unions (who were horrified at what he was doing, ed) and give them a slap in the face about how untouchable he is (along the lines of, 'I can do what I like lads, so get stuffed - like those turkeys', ed)

The evil McElhinney claims 80 new jobs have been created from this so-called 'third party work,' withouthout producing any evidence for his claims. Indeed so flimsy is this particular claim that he has to repeat it twice, (presumably so 'the thickos in the unions' as he calls them, get his point? ed).

Then comes the sting - unless the unions agree to scrap the clause, there will be "the potential risk of redundancy or redeployment."

Crude blackmail.

Of course, McElhinney is hoping the unions will cave in and allow him to continue running his own private enterprise, without any challenge or accountability.

He wants to use council employees - public servants - without being accountable to anyone else. Least of all the unions, or councillors.

No doubt his mates in the ABA, his boxing friends, his jogging pals, websites for members of his family - and any other blonde ladies like very-well-looked-after-employee Sarah Parr (right) who need special 'services' - could benefit again from this nasty, vicious, arrogant little megalomaniac being allowed to do whatever he likes, while he laughs all the way to the bank.

Any hope of the Lib Dems doing anything to defend the interests of the workforce is, of course, absolutely pointless.

Dr David McElhinney

SIGN THE DOWNING STREET PETITION IN SUPPORT OF THE CARE WORKERS....(courtesy of Tori Blare)

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to provide more public funding towards the care of the elderly and vulnerable in Liverpool City.

The Liverpool City Council are £29 million pounds overspent in their budget for Capital of Culture.

The Liberal Democrat controlled Administration have insisted that the Private care providers, sign a new contract for this provision of care which equates to a 30% cut across the services, having the direct effect on the staff and the vulnerable.

The same administration has decided to cease the existence of the generic council run home care service.

This again has a direct impact on the carers and the vulnerable.

We request that the Government ensures the full budgets are released for the vulnerable and elderly citizens of Liverpool and not in the form of high wages for the senior management teams of the caring profession.

Sign the petition here: http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/LiverpoolCare/#detail

THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE....

Below are comments posted by the people of Liverpool on the care workers dispute...

Stanford88 said...
Congratulations on attracting so many comments Tony.

It's good to be able to tell others of the way council is treating us.

I will certainly post news and comments to it !

Guess what? – more bad news !

I bumped in to one of the ex office staff where I work today. She said our company had lost a few of the areas that we are working in because of the new contract and this would affect my blocks.

It appears that I have to go and work for another new care agency if I want to stay with my service users.

What are the council trying to do to me?

What are the council trying to do to the people I look after?

Are they deliberately trying to upset us?

Are they deliberately picking on us?

First of all, a 30% pay cut, secondly, IF I manager to stay a carer, I will have to transfer to another care agency because of toopee to stay with my service users?

I don’t want to change agency.

I am happy with my wages, I am happy with service users, I am happy with the agency I work for.

Are all these changes for the good?

If so perhaps Curly, Larry and Mo (AKA Antrobus, Hunter and Brazil) be able to tell me how?

I have served this city as a loyal carer for a number of years (on less money than them).

I think I am entitled to some explanation.

PS I am a council tax payer - so I am demanding an answer...

Tepec said...

I am a social care manager.

I just can't believe where they are coming from on this one.

How can they disrupt so many vulnerable people?

Thursday, May 31, 2007 11:45:00 AM

TAX PAYER said...

Yes and I am DEMANDING to know what the hell they are up to.

I am also a tax payer. I object to my hard earning money being used to feather the nests of Social Services and P.C.T. managers also the allowances for so called 'Coucillors'.

YOU need to take some Counsel yourselves.

These are very vulnerable Liverpool Citizens and care staff you are putting at risk.

People you are not even fit to wipe there boots.

GIVE US THE ANSWERS YOU FACELESS PEOPLE instead of pocketing MY MONEY yourselves.

Thursday, May 31, 2007 12:15:00 PM

Carol said...

So very very sad. Oh! to be elderly. Nobody cares.

Thursday, May 31, 2007 5:24:00 PM

Pete said...

If you want to save money to have more to spend on yourself and Jollies to Cannes and elsewhere who do you pick on?....... The elderly and children they can't hit back.Thats about the level we have sunk to in Liverpool.

Thursday, May 31, 2007 9:08:00 PM

Anonymous said...

"Never before have so many been taken for so much and left with so little."

Thursday, May 31, 2007 9:56:00 PM

IT'S CRIMINAL: "'THE COUNCIL ARE OVERSPENT AND NEED TO FIND MORE MONEY TO FUND CAPITAL OF CULTURE..."

Stanford88 has left a new comment on your post "THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE...":

Hi Tony.

Thanks for your support.

I attended a meeting in the North of the city last week organised by the Liverpool Care Slaves United.

Over 100 people showed up and we met a local labour councillor Joe Hanson.

I spoke to carers from all different parts of the city who are all in the same position - facing about 30% PAY CUT !

The Labour Party can't believe that the council are trying to force such cuts through on the private sector workers and they are vowing to help us in our struggle for equal rights of pay.

If you dont mind I would like to take this opportunity to tell other care workers that are concerned about what the council are doing to contact Joe Hanson.

His email address is :joseph.hanson@liverpool.gov.uk

The same answers keep coming back on this when we ask why is the council changing the contract?

Answers.....1) The council are overspent and need to find more money to fund the Capital of Culture stuff. I would ask, why target the care services?

2) When they have come up with the idea of this new homecare contract, they have not thought through the knock on effect on the carers and workforce in the city. I would ask, who are the people making these decisions without speaking to us?

3) It is to increase efficiency and is better for the council tax payer. I would ask, why target just the private sector service? Home Help staff are being paid for their spare capacity and also get paid for their traveling time. District nurses and health authority staff get paid for shifts of work, that includes traveling time.

WHY ARE WE ANY DIFFERENT?

IT IS NOT EQUAL IT IS NOT FAIR

Tony, I say : CUT THE CULTURE BUDGET, NOT THE CARE BUDGET - and let us continue to do our job caring for the elderly of this city and giving them the time and quality of life they deserve.

Posted by Stanford88 to City of the Dead* at Monday, May 21, 2007 11:44:00 AM

SURPRISE, SURPRISE! City council rapped for hushing things up!

For immediate release

Press release

Date: 11 May 2007

Liverpool City Council criticised for Freedom of Information handling

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has criticised Liverpool City Council over its handling of requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
In a letter to Chief Executive, Colin Hilton, the ICO cites a catalogue of failings by the council to meet the requirements of the Act and outlines what the council needs to do to improve its performance.
According to the Information Commissioner’s Office the council does not have
adequate procedures in place to deal with freedom of information requests and
failed, on a number of occasions, to provide the ICO with the information required to investigate a complaint under the Act.
A practice recommendation issued by the ICO highlights the council’s ‘symptomatic poor practice in handling freedom of information requests’ and criticises the council’s failure to provide adequate advice and assistance to individuals requesting information under the Act.
The ICO will continue to monitor the council’s information request handling
procedures and performance and will assess its progress against the ICO’s
recommendations in 6 months.
Last year the ICO prosecuted Liverpool City Council for breaching the Data
Protection Act after it failed to provide an individual with their health records held by the Council, despite several warning from the ICO.

ENDS
If you need more information, please contact the Information Commissioner’s press office on 020 7025 7580 or visit the website at: www.ico.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
1. The Information Commissioner promotes public access to official information and protects personal information. The ICO is an independent body with specific responsibilities set out in the Data Protection Act 1998, the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Environmental Information Regulations 2004 and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003.
2. For more information about the Information Commissioner’s Office subscribe to our enewsletter at www.ico.gov.uk
3. For a copy of the Practice Recommendation issued to Liverpool City Council please go to http://www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/freedom_of_information/notices/liverpool_city
_council_practice_recommendation.pdf

ANDERSON DEMANDS STANDARDS BOARD PROBE INTO CLUCAS AND THE IRISH CENTRE

LABOUR Leader Joe Anderson has called for a full-scale investigation into Flo Clucas trying to waltz off with the former Irish Centre on Mount Pleasant. (see Liverpool subCulture, ed)

Anderson has written to the Standards Board protesting that Clucas's actions breach the national Code of Conduct for councillors.

The Standards Board can fine or suspend Clucas from office if they find her guilty (some chance of that, ed)

Anderson tells how Clucas 'intervened strongly' at a meeting with planning officials on 19 December to promote Dance Liverpool's crackpot scheme to takeover the Centre, which is a Grade 2* listed building.

He says Clucas also offered/promoted:

• Objective 1 European funding for the Centre


• city council support for the scheme and/or


• to slap a CPO on the Centre.

Anderson says Clucas failed to declare an interest - she is a Director of Dance Liverpool, according to Companies House records.

The Labour Leader poses six separate questions about Clucas's conduct, including:

• Has Cllr Flo Clucas used her position as an Executive Member to promote a scheme in respect of which she has interest? (of course, ed)


• Was the City Council’s recommendation to reject the (owner's) Planning Application in 2006 as a result of pressure to support the “Dance Liverpool” proposal from Cllr Flo Clucas? (very probably, ed)


• Was there any reasonable evidence to suggest that the alternative “Dance Liverpool” proposal had any realistic prospect of delivery (the report... clearly identifies a lack of funding...for the scheme) (none at all, ed)

Anderson also asks if it was appropriate for Clucas to "promise/promote that Liverpool City Council would bear the costs of any CPO enquiry (as you will be aware developers normally bear such costs)?" (highly irregular, ed)

and

"Promising/promoting that acquisition costs would be funded by ERDS (Objective 1 European Funding) before any application or approval for such funding has been obtained?"(well, she is Chair of the Committee which doles out the Euro dosh, so presumably she should know whether she was going to give herself the money? ed)

Anderson adds: "You will note from the handwritten notes from a meeting, that Cllr Flo Clucas had explored ways in which pressure could be put on the existing owner (which would have the result of encouraging him to surrender the leasehold interest) and in particular, investigating the condition of the fire safety system and demanding that Liverpool City Council serve a schedule of dilapidations on the leasehold owner."

(This one will run and run, ed)

MOURNING FOR MARBROW? - NO, CELEBRATING AND PLANNING MORE TO COME!!!!!

Dear blogosphere,

We are taking the Bank Holiday off to celebrate the well deserved demise of Inspector Clueless in the local elections and the extremely heartening results in Liverpool, dramatically bucking the national trend.

Congratulations to all concerned. Especially to those who played such a fantastic role in helping get rid of one of the most pompous, self-opinionated, puffed up (literally, ed) arrogant, stupid and naive Lib Dem tossers, it has ever been our misfortune to come across.

Revenge is sweet.

We will be back on Tuesday with some extremely interesting material about some remaining very senior Lib Dem councillors.

We are also interested in hearing more detail about the astonishing dirty tricks which went on in the local election campaign, which are already attracting the attention of the police and the Standards Board for England.

(Oh, we do love to tease, ed)

Now, pass me the champagne....

THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE...

THIS COMMENT WAS POSTED ON THE HENSHAW AND THE EVIL CABAL BLOG, ABOUT SIR DIDDY BEING THE HIGHEST PAID BUREAUCRAT IN THE COUNTRY WITH HIS £340,000 PAY OFF. IT DESERVES A WIDER AUDIENCE, SO WE ARE REPEATING IT HERE:
Stanford88 said...
I am a care worker in Liverpool.
I work hard looking after the elderly people I care for. We all do.
The council are going to cut my wages by almost 30% in July for me to do the same job as I am doing now.
They have massive wages whilst I go and clean peoples backsides and take a massive pay cut.
Dont I provide a valuable service to my community?
Well the council bossess obviously dont think I do.
I earn just above minimum wages already, If they cut my wages, I will have no choice but to leave my job and work somewhere else.
Does anyone else know what is going on at the council?
Have a look at this site: http://liverpoolcareslaves.blogspot.com/2007/04/minimum-wage-vs-maximum-wage.html
The council bosses are earning over £100000 pounds a year. Why can't they take a pay cut?

AN EXCELLENT QUESTION, STANFORD 88.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT AT NEXT YEAR'S COUNCIL ELECTIONS, THE LABOUR PARTY HAS A MANIFESTO COMMITMENT TO FREEZE THE WAGES OF ALL COUNCIL STAFF EARNING ABOVE, SAY, £100,000 A YEAR. WE WILL SEE WHAT THE PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL MAKE OF THAT RADICAL POLICY.
AND IF STANFORD 88 WANTS TO POST ANY MORE COMMENTS, THEN BE OUR GUEST MATE - WE WILL GIVE YOU A PLATFORM.

FEATHERS FLY OVER BALD LEGAL EAGLE

Liverpool city council's bald legal eagle has been left in a flap after he was snubbed for the job of City Solicitor.

Boring bureaucrat Michael Kenworthy, whose hair is as thin as his legal acumen, has been publicly humiliated by the council's decision not to appoint him to the job.

Kenworthy had been Acting City Solicitor since Graeme Careerist left last year after his disgraceful toadying to greedy Henshaw.

Creer's card was marked when he repeatedly snitched about the ruling Lib Dem group's plans to discipline Henshaw over his attempted coup d'etat.

So Creer then moved to a comfy job with Weightmans amid suggestions that he had used his council position to secure the job.

Step forward his No 2, Kenworthy, who had languished unnoticed and unimpressive in the wings of the Municipal Buildings for years.

The bald legal eagle decided to try and distinguish his chances by beginning his long, costly and ultimately doomed hunt for the legendary Tony Parrish.

This failed to endear him to anyone (except the cabal, ed) and only underlined his gross ineptitude for the top job.

Both the ruling Lib Dem group and Labour opposition were united in their low opinion of his skills, ability and judgement and have been determined to ensure he did not get the job.

The continuing saga over Bill Davies and his multi-million law suit over the Henshaw-inspired mess over Chavasse Park (another chicken coming home to roost, ed) only emphasises Ken(un)worthy's feebleness.

But his boss, the smiling assassin Hasitall, has seized the opportunity offered by the vacuum to suggest that the city council now try and buy in its legal expertise from surrounding firms in, for example, nearby Sefton. (Where Hasitall's mates live, ed).

Is Hasitall now trying to fix up another one of his well-heeled Tory mates with a lucrative council contract? Only time will tell.

Meanwhile Kenworthy continues with his hunt for TP (they seek him here, they seek him there, ed)

Or as one of our correspondents has wittily remarked: "The hunt for Tony Parrish reminds me very much of one of Elmer Fudd's hunting expeditions: 'Shhhhhhhh, be vewy vewy quiet; I'm hunting wabbits here.'"

CITY COUNCIL CAN'T DO ITS SUMS: - HASITALL CAN'T ADD UP SHOCK!!!

No surprise that the city council should get the worst possible score for its financial planning.
Guess who is responsible for this?
None other than evil cabalist Phil Hasitall, aka the smiling assassin.
He has been in charge of the council's finances for the last seven years, but obviously still can't add up.
That's why the council is £29million adrift and can't balance its books.
And why even the District Auditor, a long-standing golfing partner of Hasitall's, has been forced to publicly acknowledge his mate is not up to the job.
But nothing will happen to the £169,000-a-year Porsche driving Hasitall who will continue to disappear from the Municipal Buildings by mid-afternoon, heading for the local links.

Or to go and watch a band for free with his millionaire mate Chas Cole.

Hasitall of course gave away more than £3million of council taxpayers money to old schoolmate Chas for the Summer Pops.

Chas repaid this with, amongst other things, an appearance for Hasitall's son's band alongside Status Quo.

Hasitall also had a distinguished record of public dis-service with Henshaw, engaging in conspiracy, an attempted coup, law-breaking, blackmail and trying to fit up staff.

Hasitall, whose son was a Tory candidate in Southport and is an avid reader of the Daily Torygraph, has recently, like the slimy little hypocrite he is, been desperately trying to curry favour with the Labour opposition.

He has been quietly favouring them with the odd tip and wink in the last few weeks and been his ever so helpful self with any opposition query.

(It fools no-one, ed)

Of course, he has been careful to ensure none of this reaches Fireman Bradley.

This pro-Labour about turn is in a desperate attempt to try and ensure that if the Lib Dems get turfed out next year, he will still be secure in his well-paid job.

Colin Cover Up has meanwhile rewarded Hasitall's financial incompetence by making him acting Chief Executive while he is away on his five-star jollies.

No wonder the city goes to wrack and ruin.

PS We wonder if this year, Hasitall has had his Performance Related Pay bonus of 10 per cent of his salary for getting the city into such a financial hole? Perhaps someone should ask the question?

ALAN CHURCHMAN TRIES TO GET SOME SENSE OUT OF CHAS COLE ABOUT THE SEFTON POPS (and regrettably, fails...)

PUBLIC HEALTH WARNING:

THERE NOW FOLLOWS SOME EMAIL CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE VENERABLE ALAN CHURCHMAN AND CHAS 'SHOW ME THE MONEY' COLE, REGARDING THE SEFTON POPS.

We have long since given up trying to apply logic and reason to Mr Cole and his dealings with the city council, but on the basis of this rather tortuous correspondence and his somewhat paranoid and deluded reaction to Mr Churchman's perfectly reasonable questions, it seems as though poor Chas may need some therapeutic help. Thanks Alan for letting us in on this. (If anyone can shed any light on any obvious deterioration in Chas's mental health or explain what he is on about, please feel free, ed).

It's probably best to read this correspondence from the bottom up, otherwise you are all going to get hopelessly confused. Alan Churchman is in italics, Mr Cole's comments are highlighted in bold....


My position has been clear and consistent. This is a matter involving public money and is therefore of public interest. I therefore want a public (on the record response) from yourself and ideally those within the City Council who were also involved in this very unusual decision. If you have no intention of providing on the record responses to my quite reasonable questions, then I have no desire to brighten up your social life.

I suspect this correspondence is closed.

Chas Cole wrote:

Lets meet up then. When you free?

I was not aware that I was under cover. I don't have anything worth covering up.

Chas Cole wrote:

Why don’t you break from cover and meet for a chat and a drink...

I am sure you are a charming drinking companion, but the purpose of my original email was to get a public and on record response to my questions. I cannot quite understand why our elected representatives or our local media are not showing more interest in sheding light on this opaque and questionable process, but that is the story of Liverpool.

Chas Cole wrote:

Where / when do you want to meet for a beer?



Is he the guy with whiskers on his chinnigan? (presumably a friend of Old King Cole)



PS I wonder who the fiddlers three are?

Chas Cole wrote:

MATTHEW FINNEGAN – Alistair’s friend!

I don't know who "Matt" is but I would be willing to share a beer if you were willing to share some explanation and justification for your ongoing exploitation of City Council Tax payers.

Mr Cole, it is my belief that the circumstances surrounding your re-appointment are far from transparent and would (if this City was administered properly) now be subject to some form of proper scrutiny. I realise that there is little prospect of this happening and that I am quite probably waisting my time pursuing this matter.
You could of course surprise me and actually answer the questions that I put to you some weeks ago.

Chas Cole wrote:

Hi Matt
Why don’t we get together for a beer!
Chas
PS. Was watching the Queen DVD the other day and thought about you! Alistair!!

Dear Mr Cole,

Australian Pink Floyd?
What next, The Japanese Wurzels?
If this is world-class entertainment worthy of public subsidy, then I am Tony Parrish.
Yours sincerely,
Alan K. Churchman.

Chas Cole
CMP Entertainment - Music & Sport
08 Place
36-38 Whitechapel
Liverpool
Merseyside
England L1 6DZ
Tel +44 (0) 151 708 6050Fax +44 (0) 151 707 0400E-mail chascole@cmplive.com
http://www.cmplive.com

(We think Chas must have finally lost it, ed)

'COVER UP' ON HIS AND BRADLEY'S £250,000 TRIP TO CANNES

Colin 'Cover Up' Hilton has returned from his £250,000 trip to the south of France - determined to cover up what really went on.
The cash-strapped city council's current chief executive (extreme left in picture) has regaled council staff with an utterly banal account of his adventures in Cannes in his internal report.
However, Cover Up omits any details of the three informal drinks receptions and buffet lunches on the Liverpool Yacht which he and current Council Leader Warren Bradley attended, or one of the highlights of MIPIM 2007, the four course dinner with free wine at "the excellent La Potinier du Palais" five star restaurant.
This was, according to the programme notes, a fairly informal dinner, (that means it was drunken, ed)) hosted by Council Leader Warren 'I'm only a fireman' Bradley and 'Cover Up' and attended by the entire city council and Culture Company delegation, which included, bizarrely, the bullshitter, Kris Donaldson (not in picture, amazingly, ed)

Fortunately, all evidence of Cover Up and Bradley's presence at many of these 'social events' has been carefully excised from the Liverpool at MIPIM photographic record (rather in the manner of Stalin's Russia, ed).

Liverpool Confidential has even more pictures here

Cover Up's account of Cannes also omitted to mention (below) the LIVERPOOL@MORRISON’S PARTY in an Irish pub - "the best event in town", which, according to the publicity, offered "the ideal opportunity to unwind with guests at the end of a busy MIPIM week."

Cover Up and Bradley both managed to avoid getting their picture taken here with a pint of Guinness in hand and totally shamrocked.
Fortunately, the city council had, once again, "managed to secure private access to the street". As well as "live music from the Mersey Beatles, there were bar facilities both inside and out."
Cover Up also drew a veil over events at closing time on the last night at Cannes, which by all accounts featured several notable city figures, wandering around slightly the worse for wear, with one throwing up on la Croisette. (That's the prom to you and me and anyway, they were only unwinding after a busy MIPIM week, no doubt, ed).
The cost to our cash-strapped council of this continental week-long jaunt is estimated by councillors (they were not invited, ed) as at least £250,000 - including hire of the yacht for a week, hire of a five star restaurant, return flights for Cover Up, Bradley and a football team's worth of assorted city council hangers on, taxis to and from the yacht etc, a week's accomodation in a huge five star hotel , lunches, breakfasts, dinners, hire of the The Mersey Beatles, etc, etc.
But none of this - (apart from Cover Up's apparent obsession with 'the bar', see later, ed) - got a mention in his excruciating internal column for city council staff.
If you can bear the boredom and the turgid prose, here it is:

"Last week I spent three days with the Liverpool delegation at MIPIM - an event which keeps growing both in importance and size. The general feedback at the end of the week was that it had been the best ever for our city.
The new stand produced better footfall and increased contacts as well as giving us the opportunity to promote the city outside on the main concourse (he's in a world of his own, ed).
Apart from the set presentations, which continued to develop the theme of Liverpool as an international city ripe for investment, my time was divided between meeting key business contacts and speaking to other cities representatives (notice he doesn't say who he had a three minute chat with, ed).
There is a strong interest in the plans for North Liverpool both from existing partners and other companies looking to invest for the first time.
I had a long discussion (more than five mins, ed) with developers about getting the right quality in place and the balance necessary to protect the heritage environment.
In particular, people were excited by the 'Liverpool Waters' presentation of Peel Holdings and the potential regeneration effect of both Project Jennifer and the investment in Liverpool FC by George Gillett and Tom Hicks (nothing whatsoever to do with the city council, however, ed)
Three new promising contacts reflected the growing reputation of Liverpool as a centre for biomedical research, the health sector and wealth management (the £250,000-a-year Cover Up gave them some good advice on managing their wealth, ed)
On the other city stands I was particularly impressed by Toronto who are continuing to develop their waterfront and have a connection with Liverpool through George Gillett - in terms of developing sports stadia and the surrounding infrastructure (absolutely fascinating, ed)
Also there in significant numbers for the first time were the emerging cities of the Russian Federation fuelled by the wealth of natural mineral resources and seeking considerable building development opportunities (perhaps Cover Up is anticipating a move to Siberia in future?, ed)
My favourite piece of architecture on display (is this guy for real? ed) was the Empire Tower in Abu Dhabi, part of a region where status is being symbolised in an ever-increasing rivalry to build spectacular buildings. In terms of quality and accessibility, one of the most interesting developments was the new leisure and tourist zone on Sentosa Island Singapore (this will go down well in Anfield, ed)
I came away with a clear impression that Liverpool has a distinct and positive offer to make on a global stage but that there is still a need to raise the bar (see, he has got booze on the brain! ed) on delivering those things which create prosperity and economic growth to a level which makes us competitive with the top global locations (utter bollocks, ed)
(But not a word about the council's £29million cuts, or the cover-ups, or the cock-ups. And not a word about what specific and tangible benefits this jaunt has ever brought to Liverpool, ed)

The Guardian sells its soul to Rachmanism in Liverpool, by Simon Jenkins

Once they called it Rachmanism. Now it's being done with taxpayers' money.

This newspaper (The Guardian) has been drawn into a ministerial spat over a regeneration project that became a bonanza for developers

Simon Jenkins
Friday March 16, 2007






Sensitive readers may avert their eyes, for this column concerns this newspaper and its relations with the Blair government and, dare I say it, money.
On Wednesday they may have noticed a special section called Promised Lands. The Observer writer Will Hutton gazed from its masthead, and the lead story was by the distinguished urbanologist Tony Travers.
Other big names were promised inside, including the housing minister, Yvette Cooper, though readers were saved from her famous prose style by a sweetheart interview.
The section ominously carried no advertising, but was not headed "advertising supplement". Yet it was paid for by the government's Housing Market Renewal Partnerships - which agreed the synopsis - to boost the controversial Pathfinder housing policy.
In return for a large sum of money, the agency was offered pre-sight of the copy to "correct inaccuracies". In effect, it secured sympathetic coverage. None of the writers (nor the Guardian's readers) was told of this, or that their fees were being paid, in effect, by the Blair government. Some were given to understand that they were writing for the Observer.
The supplement was laudatory of the nine Pathfinder housing clearance projects in the Midlands and north.
This potential honeypot of £5bn of public money (half an Olympics) was launched in 2003 to "kick-start" the renewal of down-at-heel cities. This admirable ambition was vitiated by the method chosen, to assemble and demolish Victorian inner-city neighbourhoods for sale to private architect/developers.
The option of using the money to give repair grants to residents, or confront the horror of clearing postwar housing estates, was not pursued. Developers demand cleared sites, as with the green belt. The Pathfinders' job was to find and clear them.
This was understandably controversial. Such policies were thought defunct at the end of the 70s.
It was known that this kind of comprehensive redevelopment instantly blights a neighbourhood. Once the red line is drawn, services vanish, vandalism and crime increase, values collapse, and residents who would once have fought to stay become desperate to leave.
Tenants are offered £1,000 to get out, while owners have been receiving, on Rowntree Foundation figures, some £35,000 less than the market value prior to the clearance decision. This technique, known in the 60s as "winkling", was once performed by the likes of Rachman. It is now being performed by the state. Hutton describes it as "regeneration as a holistic intervention". I can see why this passed the inaccuracy test.
I remember the citizens of Moss Side placed in the same miserable bind before their enforced removal to Skelmersdale in the 1970s (later bitterly regretted). Yet many residents, for instance round Welsh Streets in Liverpool and in Burnley and Blackburn, occupy sound Victorian terraces that, in the south, would be restored without argument. They found lawyers, surveyors and lobbyists to oppose Pathfinder compulsory purchase, and have been involved in six cases, some still pending - winning one in Liverpool's Edge Hill. But they lack the funds of a government that has spent £163m on consultants for a policy that the free market in most run-down world historic cities eventually achieves.
A spate of investigative activity followed the launch of Pathfinder in 2003. The BBC's File on Four spoke in 2005 to groups of residents enraged at their prospective eviction. ITV's Tonight With Trevor McDonald showed that a Liverpool house could be more cheaply restored than demolished. The conservation group Save championed the cause of the northern terrace house in an exhibition and campaigning booklet. Jane Kennedy, a Liverpool MP, accused Pathfinder of "social cleansing". None of them appeared in the supplement. Nor did the separate consultants working in Blackburn's Darwen, who were found to have altered "fit" to "unfit" in their surveys a week after the council announced it wanted particular streets for a lucrative Blair academy project. Here Pathfinder was being used as cover for old-fashioned urban slash and burn.
The truth is that the northern property market is "renewing itself" ahead of Pathfinder. Central Liverpool is now experiencing a property boom, and areas such as Welsh Streets, were they to benefit from renovation grants, would achieve market regeneration without clearance. Even hard-to-let tower blocks in central Liverpool are being sold to new residents through private developers with no Pathfinder help. In Kelvin Grove, houses the government wants to demolish are now valued at £145,000. Brian Clancy, of the Institute of Structural Engineers, told Darwen residents (86% of whose houses had been declared "unfit") that their houses were perfectly good and required no more than an average of £5,000 of renovation to be worth £60,000-£80,000 on the market.
Nick Johnson, of the developers Urban Splash, has been a cuckoo in the Pathfinder nest by securing funds to restore rather than demolish a grid of derelict streets at Langworthy in Salford. He regards the popularity of the British urban terrace as rooted in "the incredibly robust houses, in their ability to be transformed and reworked to each generation". He did not feature in the supplement, and he must labour under the handicap of Cooper's requirement that he pay 17.5% VAT on terrace renovation, while clear-and-rebuild is zero-rated. Perhaps he should christen his estate Olympics Street.
The developers boast that the government's £5bn will attract £20bn of private money. But so might a few million spent on restoration grants and publicity. The government is trapped by putting itself in the pocket of developers' interests, backed by the House Builders Federation - which is potent in Downing Street. These interests are in danger of losing both Cooper's gushing consultancy fees and her actual subsidies. Already some 57,000 houses are scheduled for demolition, and there was once talk in Whitehall of a staggering toll of 400,000 Victorian properties coming down.
The plethora of local and national headlines about "the return of the 60s" has bolstered the Treasury worry that Pathfinder's market renewal has already been worked out of a mission. The market waits for no man, and certainly not a government department. Hence the drift of the Guardian supplement, aimed less at its local enemies (none of whom was offered space) than at the Treasury. The section's "editorial" pleaded with the Treasury that it was "crunch time" for Pathfinder in the spring comprehensive spending review. Developers and architects were reported to be desperate that the "revival will stutter if we do not continue to receive the resources we need". The we, of course, is they. Gordon Brown might reasonably argue that, as of yesterday, he has a far more immediate call on his wasted consultancy budget: the Olympics.
Cooper's agents have already been "buying" interviews on local radio stations to exclude local protesters. They have now bought a national newspaper. That taxpayers' money is used to further the interests of private developers against local homeowners is bad enough. That such money should be spent inducing newspapers to dress public relations as journalism in a ministerial spat with the Treasury is close to sleaze.
Another battle will be joined next week in a Guardian supplement paid for by the pro-sprawl government planners of the Commission for Rural Communities. I guarantee that no contribution from the Campaign to Protect Rural England will be included. I wonder why.
simon.jenkins@guardian.co.uk

MORE 'JOBS FOR THE BOYS' - NEW POST FOR PARKER THE SPIV...

OUR RESIDENT REGENERATION EXPERT WRITES:
English Partnerships has appointed cockney wide boy Charlie Parker as interim director of investment and performance.
Parker, who is being seconded from Enterprise plc, will work on the merger of English Partnerships with the HousingCorporation, announced in January.
This for the man who with his then mate, Sir Diddy (subsequently falling out over the split of the spoils) befriended all the Housing Associations in Liverpool and got them to board up tens of thousands of properties.
Parker, £150,000 a year Exec Director for Regeneration, gave Enterprise plc £180million worth of litter collecting and street sweeping contracts, before later joining them for a cushy job.
But while at Liverpool, Parker had first approved stopping litter collection and street sweeping in those same areas so that residents would be deliberately forced out by the deteriorating conditions, so that they would accept any old offer just to get out.
Parker then simultaneously struck deals with firms like Bellway and Gleesons to sell them the cleared sites for buttons - making them so happy that they all issued increased profit warnings to all their shareholders.
People are now really suffering as a result of his activities to get Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder in the city.
Demolition is everywhere - people are either affected directly or live very close to it. Others just drive through and wonder what the hell is going on.
All thanks to Parker, who was also instrumental in giving a job to the best friend of his second wife Ruth. Step forward the seriously incompetent Claire McColgan (for it is she, ed) who Parker gave a cushy job in Capital of Culture - to the utter astonishment and amusement of all his regeneration staff.
McColgan of course is now making a complete hash of being Robbing Archer's substitute.
Parker is famous for his spiv demeanour and deals - notably the disgraceful Beetham Tower deal. He was repeatedly outed on the now legendary Liverpool evil cabal blog, where dozens of people took the piss out of his crude cockney double-dealing. (I miss all those comments, ed)

Arrogant Parker is also known for his nauseating attitude towards women - he makes a crude habit of looking any woman up and down several times, before deigning to even speak to them.
Arrogant, rude, nauseatingly smug and infamous for talking regeneration gobbledegook which no normal person can understand.
He is a disgustingly selfish and nasty piece of work, without an ounce of honour or decency in his entire body.

COUNCIL LEADER BRADLEY AVOIDS ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS ON THE TONY PARRISH INVESTIGATION

A KELLY WRITES.......

I WROTE A SECOND TIME IN JANUARY TO CURRENT COUNCIL LEADER WARREN BRADLEY REGARDING THE TONY PARRISH INVESTIGATION.

MY EMAIL IS IN RED BELOW.

I ATTACHED MY FIRST EMAIL SINCE COUNCILLOR BRADLEY HAD NOT RESPONDED AFTER MORE THAN A WEEK. THIS IS IN BLUE.

AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST, HIGHLIGHTED (IN PURPLE) YOU WILL SEE COUNCILLOR BRADLEY'S RATHER TETCHY EMAIL RESPONSE TO ME,VIA ACTING CITY SOLICITOR MICHAEL KENWORTHY (the bald legal eagle, ed).

PRESUMABLY HE THOUGHT THIS WOULD SCARE ME OFF ASKING ANY AWKWARD QUESTIONS....

SECOND EMAIL

From: a.kelly583@ntlworld.com a.kelly583@ntlworld.com

To: Bradley, Warren (Leader of the City Council)

Sent: Wed Jan 31 13:30:43 2007

Subject: Tony Parrish investigation

Dear councillor,>

I have not yet received any reply to my email enquiry, which is enclosed below.

Inadvertently, I omitted Councillor Clark from the email although clearly he also has a strong interest and may be subject to any council investigation.>

I should be grateful if you could respond promptly. There are a number of other issues which I may need to raise with the appropriate bodies which govern the behaviour of councillors. I would appreciate a reponse before considering those further.>>

yours>>

A.Kelly > >> >

FIRST EMAIL

From: > > Date: 2007/01/19 Fri PM 03:33:18 GMT> ">a.kelly583@ntlworld.com>> > Date: 2007/01/19 Fri PM 03:33:18 GMT>

To: , >Bradley, Warren (Leader of the City Council);>">mike.storey@liverpool.gov.uk>>

Subject: Tony Parrish investigation> >> >

Dear Councillor,> >> >

Please find below a response I have received from the city council to my Freedom of Information request.> >> >
I had asked what questions Tony Parrish had asked the council and what the council's response had been.> >> >
As you will see from the reply, the council has been unable to respond with the information I requested.> >> >
In my view, there are three potential explanations for this:> >> >
1) The council's record-keeping systems and processes are so chaotic and disorganised that they simply do not know.> >> >
2) They are trying to frustrate my enquiry because it will produce information which will only embarrass them further by revealing their consistent and repeated failure to obey the law on Freedom of Information. (Presumably they don't want the council to appear in court again.)> >> >
3) They are trying to intimidate Mr Parrish with their 'ongoing investigation.' (It is also a convenient excuse for refusing to impart such information, isn't it?)> >> >
I doubt whether 3) will work.> >> >
However both you gentlemen should be aware of an apparent "ongoing investigation".> >
Who authorised this?> >
What is its justification?> >
How much has it cost?> >
Who does it involve?> >
What is its purpose?> >
When did it begin?> >
When will it be concluded?> >> >
I am sure that you may wish to put these and a number of other questions to the current chief executive. I should be interested in the answers.> >> >
As a council taxpayer, this seems to me yet more evidence of the unacceptable activities of an officer class within the city council, who are both out of control and unaccountable, as well as lacking in judgement and common sense. It also raises yet again the intriguing question of who is actually running the city council - democratically elected politicians, or unaccountable civil servants? I suspect the answer is fairly clear.> >> >
I can only presume that at the end of the day any "investigation" being conducted by the city council may eventually lead to councillors also being interviewed, leading to the possibility of further action.> >> >
I imagine there will be many people who will be willing to provide additional information. Perhaps you yourselves will be able to shed further light on all these matters in order to assist Mr Hilton in his enquiries.> >> >
In the meantime, I would like answers to my questions about Mr Parrish's questions - and the council's response.> >> >
Perhaps you can use whatever influence you may have to try and resolve this matter?> >> > regards,> >> >
AKelly



BRADLEY'S RESPONSE






From: "Bradley, Warren \(Leader of the City Council\)" Warren.Bradley@liverpool.gov.uk

Date: 2007/01/31 Wed PM 01:48:17 GMT

To: a.kelly@ntlworld.com; "Kenworthy, Michael Michael.Kenworthy@liverpool.gov.uk

Subject:

Re: Tony Parrish investigation
-->

Michael,

I forwarded the original email to you for information and advice on a response.

Can you please advise as to what I should do as a form of response: you will notice that the email is written in a threatening and intrusive manner.

I would appreciate your response by return?

Regards
Warren

Warren Bradley
Leader of Liverpool City Council--------------------------Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld

SPEKE HAS SPOKEN: BRING ON THE MAY CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS!!!!!

OUR MAN AT THE COUNT WRITES.......

LABOUR stormed to a thumping by-election victory in Speke last night, overturning a Lib Dem majority of more than 800.
Colin Strickland swept to victory with a Labour majority of almost 800 - giving a huge smack in the face to the council's ruling Lib Dem administration.
The huge turnaround in Speke brought forecasts that Labour, led by no-nonsense Joe Anderson, could now take control of the council in 2008, Capital of Culture year (wouldn't that be sweet? ed)
It was a particularly sad night for Inspector Clueless, bumptious Councillor Richard Marbrow, the by-election campaign chief who masterminded the Lib Dem's stunning defeat (right)
Marbrow was last night celebrating his 73rd birthday (well he acts like an old git, ed) by bringing his shiny new birthday laptop to the count so that he could play at being a real-life election supremo (the pompous fool, ed).
Marbrow sat down with his lap top toy, while various impressionable Lib Dem types ran around trying to look like they knew what they were doing and fetching him pieces of paper.
Marbrow, whose seat in Kensington has already been abandoned in May by Lib Dem leader, Warren Bradley, got glummer and glummer on his birthday as the scale of the defeat sunk in.
Another of our favourite characters, Colin Cover Up read out the result (wonder if he also pocketed an extra £25,000 as returning officer, just like greedy Henshaw? ed) to victorious Labour cheers.
But the shocked and disappointed Fib Dems hurriedly escaped before they could be serenaded away by the triumphant Labour campaigners with a chorus of "Happy Birthday, dear Clueless..."
Now watch the in-fighting break out in public amongst the Lib Dems as they panic over which seats they will lose in May.
And keep an ear to the ground for signs of an early leadership challenge to Bradley.
(Tell me the old, old Storey, ed)

COUNCIL TO CUT CULTURE BY £21 MILLION - BUT WHERE HAS ALL THE MONEY GONE?

Liverpool city council is making cuts of £21million to Capital of Culture in 2008.
Liverpool's proud year is now set to be a penny-pinching damp squib because of the financial waste and neglect of the city council and Culture Company.
After frittering away a small fortune paying off first the greedy Henshaw (£340,000) and then Robbing Archer (£180,000), the Culture Company have squandered millions on Archer's creative team, an army of private consultants from outside the city and a string of public relations companies, lobbyists and designers, mostly from outside Liverpool. Their contribution to culture in Liverpool has been distinctly underwhelming - but it has cost council taxpayers a fortune.
Then there has been:

• The millions disgracefully wasted on the rottweiller McElhinney's ruinous contracts with LDL
• The £18,000 spent on a roof to keep the pigeon shit off Colin Cover Up's posh car
  
• The private shower built for the evil rottweiller at MisadVenture Place
• £377,000 spent on toy wheely bins, rubbers and 't' shirts
  
• Council leader Bradley's all expenses paid trip with Cover Up to the south of France next week
• The £3million which treasurer Phil Hasitall gave to his mate Chas Cole for the Summer Pops
• The £25,000 spent to get Jayne Casey into bed (outrageous waste of money, ed)
  
• Two all expenses paid trips by The Harbarrowboy to Los Angeles (that's a new one! ed)
• Sending The Harbarrowboy back to school at Harvard (what's wrong with Anfield Comp? ed)
• Posh champagne receptions for the great and the good in Liverpool and London
  
• A huge hospitality budget for posh lunches, dinners and entertaining, courtesy of council tax payers
• At least £1million paid out in Performance Related Pay to senior managers like Cover Up, the smiling assassin Hasitall and the rottweiller who have performed so badly the council now faces a huge financial crisis!
• Cover Up's £210,000 a year salary. Hasitall's £200,000 a year salary. The Harbarrowboy's £185,000 a year salary, etc, etc, etc, etc.
  

All of this - and does anyone deny any of it? - adds up to a monumental waste of public money which has left the fat cats fatter and the city of Liverpool a whole lot poorer.
The city council is only now being forced to admit it is strapped for cash after trying to hush up the full scale of the mis-management. See The Echo story (amazingly, ed)
The Lib Dems had even intended to set an illegal budget which didn't balance the books, but their cover has been blown.
Now it has been revealed that within the next three months they are planning to renege on their promise to give £5.8 million to Capital of Culture for 2007/8.
Another £12million is being lopped off spending for Culture in 2008 itself.
And there is a shortage of almost £4million in sponsorship (I thought the Harbarrowboy was responsible for bringing in sponsors? No wonder they are sending him back to school, ed)
The only conclusion to be drawn is that 2008 will now be a huge wasted opportunity and a massive disappointment to all those who hoped it would help change Liverpool for good.
The council and the Culture Company are directly responsible. They have bankrupted Liverpool's future.
But no-one from the council or the Culture Company has yet explained how they have spent the millions from the government and European Union which has already been handed over.
Can anyone now trust any of these wasters with any more public money?
Make them pay.

MORE PUBLIC MONEY GOES DOWN THE DRAIN (Part 4) - £377,000 SPENT ON MARKETING TOYS FOR COUNCILLORS AND OFFICIALS

LIVERPOOL city council has spent £377,000 on a massive advertising campaign...for re-cycling!
The council, which has one of the worst re-cycling records in the country, has forked out a small fortune on marketing gimmicks which cannot even be re-cycled!
Councillors were astonished this week to receive surprise 'goody bags' to their Town Hall post boxes.
The bags, hundreds of which were sent around the city, contained a Liverpool Recycles 't' shirt, a small plastic blue wheely bin, a pencil sharpener, a rubber, a notepad, a plastic biro and a plastic cup, along with all the usual PR bumpf.
These were the wonderful marketing gimmicks dreamt up by some PR company, as part of a £377,000 campaign which is aimed at promoting re-cycling in the city.
With such little goodies there is usually at least a 100 per cent mark-up involved for the PR company which arranges them.
But quite why all of the city's councillors need to be persuaded to start re-cycling is beyond us - since any councillor with half a brain should be at the forefront of the campaign anyway.
We wonder did councillors notice the amount of plastic used in manufacturing these expensive little toys?
But the little goodie bags also went to senior officers, including chief executive Colin 'Cover Up', who authorised the spending, and treasurer Phil Hasitall, aka the smiling assassin, who has just warned that the council is virtually bankrupt.
Neither of these men apparently questioned whether these marketing gimmicks were the best use of council taxpayers money.

A council spokesman angrily defended the use of council taxpayers money on such gimmicks.

He said: "If we want to waste thousands of pounds on little plastic wheely bins, pencil sharpeners and rubbers, then so what?

"That's nothing compared to the millions the city council has already wasted on contracts with McElhinney's Liverpool Direct, as the chief executive has so usefully pointed out in the past."

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, DAILY POST, BUT NOT PRINTED.

Dear Sir,

Contributors to the Liverpool subCulture blog have made a number of practical suggestions about the £50million cuts which the city council could make without hurting the most vulnerable in the city.
We wanted to share their suggestions with Daily Post readers.
Amongst the most popular are to dispense with the services of the city treasurer, the chief executive and the gaggle of highly paid senior managers, since the cash crisis is their responsibility.
Other suggestions include getting back the £340,000 the city council paid the former chief executive Sir David Henshaw for retiring early, since he doesn't appear to have retired.
Scrap the hospitality budget, end the posh lunches and take away the posh cars the council pays for.
Stop paying Liverpool Direct Limited for the services they charge the Council.
Charge for the use of the purpose built shower on the third floor of Venture Place.
Demolish the pigeon loft at the back of the Municipal Buildings (saving £18,000)
Get our money back from Robyn Archer.
Scrap the neighbourhood services talking shops (controversial this one)
Halve the quangos in the city.
Put an immediate freeze on all performance related pay awards for senior managers, since they have obviously failed to perform.
Suggestions are still coming in and they will all be forwarded to the current Leader of the Council, Councillor Warren Bradley in his hour of need. We would welcome any more. Perhaps DPost readers might like to make their own suggestions?

Tony Parrish47
Liverpool subCulture

LETTER OF JANUARY 19TH TO COUNCILLORS BRADLEY AND STOREY REGARDING TONY PARRISH'S QUESTIONS...

My last post concerned my Freedom of Information request to find out what questions Tony Parrish (pictured, ed) asked and the council's answers.
The council refused to comply with my request.
I then decided - in the interests of open government - to write to the current Leader of the Council, Councillor Warren Bradley and the former leader of the Council, Councillor Mike Storey to ascertain if they could shed any further light on these matters.
This is my letter of the 19th of January....(to be continued)

Dear Councillor,
Please find below a response I have received from the city council to my Freedom of Information request.
I had asked what questions Tony Parrish had asked the council and what the council's response had been.
As you will see from the reply, the council has been unable to respond with the information I requested.
In my view, there are three potential explanations for this:
1) The council's record-keeping systems and processes are so chaotic and disorganised that they simply do not know.
2) They are trying to frustrate my enquiry because it will produce information which will only embarrass them further by revealing their consistent and repeated failure to obey the law on Freedom of Information. (Presumably they don't want the council to appear in court again.)
3) They are trying to intimidate Mr Parrish with their 'ongoing investigation.'
(It is also a convenient excuse for refusing to impart such information, isn't it?)
I doubt whether 3) will work.
However both you gentlemen should be aware of an apparent "ongoing investigation".
Who authorised this?
What is its justification?
How much has it cost?
Who does it involve?
What is its purpose?
When did it begin?
When will it be concluded?
I am sure that you may wish to put these and a number of other questions to the current chief executive.
I should be interested in the answers.
As a council taxpayer, this seems to me yet more evidence of the unacceptable activities of an officer class within the city council, who are both out of control and unaccountable, as well as lacking in judgement and common sense.
It also raises yet again the intriguing question of who is actually running the city council - democratically elected politicians, or unaccountable civil servants?
I suspect the answer is fairly clear.
I can only presume that at the end of the day any "investigation" being conducted by the city council may eventually lead to councillors also being interviewed, leading to the possibility of further action.
I imagine there will be many people who will be willing to provide additional information.
Perhaps you yourselves will be able to shed further light on all these matters in order to assist Mr Hilton in his enquiries.
In the meantime, I would like answers to my questions about Mr Parrish's questions - and the council's response.
Perhaps you can use whatever influence you may have to try and resolve this matter?

regards,

AKelly

CORRESPONDENCE WITH COLIN 'COVER UP' OVER TONY PARRISH'S FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS...

THIS IS A COPY OF AN EMAIL I SENT TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL TOGETHER WITH THE COUNCIL'S RESPONSE.

I AM GRATEFUL TO liverpool subCulture FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THIS CORRESPONDENCE PUBLIC. THERE IS MORE TO FOLLOW...

Date: 2007/01/14 Sun PM 03:53:33 GMT
To: colin.hilton@liverpool.gov.uk

Subject: FOI request

Dear Mr Hilton,

Please consider this a request under the Freedom of Information Act.

1) Please provide copies, with dates, of all requests for information received by the city council from Mr Tony Parrish under the Freedom of Information Act.

2) Please list, and provide copies of, all of the council's responses.

3) Please list, with dates, all complaints received by the city council from Mr Tony Parrish about the council's response.

4) Please list, with dates, the council's responses to these complaints.

Yours faithfully,

A.Kelly

COUNCIL RESPONSE.....

Enquiries to: Wendy Twigge
Your Ref:
Our Ref: LA/WT/07/0733
Date: 18 January, 2007

A Kelly
a.kelly583@ntlworld.com

Dear Sir

FOI – MR TONY PARRISH

Thank you for your request for information made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

With regard to the information which you seek, we are at this time unable to comply with your request.

This information is retained by Liverpool City Council but forms part of an ongoing investigation and is, therefore, exempt by virtue of the Section 30.

To comply with the Act we have confirmed the existence of this information to you. It would have a detrimental effect on the development of any investigation.

This exemption requires that the public interest test be considered and in doing so it is felt that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in its disclosure. This has been considered and maintained as the investigation is ongoing and affects several other individuals as well as the public body itself. Disclosure of information at this time would be damaging to the investigation.

When we are unable to comply with a request made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, we are required to serve you with a Section 17 Notice. Please treat this email as such a notice.

The City Council will consider complaints about the way it has handled your request under its Have Your Say scheme. You can complete a form online on our website at http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/Feedback/Feedback_form/index.asp or you can write to us at Liverpool Direct, FREEPOST, NWW 3400A, Liverpool, L1 3ZZ. We will then deal with your complaint within two weeks, carry out a full and fair investigation within a further month if things are not resolved, and arrange for a different senior officer to review your case within a further month if you remain unhappy.

You may also apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision about whether the request for information has been dealt with in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The Information Commissioner’s website is http://www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/eventual.aspx and the address and telephone numbers are: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, Fax 01625 524 510, DX 20819, Telephone 01625 545 745, email: mail@ico.gsi.gov.uk (they advise that their e-mail is not secure).

Yours faithfully

Wendy Twigge
Information Manager

'Deep folly all around', says Professor Stanley Unwin from beyond the graveymost

Professor Stanley Unwin said...


Dear Bloggermoles,

Too much speclio gong on, hanky panky, funny buslanes, no no, deep folly.
So just a wordytwo here to take the opportuneo to put the record straightmost.
Truth be known, tremendous gapoed municipal coffers.
Many milliowes caught short.
Poor Colonic Hiltio been accusey most new broom sweeper, Bex bissel under the carpetload.
But no, not to be. Worry Bradlio, hop on fasty boat all the way Cannes. Deep cuts much folly. Teary bye thinks, May election calamatoast. Must do something. No hesitate, fasty think feet.
Top of all this, Halitosis shiny porshe, cover most a pigeon load.
Oh no! he criedly-eyed. Birdy business much mess cleary upmost.
Hers's some cashie bags, spoke the chef executoad, cover my combustio steery wheels too, most shiny and keep off the dropping splashies all over my windelows.
Fifteen trouserpounds, they said!
Now, much thought pop the weasel cost. Tuppeny rice? No, if only.
Too much waste and Paul McCartnoad no show. Can we get Sonia? No, too busy panto rehearso. Ahh yes, Slappy thigh behind you. No it isn't. yes it is. Ha, Ha.
Much joy kiddies faces on the asbo loads. Til Billy Butload that is. Even Petey Priceright dressy up girly dame.
Do a funny turn. But not pop load, not for summer.
So, keep open the biblio? Thought Bradmoade. Many books, lots of story, funny and sad. Laughy face and teary in the eyeline. Pictures too.
Or splashy about all wet. Leisure centrepede. Not in the water though. Purpley dye widdley culprit all red faced. Wring the speedos out though. Quick rinse, never topple in the tumbelow dryer. Much shrinky male soprano load. Definite no.
Keep both open hours said Bradlio.Smiley faces deep joy.
Scrap the pop and sack of cole.
Was cream on top? May never know, finger prints all over wipey that too. Deep folly all round.
Gravy train off the rails for this year, so no more gravy, just the laughingmost stock cube. Cant blame the pidgeos for that.
But 2008 just around the crooner, Singy Frank Sinatra, ahhh no longer. Deeply sad.
But don't forget still kareoke like Sinatra, singsong words he said. "I mind it down way. No regrets just mention a few most."
Hope that's all cleary now.
Bye load nightly
Tuesday, February 13, 2007 4:00:00 AM

HERE IS COUNCIL LEADER WARREN BRADLEY'S BUSY TIMETABLE IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE AFTER HE MAKES £50MILLION WORTH OF CUTS - TAKEN FROM THE OFFICIAL GUIDE

THE CITY COUNCIL IS PLANNING ON MAKING £50MILLION WORTH OF CUTS TO SERVICES. AT THE SAME TIME COUNCIL LEADER WARREN BRADLEY AND COLIN 'COVER UP' HILTON ARE SWANNING OFF TO CANNES IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE. (cost unknown)

Here is the undynamic duo's official timetable (We have drawn attention to some events of particular interest): SEE www.liverpoolmipim.co.uk FOR ALL THE DETAILS

The events programme for 2007 will include the following:-

LIVERPOOL WELCOME - Supporters Only
This is an informal event to help kick start the MIPIM week. All Liverpool @MIPIM supporters are welcome to attend.

Date: Monday 12th March from 19.00
Venue: Liverpool Yacht
Format: Informal drinks reception.
Audience: Sponsors/Partners/Associates

STAND BREAKFASTS - Supporters Welcome
This is an informal continental breakfast served each morning on the Liverpool stand. An ideal way to start the day.

Date: Daily between 9 – 10am
Venue: Liverpool Stand
Format: Continental breakfast
Audience: All welcome

MEET THE CITY - Invitation Only
Our traditional meet the city event will once again take place on the Liverpool yacht and gives supporters the opportunity to meet and network with key representatives from the city. Attendance will be restricted to the agreed supporter allocations.

Date: Thursday 15th March 12.00 – 14.30
Venue: Liverpool Yacht
Format: Buffet lunch and drinks
Audience: Sponsors/Partners/Associates (as per allocation)

LIVERPOOL TEAM DINNER - Invitation Only
The Liverpool team dinner proved to be one of the highlights of MIPIM 2006 and for 2007 we will once again be dining at the excellent La Potinier du Palais. This will be a fairly informal dinner, hosted by Cllr Warren Bradley (Leader, Liverpool City Council) and Colin Hilton (Chief Executive, Liverpool City Council). Invitations will be issued according the agreed supporter allocations.

Date: Thursday 15th March
Venue: La Potinier du Palais 13 Square Merimee (opposite the Palais des Festivals).
Time: 19.00 – 22.30
Audience: Sponsors/Partners/Associates (as per allocation)

LIVERPOOL@MORRISON’S PARTY - Restricted Access
The Liverpool@Morrison’s party is guaranteed to be the best event in town, offering the ideal opportunity to unwind with guests at the end of a busy MIPIM week. We have once again secured private access to the street and as well as live music from the Mersey Beatles, there will be bar facilities both inside and out.

Date: Thursday 15th March
Venue: Morrison’s Irish Pub
Time: 21.30 – ‘til late
Audience: All supporters plus invited guests


OUR MESSAGE TO THE CITY COUNCIL?

BAN THE
CANNES!

OOOPS! IT'S GONE UP TO £50 MILLION WORTH OF CUTS NOW...

...that's inflation for you!

CAN YOU HELP THE CITY COUNCIL SAVE £18MILLION?

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL faces an £18 million budget deficit and is thinking about selling off the family silver to make up some dosh.
But you can help save the city's Municipal Offices and Capital of Culture from the axeman in this our historic birthday year.
We are appealing to all our loyal readers and to the thousands of council employees now labouring under the threat of cuts for suggestions about how the city council can save money.
No amount is too large or too small. No idea too stupid or inspired. No cut too savage or slight. (that's enough 'no's', ed).
We will send all your ideas to council leader Warren Bradley (if he is still there, ed). Then he will forget them. But we will have fun making the suggestions.
You can make comments in the usual way and we will post them here (in the now time-honoured tradition, ed)
To kick off this glorious exercise in democratic participation can we make our own suggestion about how to cut the budget deficit which has built up so unexpectedly? (You can, ed)

OUR SUGGESTION IS THIS: Why don't the council sack the smiling assassin, Phil Halsall?

After all he has been the sodding treasurer for the last seven years and it must be his bloody fault if the council is strapped for cash now.

What on earth has he been doing?

Sack Halsall and the council would save more than £300,000 a year.



MILDRED said...
I suggest sacking Hilton, and getting the dwarf to give back all the money he stole.Dr Dog should sell his shower to the highest bidder.In fact sack most of the AED'S they do nothing useful anyway.Stop other managers wasting money on meeting rooms posh lunches,and take away the posh cars the council pays for.Selling our heritage is not the option but as usual the people of Liverpool are the ones who suffer and the staff from the council who can't even have a decent cup of water!Cuts always affect those who most need help and cannot continue to happen, it is always the front line services who suffer, if you see the budget report you will find that once again the leaders of the council want to cut services to people who most need assistance yet they don't cut their own expenses or their overpaid salary.They will get 10% bonus for cutting services and selling our heritage.Now that would be a great saving if they cut this expenditure.One of the main areas of saving money is not to pay LDL for all the services that they provide for the Council, the services belong to the people of Liverpool, not Dr Mc, slice the payments they are giving to BT for services that we already own, we would save millions
Friday, February 02, 2007 3:55:00 PM
Len said...
my suggestion is to sue Diddy for the money he blacmailed out of the city. That's another 350 grand.
Friday, February 02, 2007 6:24:00 PM
Jimbo said...
My suggestion is to charge anyone using Mcilhenny's shower. Perhaps we should charge £10 a time. It would soon mount up with all the running he is doing.
Friday, February 02, 2007 6:26:00 PM
Tommy said...
I suggest that the council scraps its hospitality budget so that it no longer has to pay for the thousands of sandwiches that are left to curl up all over the city. It's a waste and needless expense people can buy their own.
Anonymous said...
I agree - stop the butty budget!!!!

PH and DrMce said...
You'll never take our butty budget never!!

Saturday, February 03, 2007 7:26:00 PM

Anonymous said...
give back the pooh screen ?

Saturday, February 03, 2007 7:31:00 PM

Anonymous said...
Get Robbing Archer and DH and Dr Dog and the Happy Assassin to give it all back?

Saturday, February 03, 2007 7:31:00 PM

Anonymous said...
Regrade all senior Council and Capital of Culture officers so that their packages are commensurate with their ability and performance (NB this could result in a positive cashflow to the Council)

Saturday, February 03, 2007 7:32:00 PM

Anonymous said...
seriously scrap the neighbourhood services. they are the most expensive talking shops ever

Sunday, February 04, 2007 12:36:00 AM

Anonymous said...
halve the quangos in this city.
the butty budget and the expenses of transporting them from talking shop to talking shop will save a fortune also think of the benefit to the environment cos they won't be travelling into the city from sunny southport and wirral every day

Sunday, February 04, 2007 12:39:00 AM

grass roots worker said...
i agree. put an immediate freeze on all performance related pay for senior managers. that would save an absolute fortune. what about it warren?

Sunday, February 04, 2007 4:46:00 PM

COLIN COVER UP IS FOUND OUT.....!

COLIN COVER UP FACES CONTEMPT OF COURT PROCEEDINGS
Click here to discover how the city's chief exec has finally been found out:
http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100regionalnews/tm_headline=high-court-threat-to-city-chief-over-red-light-row%26method=full%26objectid=18533567%26page=1%26siteid=50061-name_page.html

WE ARE OFFICIALLY NOMINATING THE DUSANJ BROTHERS, WHO OWN CAINS BREWERY, TO BE LIVERPOOL'S NEXT ARTISTIC DIRECTORS FOR 2008.
At least we know for certain that they will be able to run a piss-up in a brewery.

Colin 'Cover Up' finally admits: "TONY PARRISH TOLD THE TRUTH"

Liverpool city council have finally admitted that Tony Parrish told the truth on his legendary liverpoolevilcabal blog.
The admission comes in a confidential report compiled by the city council's own internal audit department and endorsed by chief executive Colin 'Cover Up' (Colin Hilton, ed)
The 12-page report sets out to try and prove that the city council's former media chief, Matt Finnegan was the real Tony Parrish.
Readers will recall that Finnegan had worked for the council for six years as Director of Communications before Henshaw suspended him on trumped up charges over his pension row with council leader Mike Storey.
The internal report was leaked to the Liverpool Echo before Christmas by the city council's smiling assassin, Executive Director Phil Halsall (left) in an unsuccessful attempt to try and damage Finnegan.
The Echo however chose not to swallow the bait and pointed out the report was littered with half-truths, speculation and conjecture, the council itself admitting that it was inconclusive.
However, what has surprisingly been ignored is the report's description of events within the council which lead to the sudden appearance last summer of the liverpoolevilcabal blog.
For the first time, we can reveal the circumstances in which the legendary Tony Parrish gave birth to the blog.
And they give a fascinating insight into what was going on inside the Municipal Buildings soon after Sir Diddy (chief executive, Sir David Henshaw, ed) was made to walk the plank and retire early.
One page of the report is headed: Access to Council Material

It describes how five Freedom of Information email requests were made by "Tony Parrish" to the then acting chief executive Colin 'Cover Up' (Colin Hilton, ed) on 20th April last year. (Henshaw had departed on March 31st, ed).
The extremely detailed questions, which were about The 08 Place, The Summer Pops and internal audit's lack of activities, requested official documents about all three. (The council has still failed to respond - a flagrant breach of the law, ed)

But the internal report goes on:

"One of the five emails...asked for documentation relating to the sub tenancy of The 08 Place. Although, at that time there was no evidence as to the identity of Tony Parrish, the belief was that these requests had been provoked by information provided by council sources. " (You betcha bottom dollar, ed) In an email to those involved, the chief executive (Hilton, left) stated: 'I received five requests from the same person under the Freedom of Information Act in relation to this complaint and The 08 Place. In view of the information in the requests it is reasonable for me to believe that only those directly involved could have supplied information to this third party ." (Our hero, Tony Parrish, ed)

So, you will be asking, who were those 'directly involved'?
Well, Colin 'Cover Up' was one. The now discredited and pensioned off Head of Internal Audit, Gerry Callaghan was another.
And there were two councillors - former leader, Mike Storey and current leader, Warren Bradley. (Take your pick folks, ed)
All four had met to consider allegations made about The 08 Place, Henshaw blackmailing the city, The Summer Pops, The Kensington One Stop Shop, etc, etc.
(It is revealing, isn't it folks? that Hilton already appears at this point to have been more interested in trying to trace the source of the leak than properly investigating the specific allegations which had been made at such a senior level. Warren should have been warned then, ed)
It was thus as a result of Hilton's failure to respond to lawful questions and to properly act against corruption and criminality that the liverpoolevilcabal blog was born.
Clearly Tony Parrish was determined that the evil cabal should be publicly exposed.
So that's when all the fun started.
The report goes on to say:

"A significant amount of the material on the liverpoolevilcabal website related to Council business that was not in the public domain or public knowledge. Examples not necessarily exhaustive, include:

• Allegations in relation to 08 Place, which contained detail that was only available to a handful of individuals within the city council (guess who folks? ed) including a reference (27th July 2006), to detailed documents being presented to the Chief Executive and Head of Audit. (ah-ha, as Alan Partridge would say, ed)
• The posting of 3rd July (told you they were following every word, ed) which reproduces extracts of Councillor Antrobus's account of events, referred to on the website as "Henshaw's attempted coup - by Coun Antrobus") (This was Henshaw threatening to report Storey to the Standards Board unless he quit, ed)
  
• The postings of 21st and 22nd July which reproduce extracts of Councillor Clark's account of events, referred to on the website as "Henshaw threatened Storey's job - shock new evidence" and "Henshaw's blackmail note". (Aaaaah, this takes us back to exciting times, ed. As the sun beat down, Tony Parrish lazed about with his laptop, sipping Chablis and detonating one grenade after another as the stunned council recoiled. It was almost Dickensian in its scope and cast of sordid characters as the seedy underbelly of Henshaw's evil cabal was revealed in all its full horror, ed. Those were the days, ed.)
• The Cream proposals for running the Summer Pops. (This was the attempted stitch-up with CMP and the Harbarrowboy, ed)

It is reasonable to conclude that material such as this could only have emanated from Council sources" the report concludes, (with amazing insight, ed).

Here's the thing though - what was Hilton doing about the allegations which were emanating from such senior council sources? (Bugger all - he banned the blog instead, ed)
'Cover Up' was clearly aware of the allegations being made - particularly about Henshaw blackmailing the city council, but repeatedly failed to call in the police to investigate. Why not? (There could still be more developments on this though, watch this space, ed)
So there you have it.
Tony Parrish was being fed confidential information from inside the council by 'you know who', decided it should be made public and not covered up by Colin.
The blog was born.
And that started the city council's witch hunt against TP (banning the blog to the public, threats of writs, letters to Google, the smiling assassin's pathetic letter to the Information Commissioner, Inspector Clueless wandering around scratching his head, etc, etc)
Oh what fun it all was.
And there's a nice little postscript.
The confidential report can barely disguise its disappointment when it describes how it had intended to raise all this stuff about confidential information with Mattie Finnegan (below) to: "ascertain if he could provide any information or shed any light as to the source(s)."
(We can imagine his direct two-word response to this particular enquiry, ed)
But he thwarted them by upping and resigning in disgust before they could question him. (Apparently Callaghan had been practising his 'hard cop, soft cop' routine in an office mirror for weeks in readiness for this confrontation, ed)
The report concludes:
"In the circumstances, in the absence of any further information, it is not possible to draw any conclusions as to the source of Council material used in e-mails or on the liverpoolevilcabal website."
And we daresay that there are one or two senior people at the city council today who are gratefully breathing a huge sigh of relief.
(We just thought you should know the truth....ed)

SIR TREVOR AND LADY DOREEN - GET WELL SOON!

GET well soon wishes to Sir Trevor Jones and his
redoubtable missus, Lady Doreen, who have both
been ill over the festive season.
Both have been in the Countess of Chester Hospital,
Sir Trevor with an apparent heart attack and
Lady Do with a hip injury.
Sir Trevor, a fomer leader of the council, has been under 24 hour
observation after a major transfusion, while Lady Doreen, the
council's current Planning Chair, will need an
emergency hip replacement.
Sir Trevor was a respected
leader of the Council who became a national politicalfigure.
Lady Doreen, a former Lord Mayor, has had ahuge impact
on planning and the police authority.
Regardless of political persuasion, both have done much
for Liverpool.

Caption Competition - Win a new £17,000 roof to keep the bird shit off your motor. 2nd Prize - a free bus pass for your kids to go to school.

OH SHIT - IT'S ANOTHER 'COVER UP' BY COLIN!

Oh Shit! Colin 'Cover Up' Hilton has spent £17,000 of taxpayers money on a new roof for his car!
This is at the same time that the city council is planning to stop free school buses for 4,500 of the city's kids.
Hilton ordered the cover up to protect his gleaming paint work from the bird shit dropped by the city's seagulls and pigeons.
He agreed that the money should be spent on putting a roof over the free car park spaces that he and the smiling assassin Halsall, who drives a new Porsche, occupy at the rear of the Municipal Buildings in Victoria Street.
The scandal has been highlighted by the Liverpool Daily Post (was the Echo fast asleep again, or just being consistently craven? ed) in a fantastic story today.
Amazingly Council Leader Warren Bradley has defended the use of taxpayers money on featherbedding (ouch, ed) well paid officials like this, accusing critics like Labour's Joe Anderson of being 'mischievous.'
(Here is another lengthy editorial aside: A word of advice Warren. Being Leader of the Council does not mean that you have to justify everything the city council does, nor defend the indefensible as in this case, whatever Hilton tells you. You keep on doing this as though you are performing some kind of public duty - whether it is over the shambles that is Culture, the whitewash over The 08 Place or The Summer Pops. You do not have to keep doing this. It is stupid. Your job is to protect and defend the public interest - that is not the same thing as the council's interests. Please grow up, act like a mature politician, be your own man and use a bit of common sense and judgement, or we will not be so kind to you in the future, ed)
The roof has been built for the cars of highly paid senior executives such as Hilton and Halsall who already enjoy FREE car parking at the rear of the Municipal Buildings - unlike all other council employees.
It seems they can't afford to pay for their own cars to be cleaned so they wanted a roof building instead.
Apparently the fingers of McElhinney can be found all over the roof plan for the pooh park at the MO.
And of course, Halsall would have had to sign off the expenditure as city treasurer.
As Councillor Anderson remarked: "It's like something from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest".
In the meantime these luxury loving motorists want to axe free school buses for 4,500 Liverpool children because it costs too much.
See how the evl cabal still survives, folks?
Disgraceful. Write to your local councillor and get the canopy torn down.

VICTORY FOR EMPLOYEE AGAINST LAW-BREAKING CITY COUNCIL

Click on this link to read about the historic victory of a Liverpool woman over the law-breaking city council. This is the first of more to come.....
council breaks the law over data protection

BRADLEY GETS HIS MAN AS REGEN BOSS

An awful lot of bollocks has been talked about the appointment of John Kelly as the city council's new regeneration chief.
Labour have been complaining that Kelly's appointment was stitched up in advance and that no attention was paid to the other applicants.
Of course it was stitched up!
Warren Bradley insisted that Kelly was appointed to the post and he was determined enough to ensure that his fellow Lib Dems voted the way he wanted.
What's so surprising about that? It may not be a fair and transparent appointment process, but there is no such thing in Liverpool.
Henshaw's corrupt regime at the city council was constantly characterised by stitched up appointments of people Sir Diddy favoured or who would do his bidding (even if Mike Storey didn't want them, ed).
How else does anyone think McElhinney came to be appointed from Knowsley?
Cos he was Storey's choice?

Don't make me laugh.
Henshaw shooed in his rottweiller. Just like he shooed in Halsall and all the others.
All that is happening now is that Bradley, for once in his life, is asserting some control over council officers and ensuring that his hand-picked men (and sadly, they will be mainly men, ed) are the ones who get the jobs.
It's called realpolitik.
You may not like it, but learn to live with it - especially when its exercised by councillors - at least they are accountable for the people they appoint.
The alternative is to ignore proven experience and talent by making appointments based instead on a beauty parade of candidates who perform best at interview.
Hence the appointment of complete bullshitters like Kris Donaldson at Culture.
Performed brilliantly at interview - but absolutely hopeless at his job. A man who can't even decide when to cross the road.
The truth is that for a whole host of reasons, and despite noticeably lacking some human and personal qualities, John Kelly was undoubtedly the best appointment for Liverpool.
For a start, he is probably the city council's only fully paid up intellectual.
(And amongst those pygmies, he stands out a mile. Observing the completely blank faces of his colleagues around the table at meetings is an utter joy.)
Secondly and most importantly, he was amongst a group of senior officers in Regeneration who, under the direction of the departing Charlie Parker, helped Mike Storey compile his dossier on McElhinney, Halsall and The 08 Place, Summer Pops etc, etc. (More power to his elbow then, ed)
Thirdly, he was one of the few senior council officers to loudly condemn Henshaw's evil cabal for their attempted coup d'etat against Storey. He accurately compared it to the head of the civil service trying to depose the Prime Minister.
Fourthly, he hates McElhinney. (Say no more, ed)
He was one of the few senior officers who accurately identified McElhinney's vicious bullying streak.
At one memorable event, Kelly demonstrated his theory to onlookers by using his considerable height to 'accidentally' bump into the rottweiller, who like the authentic bully he truly is, instantly recoiled in terror when physically confronted. (Why didn't they just make this guy the chief exec? He sounds a top man! ed)
Fifthly, he had the good sense to twice turn down cast-iron invitations from Storey to become chief exec of Capital of Culture and replace the Harbarrowboy.
At the time, this was seen as a blow - now it is clear that Kelly was displaying great common sense and that he plans to be around a long time after the damp squib of 08 is long forgotten.
Sixthly, Henshaw was gloriously intimidated both by Kelly's intellectual supriority and by his physical stature - he's about 6 foot 6 inches and made Sir Diddy appear as puny as he is.
And seventhly (that's enough reasons, you have persuaded us, ed) he is well-liked because he is a genuinely good and decent guy who believes in old fashioned stuff like democracy, truth and justice.
And although a resident of Eccles, he now appears to have made Liverpool his spiritual home.
Kelly is one of the few clever, dedicated and conscientious officers working for the city.
He believes in Liverpool.
And he won't be afraid to take on Hilton or Halsall, who he loathes, or any of the other cabalists who rightly fear his increasing influence and popularity.
Which is exactly why Bradley wanted him so badly.
Kelly could now easily turn Regeneration into the rival city power base which it has long promised to become. He may even be able to make it deliver.
He is just the sort of guy, Labour should now be considering as a potential future chief executive...

KENNEDY EXPOSES HENSHAW AND MCELHINNEY'S COMPUTER SCAM IN COMMONS

Seasons Greetings to Liverpool Wavertree MP Jane Kennedy for exposing Sir Diddy's corruption to a national audience at Westminster.
The crusading Labour MP, who earlier this year devastatingly described Henshaw as "A man in whom I have no confidence, and for whom I have no respect" has now taken her campaign to the floor of the Commons.
She described as a "scandalous waste of money" the £2.5million bill paid by the city council to hire personal computers for Liverpool's 90 councillors from Liverpool Direct, run by Henshaw's chief hatchet man and rottweiller, 'Dr' (like Crippen, Goebbels and Faustus, ed) David McElhinney.
And Labour Leader Joe Anderson then jumped in and gave the disgraceful deal a well-deserved good kicking too.
Ms Kennedy pointed out to MP's and Local Government Minister, Phil Woolas:
"a recent report by KPMG suggests 43 ways in which the council could save money on the external contracts negotiated by its former chief executive, Sir David Henshaw "
(See how Jane cleverly fingers Henshaw as the man directly and ultimately responsible for this monumentally corrupt theft of council tax-payers money? Go Girl! ed)
Ms Kennedy continued: "One of them commits the council to a service charge of £11,000 a year per councillor, to be paid to a company called Liverpool Direct for computers supplied to councillors."
(If PC World charged that much this Christmas, their would be riots on Bold Street, ed)
And Kennedy then also managed to raise the subject of the publication of the KPMG report which new chief executive Colin 'Cover Up' Hilton is, true to his name, trying to keep covered up.
She asked our old mate Mr Woolas: "Will my hon. Friend examine the report to ensure that he and his officials know the background, and to ensure that Liverpool council tax payers receive the best services that can be provided from the significant resources that the council receives?
Which left Mr Woolas with an open goal: "I am grateful to her for raising the important point about the KPMG survey."
"Of course, in terms of the allocation of revenue support grant one cannot take into account such specific reports, but Liverpool is subject to the Gershon requirements, as are other authorities, and I would have thought that a consideration of that important report would be a contribution to that agenda in Liverpool."
(In other words, pay attention to this KPMG report Liverpool city council, consider yourselves seriously reprimanded for allowing this disgraceful deal with Liverpool Direct to happen and make sure you implement all the KPMG recommendations or there will be big trouble for you, ed.)
All of which will have made Henshaw turn in his grave with embarrassment and shame (I doubt it, ed) and cause much uncomfortable foot shuffling by McElhinney, the so-called guardian of public money Halsall, (aka the smiling assasin) and by Mr Cover Up.
Of course a council spokesman then tried to make an ill-advised defence of this corrupt computer deal (prompted by the rottweiller's foaming at the mouth ragings) rather than have the decency and the humility to admit that the people of Liverpool had been robbed blind by McElhinney (wouldn't have happened in Matt Finnegan's day, ed).
Which just threw a huge great pan of fat on the fire.
But full marks to the Daily Post, Joe Anderson and most of all MP Kennedy for again having the bottle to expose Henshaw's evil bastards and refusing to be initimidated by his cabal.
Our eternal loyalty is thus secured....

Dr David McElhinney

ANDERSON CALLS ON COPS TO INVESTIGATE MCELHINNEY

LABOUR Leader Joe Anderson is asking police to investigate what went on with McElhinney's Liverpool Direct Limited.
He has written to Chief Constable Bernard Hogan Howe after the secret report by independent auditors, KPMG made 37 separate recommendations for changes in the way the city council deals with LDL.
Chief executive, Colin 'Cover Up' Hilton has already agreed to implement all 37 recommendations, admitting that LDL has cost city council taxpayers millions of pounds.
But he is still refusing to make the full report public.
Anderson has asked the police to examine why no action was taken by the city council when he first raised questions about the way LDL was being run more than three years ago.
He has specifically asked Hogan Howe to look at the circumstances surrounding the level of charges imposed by Liverpool Direct, under the direction of chief executive Dr David McElhinney (the Liverpool rottweiller).
In particular Anderson is rightly concerned about the £200 PER INDIVIDUAL PHONE CALL charge made by LDL for handling education grant enquiries from the public.
This astronomical fee for every single phone call was imposed after the council's utter cock-up over handling education grants.
Interestingly enough, of course, Hilton was in charge of Education at this time. He agreed the charge.
Anderson is also keen to discover exactly how many millions (to the nearest £100,000 would do, ed) the contract with LDL has actually cost the city council's taxpayers.
His intervention is particularly interesting since, as well as Hilton, it also points the finger very firmly at former chief executive, Sir Diddy Henshaw and the smiling assassin, Halsall as well as former council Leader, Mike Storey.
They were all on the same watch when McElhinney was ripping off millions from the city council.
Why the cabalists should not be held individually accountable for the huge sums of public money lost by their incompetence, greed or corruption, (or all three, ed) is the question which no-one has yet answered, of course.
PS The rottweiller's poodle, the highly strung Councillor Marilyn Fielding (trained observers will notice that she is also a blonde, ed) seems to have escaped everyone's attention in the LDL scandal. This is surprising since she was the Executive Member responsible. She was, of course, busily concentrating instead on making moon faces at her beloved McElhinney, who could do and say no wrong in her eyes, while he ripped off millions behind her back. Council taxpayers should send demands for their money back to Counc Marilyn Fielding, c/o Municipal Buildings, Dale Street, Liverpool. Dr David McElhinney

Whitewash at The 08 Place

THE city council's internal report into The 08 Place has given the go-ahead for private firms to lobby senior council officers about lucrative contracts.
The report says there is "nothing wrong" in them making such contact.
It also admits that the thieving rottweiller, McElhinney did not tell the truth to councillors about The 08 Place contract.
But charitably, arrogantly and unbelievably naively, it concludes:
"there is no evidence that the statement was made knowing it to be untrue and in order to mislead."
The report, by bald legal eagle, Michael Kenworthy reluctantly admits that it was "not good practice" for Chas Cole's CMP Entertainment to instruct council contractors about fitting out the Culture one-stop shop.
In other words, the council now believes that a private company should not give orders to council workmen about fitting out its own offices with posher lights than normal, better carpets, more expensive decorations and fitments etc, etc. (It's certainly immensely re-assuring that the city council have now very firmly drawn the line at that unthinkable state of affairs ever possibly happening, ed. Just who the hell is in charge of this amateur outfit?)
Drawing himself up to his full 5 foot 8 inches, Kenworthy positively oozes smug pomposity, self-importance and arrogance as he concludes: "Any reasonably (sic) minded members of the public will accept that the matter has been dealt with properly by the Council, CMP and the Audit Commission."
(Oh no we won't, ed)
And anyway, quite what the findings of a council report has got to do with a private company like CMP, or why the council should now be bending over backwards to defend a private company like CMP, is beyond us. (Kenworthy has typically over-reached himself, ed)
We are ignoring the Audit Commission completely since they were fast asleep on the job when McElhinney was ripping off the council for millions on behalf of Liverpool Direct.

Kenworthy's report is:

• silent on McElhinney, Halsall and Cole's close relationship

• silent on the specific allegation about them running together in the New York marathon

• silent on Halsall's son's band appearing at the Summer Pops and of course it is also

• silent on the amount of free car parking and the rent free period given to CMP by McElhinney as part of the deal.

The report is also highly selective - it:

• fails to reveal that former council leader Mike Storey presented the report to Colin Cover Up (why? ed)
• fails to include any evidence from the city council's surveyors 20/20 (why? ed)
• fails to detail Henshaw's secret role in covering up the terms of the deal (why? ed) and
  
• fails to provide any evidence for its glib conclusions.

In other words it is the most servile, complicit and complacent cover-up imaginable. The cabal will be laughing like drains.
Kenworthy is either gullible or a fool. (Probably both, ed)
He says, for example, astonishingly:

"Given CMP's historical (sic) connection with the city's Summer Pops (he means Chas Cole's relationship with the smiling assassin, Halsall ed) and inevitable contact with senior officers of the council (two in particular, of course, Halsall and McElhinney, ed) it should not have been surprising to anyone that the lessee (CMP) should have tried to use those contacts..."

Really?
Oh, that's okay then. Fair enough. We will keep quiet in future about private contractors trying to use their contacts with senior council officers to win a better deal. Nothing wrong with that - they should be able to wine and dine them, take them to the villa in Marbella, arrange trips to New York.
Do they think we are all bonkers? Is Kenworthy certifiably insane?
Kenworthy goes on to say the free parking and rent free period for The 08 Place was agreed by 20/20. He fails to explain why they actually gave completely different advice and, in emails, officially expressed surprise at the terms of the deal. Why?
He admits that McElhinney gave the wrong information to the Select Committee about work on The 08 Place - but doesn't say McElhinney wrongly told councillors work had ceased and then failed to correct that information. (So that's ok then, McElhinney can lie all he likes in the future, too. Presumably he has not aplogised to councillors for misleading them either? ed)
It also claims that McElhinney was 'very clear' that no works should continue on The 08 Place beyond the £900,000 figure approved by the council.
So why did McElhinney fail to tell councillors that work was continuing beyond that amount?
Kenworthy says there is no evidence that McElhinney acted inappropriately or had any pecuniary interest in the transaction. (What investigations did he conduct to examine that interest then? ed)
Kenworthy finally asks us to rely on the assurances given by the Chief Executive(s) (the greedy blackmailer Henshaw and Colin Cover Up, ed).
He must be joking.
His report is based on ('trust me, I'm the very important Acting City Solicitor) mere assertion, with no evidence whatsoever adduced to support his conclusions. If he says it, it must be true.
I don't think so, bald eagle.
Crucially Kenworthy's report does not explain why the cost of The 08 Place soared from £900,000 to £1.4million. Half a million pounds of public money down the drain.
Nor does it apologise for that massive increase.
Nor does it explain what steps have been taken to prevent the same situation happening again.
Nor does it call for the appropriate distance to be observed between council officers with control of lucrative contracts and the bosses of private firms.
It is the most specious, superficial and condescending report produced by the city council in a long time.
And it now proves, without any question, just who is really in charge of Liverpool city council.

NB Contrary to the craven Echo's incorrect story last night, the report does not even deal with the allegations concerning Liverpool Direct Limited. (Spin gone into overdrive again, methinks, ed)

Dr David McElhinney

SUBCULTURE EDITORIAL: WHY THE COVER UP, COLIN?

HEAR NO EVIL, SEE NO EVIL, SPEAK NO EVIL

Chief executive Colin Hilton has steadfastly refused to bring anyone to justice over the mis-rule of Henshaw's evil cabal.
But why the cover-up?
We now know that back in March 2006, a dossier of evidence supplied by whistleblowers was presented by former leader Mike Storey to Hilton and new leader, Councillor Warren Bradley.
This evidence concerned amongst other things, The 08 Place, The Summer Pops, the Kensington One Stop Shop and various other supplementary matter
The Head of the council's Internal Audit department, Gerry Callaghan ran panic-stricken from that confidential meeting to tell all to Exec Director Halsall, aka the smiling assassin, who in turn alerted The Liverpool Rottweiller, McElhinney.
So what did Hilton do in response to the serious issues which had been officially reported to him, by a senior councillor on behalf of the council whistleblowers?
First of all he refused to take any action against Callaghan for breaching a confidential meeting and compromising an internal investigation.
And even though he had discussed with Storey and Bradley calling in the police to investigate the allegations and concerns raised, Hilton then refused to take any further action involving the cops.
Instead he relied on a tame internal audit report which Callaghan, under the direction of Halsall, had hastily compiled which whitewashed the whole thing.
But Hilton did call in external auditors KPMG to mount a detailed investigation, including examining Bradley's increasing concerns about the way McElhinney had been running Liverpool Direct Limited.

• Amongst the issues which have been repeatedly raised are the £200 cost of handling phone calls charged by McElhinney's LDL to the council's Education department.
• The £12,000 annual cost of providing one single LDL computer to one single councillor. (This was what LDL charged to all 90 of the city's councillors, making them the most expensive computers in the universe).
• The constant office moves which were ordered by McElhinney, shifting council staff from one building or floor to another, with crippling charges imposed for carrying out the removals.
• Repeated double-counting of charges, fees and costs for a huge range of IT and other services.
• Wilfully disguising the LDL pricing structure, so no-one could clearly see where all the money was going.
  

(Do you think the craven Echo might have investigated any of these? ed)
As LDL made hay with the money merry go round, Hilton allowed McElhinney to escape the council's clutches by transferring to become chief executive of the joint venture, Liverpool Direct Limited.
Are you with us, so far? (Every step of the way, ed)
So in other words the alarm had been loudly raised, but the householder then stood twiddling his thumbs and looking the other way, while allowing the burglar to escape with all the loot.
Then in desperation, the legendary Tony Parrish entered the fray, chucking in his grenade of the liverpoolevilcabal blog to blow apart what Hilton was determined to keep hidden (thank you, Tony).
This at least succeeded in forcing Bradley to ignore Hilton momentarily (while he was on holiday) and present the dossier (and further evidence) to the police.
And then everything settled back to normal - Bradley ran out of steam, Hilton got back behind his desk and the cabalists escaped.
It is now clear that the police are unlikely to take any action against Henshaw, Halsall or McElhinney (who are jointly and individually responsible) unless Bradley is prepared to take matters much further.
(There now follows a lengthy ediorial aside: I have always wondered why Councillor Paul Clark's statement which showed Henshaw literally trying to blackmail the city council, could not be sent straight to the police. They would then have to talk to everyone involved and decide whether Henshaw had committed a criminal offence by demanding money with menaces. Then the whole thing would be blown open. Just a thought, ed)
All the signs are that Bradley has given up, is now backing Hilton's 'let's stay schtum', line and will keep his head down. For a quiet life.
So why won't Hilton hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil?
Ever since he was appointed, Hilton has told councillors that he wants to draw a line under the mis-rule of Henshaw's evil cabal.
"That was then, this is now," is how his public position can best be described.
Some observers may wonder then, why Hilton could justify continuing to pursue suspended media chief, Matt Finnegan who had been framed by the cabalists for supporting the Leader? (Good question, ed)
There are some other interesting explanations for Hilton's failure to act:
1) Loyalty to Henshaw who appointed him as Director of Education in the first place.
2) Loyalty to the cabalists who he had worked with for five years.
3) He went to the same school as Chas Cole and Halsall.
4) He did not want his first few years as chief executive to be dominated by the Henshaw mess, when Liverpool needed work.
5) He had no affection for Storey and was glad to see him go as Leader.
6) He had no affection for Finnegan and was glad to see him go.
7) He wanted Bradley to know who was boss, so there would be no question of another public battle between Leader and chief executive.
8) Taking action would only damage Liverpool and the Lib Dem administration.
9) McElhinney and Halsall both had some serious personal dirt on Hilton, which they threatened to throw at him.
10) Hilton is a boring technocrat who will do anything to avoid rocking the boat.
11) Hilton is a fully-paid up member of the officer class, with little commitment to old-fashioned notions such as democracy or justice and little respect for, or understanding of, politics and politicians. Sweeping everything under the carpet is his natural inclination.
No doubt readers will be able to offer up some of their own alternative explanations. The truth is probably that Colin has covered up for all of the above reasons.
What is not in doubt any longer is that there was serious mis-handling by the evil cabal of millions of pounds in public money, which Liverpool could ill afford to lose.
And no-one has been held accountable for that by Hilton, as guardian of the public purse, or by anyone else. The cabal have escaped scot-free. And in a democracy, that is not good government.

CONCLUSION:

• Hilton's failure to take action against any individuals, in particular McElhinney and Halsall, shows other council officials that they can get away with anything they like. (In fact, both McElhinney and Halsall have been rewarded for the mis-use and loss of public money). The system can therefore be abused by senior officers with impunity. What future confidence can the people of Liverpool therefore now have in Hilton's integrity, or the city council's?
• Public administration within the city has been brought into further disrepute. Everyone knows there has been a cover-up and that the cabal perpetrated disgraceful abuses of their power and positions which cost Liverpool millions. No action has been taken as a result. (The Harbarrowboy incident when he acted as a lobbyist for Cole demonstrated Hilton's complete lack of interest in rooting out corruption).
  
• Politicians like Bradley, who despises the cabal, have been seriously undermined. Bradley can hardly start critiscising quangos in the city, when he can't even put his own house in order.
• The city council can only exist with the goodwill and support of the people of Liverpool. Even though less than a third of us vote for councillors, there is a tacit acceptance of the city council as both a civic and legal entity. However, Hilton now appears to have condoned illegality and to have turned a blind eye to the abuse of trust which went on. Ironically, his failure has given even further credibility to the campaign for an elected mayor.
  
• Any moral authority which the city council possessed has been destroyed. Why should someone who has not paid their council tax, submit to a demand from Halsall's department, when his mate, McElhinney has robbed the people of Liverpool of millions of pounds? And when Halsall has connived with, conspired with and condoned all that went on?
  
• Why should anyone pay their parking fine to Liverpool Direct Limited, when its boss McElhinney continues to waste huge amounts of public money to feather his own nest?
• The organisation of the city of Liverpool is now effectively morally bankrupt.
  

Ultimately this whole sorry saga can only bring greater cynicism about public life, public service, politics and politicians.

"They are all in it for themselves," people will shake their heads and say.

And who now will ever be able to contradict that view?

Certainly not Colin Hilton.

And perhaps that corrosive spread of cynicism is the biggest crime of all.

STOP THIEF! MCELHINNEY AND THE JOINT VENTURE

HENSHAW'S rottweiller - Dr David McElhinney - is responsible for the systematic theft of public money from Liverpool for the last FIVE YEARS, it is now clear.

Millions of pounds were involved according to the city council's new chief executive, Colin Hilton.
Yet no action will be taken against McElhinney who continues to abuse his position as a public servant by installing a shower for his own personal use in his office.
It is also clear that the sensational allegations made against McElhinney on Tony Parrish's liverpoolevilcabal blog about the culture one stop shop, The 08 PLace and his friend, millionaire pop promoter Chas Cole, were just the tip of the iceberg.
They pale into insignificance compared to what has been uncovered by independent auditors, KPMG who have made 37 separate recommendations about the future conduct of council contracts with Liverpool Direct Limited, which is run by McElhinney.
The council contracts with LDL are worth an astonishing £520 million and cover services such as all staffing matters for the city council's 19,500 employees, car parking, revenues and benefits, grants and IT.
As chief exec of LDL, McElhinney is now in charge of all these, after quickly jumping ship from the city council when former Leader Mike Storey handed over a dossier of evidence against him.
Although the council are refusing to make their independent report public and have only come clean about the recommendations, it is now possible to piece together what was going on under the hated McElhinney.

• Services provided by LDL were vastly more expensive than when they were provided by the council.
  
• In some cases, the difference in costs between the two organisations was "substantial".
• McElhinney's LDL deliberately inflated the cost of providing some services.
  
• There were no regular reviews of services to check that the city council was getting value for money.
• Services provided by LDL were not subject to the same rules as council services, which are designed to prevent corruption.
  
• There was a growing informal relationship between the city council and LDL, which led to eyebrows being raised and prompted questions about integrity and propriety.

The report also calls for independent officials to be brought in to monitor the relationship between the council and LDL.
There is also bad news for chief executive Colin 'Cover Up' Hilton (left) who allowed McElhinney to escape to LDL in March, as his boss Henshaw left.
The report says staff should not be able to transfer to LDL within six months of leaving the council - a clear slap in the face for Hilton's mishandling of the McElhinney scandal.
It is now clear that McEhinney has been robbing the people of Liverpool blind to feather his own nest at LDL ever since it was set up as a joint venture with BT in 2000.
And he must have had the support of former chief executive Henshaw and the smiling assassin Halsall, who is supposed to keep an eye on taxpayers money.
Either both members of the evil cabal were grossly incompetent - or they colluded in the theft of council taxpayers money.
The city council should now be taking action against both over the missing millions.
Meanwhile BT Chairman Sir Ian Bland is also under pressure to take action against McElhinney and to repay the money robbed from Liverpool by the joint venture.
Editor's note: BT is worth £23.2 billion and last week announced half-year profits of £665million - an increase of 12 per cent.

COMING SOON: More on the thief McElhinney and the LDL joint venture with BT.

Dr David McElhinney

MCELHINNEY SLAMMED BY SECRET REPORT INTO £520 MILLION COUNCIL CONTRACTS - BUT NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN

LIVERPOOL Direct chief executive, David McElhinney - Henshaw's rottweiller - has been well and truly fingered in a secret and damning report into the handling of council contracts worth £520million.
Even though independent auditors have made 37 separate recommendations about changing the future handling of LDL contracts, the hated McElhinney is to escape any disciplinary action whatsoever.
This is even though the 37 separate recommendations are a massive indictment of McElhinney's handling of these contracts and his personal running of Liverpool Direct Limited, as chief executive.
The council have already admitted that as a result of the LDL joint venture with BT, millions of pounds in public money has been wasted.
And this all happened in the last five years under Henshaw's evil cabal.
But new chief exec, Colin 'Cover up' Hilton has ensured that McElhinney will not be disciplined and that he will continue to enjoy his £150,000 executive perks, such as his notorious shower in (Misad)Venture Place, boxing freebies, expense account, hospitality at Anfield, Sarah Parr, etc.
Cover Up is also keeping the full report secret for reasons of alleged 'commercial confidentiality' (my arse - it would be too embarrassing for Hilton to reveal all the details about what McElhinney got up to as part of Henshaw's evil regime and the hypocrite Hilton will do anything for a quiet life, ed).
But one thing is clear: MILLIONS OF POUNDS IN PUBLIC MONEY WAS WASTED BY THE EVIL CABAL

And of course, the allegations made on the legendary Liverpool evil cabal blog about the evil Henshaw, the rottweiller McElhinney and the smiling assassin Phil Halsall, (the man with his hands on the purse strings) are now all proved to be true.
Colin Cover Up admitted:
"With the size of the contracts involved, we could be looking at savings of millions of pounds."
and then he had the brass neck to say:
"There was nothing in there that warrants further investigation."
(My arse, ed)

So Tony Parrish has been vindicated!
Henshaw, McElhinney and Halsall should all face legal action by the council for robbing council taxpayers.
And the District Audior, who turned his back on all of this, should walk the plank.

Six further recommendations have also been made about enterprise-Liverpool by auditors KPMG, the Daily Post reveals.
But no-one is being allowed to see the detailed report, which will remain under lock and key in Hilton/Henshaw's office.

WE DEMAND THAT THE SECRET REPORT IS MADE PUBLIC - IT CONCERNS THE WASTE OF HUGE SUMS OF PUBLIC MONEY BY MCELHINNEY. Dr David McElhinney

THE OFFICIAL "I'M TONY PARRISH" AWARD 2006

BY popular demand, the Liverpool subCulture blog is pleased to announce the first ever 'I'm Tony Parrish' Award, 2006.
Nominations are invited now for those people who have spent the last year standing up for truth, justice and democracy (or all three at once).
They should also have demonstrated a healthy disrespect for officialdom (in the form of the city council and/or the Culture Company) and a willingness to cause as much trouble as possible, whatever the personal consequences.
It would also be an advantage if they had shown a healthy sense of humour and a deep and abiding contempt for the evil cabal and all its followers.
The winner of the award will receive a suitably plastic trophy (we haven't bought it yet), together with a very special prize (ditto) at a glittering ceremony somewhere in a coffee bar in Liverpool. Probably Starbucks.
Please nominate your entrant and describe (in more than two words and less than 6,000) why they should recieve this prestigious award in honour of our now legendary hero. The closing date for entries is Dec 15th.
The award will be presented by a very special guest (who we haven't told yet).
The blog's decision will be final.
Sir Diddy will not be invited....

"I av neveeeer seen a man as gross and stuupide as thise Marbororow personne in all my life..."

INSPECTOR CLUE-LESS has been getting his knickers in a twist over the blog's revelations about his bumbling private detective work.
Apparently a panic-stricken Marbrow asked for urgent meetings with Council Leader Warren Bradley and Councillor Mike Storey about the blog's latest revelations.
In particular, he wanted to know how the blog knew about his meeting with Bradley in which the council leader told him to halt his one-man hunt for legendary blogger, Tony Parrish.
Marbrow accused both Bradley and Storey of being in cahoots with the blog.
And, puffing himself up to his full 22-stone girth and summoning up all his self-important pomposity, Clueless demanded to know how Bradley's words had been so accurately reported here.
(He really is a complete thick-head, isn't he folks? Has the penny still not dropped with him? ed)
The response of both Bradley and Storey is not known. (But we can guess, ed)
Marbrow is said to be furious that he has been fingered for helping Colin 'Cover-up' Hilton and fellow evil cabalists, Halsall and McElhinney to avoid the long arm of the law.
Relations in the Marbrow household, between Clueless and his blushing new bride, have also suffered as a result, we can reveal interestingly.
(What, she's rationing his pizzas to one a day?, ed)
Marbrow is also going around (incorrectly and wildly) speculating about the author of the last posting about him. (He is such a gullible fool, ed)
Marbrow is meanwhile still busily commandeering computers to vote for himself in our 'do the people of Kensington deserve better than Clueless?' poll (right).
Apparently he thinks it is amazingly clever of him to vote 'no' to this, not understanding how this demonstrates a complete lack of respect for Kensington voters. (Which they will repay in spades come next May, ed)
It seems he has no friends who will vote for him.
These are the titans leading our city, folks....

ALI TO THE RESCUE!

INSPECTOR CLUELESS IN KENSINGTON

THE knives are flashing for Councillor Richard Marbrow, Executive Member for Central Services, who has been re-named Inspector Clue-less by his Lib Dem colleagues.
The overbearing busybody turned into a private detective in his one-man hunt for Tony Parrish.
(Even taking a tour of those public libraries which had public access to the internet to try and track down our hero). (Did he claim expenses for this? ed)
The bumptious oaf, who is so pompous he makes Henshaw look positively modest, took it upon himself to become Colin Cover-Up's resident IT and email expert.
It was Marbrow who, so delighted with his computer prowess, decided to start meddling when the council banned the liverpoolevilcabal blog.
TP sent all the councillors a cheeky email telling them what Cover-Up was trying to keep quiet. And Meddling Marbrow then set off with his magnifying glass and deerstalker to try and track him down.
This was despite the fact that all of the revelations on TP's now legendary liverpoolevilcabal website had been presented by former Leader, Councillor Mike Storey in a huge dossier to chief executive Colin Hilton and new Leader Warren Bradley.
Clueless didn't have a clue about this - or that Storey and Bradley were gunning for The Rottweiller and The Smiling Assassin after discovering what they had been up to during Henshaw's evil cabal regime.
But neither Bradley nor Storey could control the oaf as he waddled off in pursuit.
"What do you think you are playing at, Marbrow" demanded an angry Bradley during an early morning confrontation. "All this stuff is true. Why are you trying to stop it?"
"I thought it was my duty," replied the self-satisfied sanctimonious old codger (he's 39, ed).
Inspector Clueless had no idea that Storey's dossier existed or that his dossier justly fingered both the Rottweiler and the Smiling Assassin for abuse of public funds.
The naive nincompoop believed he was coming to the aid of the much-maligned £150,000-a -year Exec Directors, who had conspired with Henshaw just a few months earlier to get rid of Storey.
Marbrow of course, did not know that all of Storey's allegations were true.
Even worse, he exhibited all the usual unthinking tendencies of all those who adopt the city council's customary siege mentality - to defend the indefensible, without pausing to make any rational or independent assessment.
But as his Lib Dem colleagues have remarked about Marbrow on more than one occasion - he is the least self-aware person on the planet.
Now we hear that Labour are out to get meddling Marbrow in the local elections in Kensington ward in May, where he has few friends and even less political allies.
And fireman Bradley will not weep any tears - he has already forecast fat boy's fall!
Never mind Clueless, your close friend, Colin 'Cover-up' Hilton, who praised you to the skies for coming to the aid of evil Henshaw, the hated McElhinney and the smiling assassin Halsall, may come and help you canvass!
With friends like this.... 5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Marbrow is such a stupid twat, i reckon he is out on his ear in May, no trouble. Perhaps we should start an all-party and non-party campaign to get rid of him? Will you lead us Tony08?

Thursday, October 12, 2006 2:40:00 AM

Warren Bradley said...

Rendezvous in Kensington on March 30 at 5.30 pm.

Friday, October 20, 2006 5:20:00 PM

LDLer said...

I am so glad you have outed that bumptious little oaf. Dr Death has spent months just pulling the wool over his eyes, time after time. and Marbrow is so pompous and full of himself, he thinks everything is hunky dory. moron. i wouldn't be at all surprised if huge gangs of people turned up to get him out in kensignton. that would be a real victory for democracy!

Monday, October 23, 2006 7:12:00 PM

Dickie Marbrow said...

I'm sure my mummy loves me????!!!

Tuesday, October 24, 2006 11:27:00 AM

Tony Parrish47 said...

but she wouldn't vote for you in a million years.

BRADLEY ANNOUNCES DEATH OF THE QUANGO'S - BUT WHEN?

City council leader Warren Bradley has taken the brave and sensible step of announcing the scrapping of quango-land in Liverpool.
Bradley has called for the abolition of Liverpool Vision, the Liverpool Land Development Company and Business Liverpool. (Just those three then? ed)
No-one knows exactly what any of these three organisations have actually achieved for Liverpool.
Liverpool Vision is a well meaning regeneration quango which has excelled at colourful brochures and billboards but has been remarkably short of delivery on the ground. (It was behind the plans for the Fourth Grace, ed)
Liverpool Land Development Company is busily making a mess out of Edge Lane and some serious question marks are now being raised about the professed antecedents of some of its most senior officials.
And Business Liverpool has so far survived about three separate attempts to try and re-organise it into an effective job creation agency.
What all three have in common, of course, is that they lack any democratic accountability. No elected representatives have any control over these three organisations which together have the power to spend millions of pounds in public money. (Good enough reason for them to go then, ed)
So Bradley has laid down the gauntlet: "This spaghetti maze is getting in the way of the city building its future economy. My aim is to start off with encouraging the big three agencies to join forces, and that will consume a number of smaller agencies, such as the Strategic Investment Area bodies (SIAs). My biggest problem is that Liverpool's record on attracting inward investment is rubbish."
Good for you then Warren, whose views were also echoed by Labour Leader Joe Anderson.
But wait.
All these quangos employ armies of people on ludicrously fat salaries. They are not going to go quietly, are they? (You must be joking, ed)
So watch the opposition start to mount and the PR campaigns kick into overdrive as they all battle for survival.
Warren Bradley announced the abolition of the quangos on October 13, 2006.
Let's give him a year and then see what progress has been made....