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

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...

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.

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)

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.

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

'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

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

THE HARBARROWBOY, THE MILLIONAIRE POP PROMOTER, THE SPIN DOCTOR...AND THE MATERIAL GIRL

(THIS POST FIRST APPEARED ON THE LEGENDARY LIVERPOOLEVILCABAL BLOG. IT IS REPRODUCED HERE BY KIND PERMISSION OF TONY PARRISH.)

Capital of Culture acting chief executive Jason HarBarrowboy should face suspension after he took part in a secret press briefing about the future of the Summer Pops.
HarBarrowboy (another Henshaw appointment) joined millionaire pop promoter Chas Cole for the clandestine briefing which broke all council rules about competitive tendering for contracts.
During the sensational early morning meeting, HarBarrowboy - employed by the city council on £150,000 a year - backed Cole's CMP Entertainment to run the Summer Pops in 2008.
This is despite the fact that his employers, the city council, have yet to make a decision about who will run the event in Capital of Culture year.
The council have decided to put the event out to competitive tendering - a process which was given the go-ahead almost eight months ago.
But HarBarrowboy told the Daily Post that the Pops were "here to stay".

"totally improper"

It is, of course, totally improper for a city council employee to act as a lobbyist for a private company who are bidding for a multi-million pound city council contract.
It is also totally improper for a city council employee to meet with a private company and be involved in a press briefing in their support.
Especially if it was without anyone's knowledge or approval, including that of elected members.
But that was what HarBarrowboy did.
He had no business being within a million miles of this secret meeting, which was not held either on council property and was outside normal working hours.
Why?
HarBarrowboy joined Cole and former Liverpool Echo deputy editor, Jon Brown, who now runs his own Public Relations company, for the meeting at Starbucks in Castle Street at 7.30 am last Friday. (We are now told the media briefing was in fact held at the Rackets Club. And of course Brown is the 'spin doctor' who now works for Cole, ed)
The trio were meeting Echo reporter Nick Coligan to spin him obvious nonsense about future plans for the Summer Pops - including Mr Cole's claim that Madonna is being lined up for 2008.
Harbarrowboy apparently forgot to inform Coligan that the city council was now putting the '08 Pops contract out to tender and that it might go to a completely different company.
The 2008 Summer Pops was instead presented as a fait accomplis for Cole and CMP.
HarBarrowboy praised the role and involvement of CMP in the Pops and gave the strong impression that they would continue to work for the city council in 2008. It was never held in any doubt.
It is not clear whether Mr Brown, husband of Daily Post editor, Jane Wolstenholme, was representing Mr Cole or the Culture Company. (He was representing Cole, it is now clear, ed)
Certainly his presence as Coligan's former boss had the desired effect - the 'news' about CMP's plans to bring Madonna to Liverpool were swallowed hook, line and sinker and were front-paged in the Echo and Daily Post.
Conveniently, the coverage also successfully diverted attention away from the spiralling costs of the Summer Pops.
The 'spin' operation seems to have been the first salvo by Cole to try and win the competitive tender - and maintain his monopoly on the money-spinner.
So far Chas 'show me the money' Cole's running of the Summer Pops has cost the city council £2.1 million.
Cream have meanwhile offered to stage the Summer Pops in 2008 at no cost to council taxpayers.
It is not clear whether Harbarrowboy had the authorisation of new chief executive Colin Hilton for such a clandestine meeting with a private contractor.
Councillors may now want to ask Mr Hilton to urgently contact the editor of the Liverpool Echo (Alastair Machray, pictured) to ask for a full transcript and notes of the meeting between his reporter Nick Coligan and Cole, HarBarrowboy and Jon Brown. Hilton should then ask Harbarrowboy these questions about the coffee conspiracy:

• Did you take notes of, or have any other record of this meeting?
• Was this meeting in your official diary?
• What authorisation did you obtain from anyone for such a meeting?
• In what capacity did you attend the press briefing about CMP's plans for 2008, when they have not been engaged by the city council?
• Who did you tell about this press briefing?
• What did you say to the reporter?
• What is your relationship with Mr Cole?
  
• What is your relationship with Mr Brown?
  
• How many other meetings have you had involving CMP?
• Have you had any hospitality or free tickets to concerts from CMP?
• Have you declared it?
  
• What meetings have you had with Mr Halsall in the last 12 months regarding CMP?

Hilton may consider, depending on the answers supplied, that he has no choice but to suspend Harbarrowboy, pending a further and full investigation.

draw your own conclusions

Otherwise we will be left to draw our own conclusions about the all pervasive and continuing malign influence of the evil cabal.

• Mr Hilton mislead the city's Leisure and Tourism Committee on Monday night when he said that Cream's "we'll do it for free" offer came after councillors had decided to stay with CMP for 2006. Wrong Colin. It did not. The council's Executive Board made that decision on January 6th, 2006. Cream boss James Barton submitted a detailed four-page proposal to Sir David Henshaw and HarBarrowboy at least a month earlier in November 2005, which they then ignored. But who misinformed you about the dates, Colin? It wasn't Jason, was it?
  

• Madonna is asking a fee in the region of £2million to make a one-off appearance. If she were to play at the new Arena with its capacity of just 10,000 in two years time, it is likely that tickets would cost in the region of £200 each (plus inflation). Unless, of course, the concert was heavily subsidised by the city council from taxpayers money. Or millionaire Mr Cole dug deep.

PS If anyone is in any doubt, we have now admitted Jason HarBarrowboy to the ranks of the evil cabal. Henshaw did actually once say of Harbarrowboy: "He reminds me very much of the young David Mc..." That was the kiss of death for many of us. But it looks now as though he is more than fulfilling his early promise...

45 Comments:

Critical Math said...

This is explosive stuff, what an absolute scandal! Good grief, they are robbing us blind. Wonderful investigative journalism Tony, this is incendiary, shocking, systemic corruption, worse than Donnygate.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Dustman said...

Is that Lonnie Donnygate?

Hey, Madonna is a blonde. You don't think....no couldn't be, but then isn't that religion she follows with the string round your wrist called cabal? perhaps we could call her as a material girl witness and have her do a turn for free at the summer pops.

No that definitly wasn't Madonna who used to hang out in Dr Duncans with the good Doctor..that was another blondie, the one known affectionatly by senior council staff as TAPS ( thick as pig s***)

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Picky Micky! said...

This is dynamite stuff, well done TP.

Dont let the doc go off radar though! Dustman, difficult to identify which blonde you mean as they are all TAPS!

everyone must now bombard Hilton and co with pressure to suspend/dismiss Dr Dave, Creepy Phil and now the honorary member of the cabal, dodgy harrowboy

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

Meeting right facing the town hall?! Have these people no shame or fear of being found out? Probably not.

But they didnt count on the many eyes and ears of the TP army!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Picky Micky! said...

TP quick question, pressure brought to bear may result in PH & JB being suspended etc.

What can be done about Dr Deadly?

No longer a council employee, what sanctions can colin and co bring to bear? Pressure on BT to remove him as CEO of LDL? Surely there must be some severe (hopefully!) retribution.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

Tone,

At the risk of repeating myself, maybe the more proactive amongst your readers could submit requests to the Council under the Freedom of Information Act, which gives them the right to see any papers relating to this matter which Mr Hilton, "Dirty Gerry" Callaghan or anyone else might have in their possession and again, correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the City Council have a statutory obligation to provide that information within certain prescribed timescales?

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Tony Parrish said...

Yes absolutely right. Hilton has so far ignored FOI questions I sent him about four months ago. They are supposed to respond in 20 days. I asked for all the documents. However, no harm in others asking for the same documents. Especially councillors. More difficult to ignore. As for the evil McElhinney...it's difficult now that he is no longer an employee of the city council (This also needs exposing, ed) but letters to the boss of BT would put ptressure there. And finally, HM constabulary could ask to see the documents Mr Hilton has too. Would take a brave Chief Constable to push open the door here. But I think he might actually have it in him...

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

I may be wrong but I think Dr D IS EMPLOYED by Liverpool City Council.

LDL is a joint venture between Liverpool City Council and BT. However all the employees are seconded from either the council or BT. BT secondees are paid by BT, City Council secondess are paid by the City Council. LDL doesn't have any paid employees.

I'm fairly certain that Dr D is still employed by the city council...............

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

And further to the above Dr D DEFFO isn't on BT's books

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Tony Parrish said...

I think I may have unwittingly stumbled across one of the great and astonishing scandals about this whole sorry affair. I don't believe MCElhinney IS a city council employee. I think he arranged his parachute out of the city council years ago when he negotiated the LDL deal with BT and became chief exec. I think he was not seconded, but his employment was transferred or taken over by LDL, a completely separate entity. I know LDL employees have been seconded from the city, but I don't think he has. I think he is employed by LDL - not the city directly. Clever eh? It means he is out of range of the council's disciplinary procedures. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT.
I may be wrong about this, which is why I have said I only THINK this is the case. If so, apologies all round. But I THINK I am right.
We can soon get it cleared up by councillors asking some pertinent questions, can't we? Who wants to go first?

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

Paul Clark should ask first - he's a barrister.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

further to the above and the above LDL don;t have a payroll....................

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

jail'em said...

All this talk of LDL makes me wonder - whatever happened to the Audit report that I believe Henshaw received (and quickly buried!) before he left office? It may have said that whilst there is some benefit to the City from Liverpool Direct Ltd's existence (nothing like as much benefit that the Thug or his girly army get!), its bloody expensive!

It might also have said that its peculiar that LCC being one of two partners in this 'enterprise' don't seem to make anything from it but instead pay extortionate rates for basis services.

It may have said other things too - it might have noticed how or from where DMcE gets his loot!

Perhaps someone could request a copy (under FOI?), or dare I suggest, ask for publication of this report?

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

jail'em said...

Excuse me but I'm obviously missing something - since when did concert promotion lose money? I've never been aware of promoters being a benevolent lot that do it for the love of it - from what I've seen, apart from the odd mistake, they make a packet (and Cole doesn't look any different from the rest of them). If he is that bad at it then why in god's name is he our chosen partner??

Its surely worth the fraud squad taking a look at the books on this. It wouldn't surprise me if the 'loss' has been fabricated in some or many ways - and if it is, you can bet your shirt that some of it is ending up with the cabal. Like you've said TP, follow the money!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

LD said...

We are continually being told that Hilton is one of the good guys - now is his chance to prove it. If this story had appeared in this morning's Daily Post, he would have summoned Harborow to his office and suspended him immediately, pending an investigation. Suspension is a neutral act to allow a proper investigation. The fact that it is on the blog is neither here nor there. There is too much detail for this to be wrong. Since the blog seems to have been right about 99 per cent of the things it has reported, (Cream's free offer being the latest) it should give even more impetus to Hilton to take action. This cannot go on for ever. Come on Warren - give a lead and demand action!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

It would be utterly astonishing if McElhinney is not employed by the city council.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Intrigued teacher said...

Surely all of this leads back to the former chief executive's door, doesn't it?

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Tony Parrish said...

I bloody hope so

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

Public Interest Disclosure Act Anyone?

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980023.htm

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

Council Accounts Rights Anyone?

http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/Products/NATIONAL-REPORT/53EEC57C-D29F-44a9-BA46-210AD5959A0C/Councils-accounts%202006_FINAL.pdf

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

holden caulfield said.......
can anybody tell us who has their fingers in "smooth moves ltd" seems to be a lot of council staff playing musical chairs every other month !!!!!!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

2 Million for Madge- no way
Have the cabals 10.000 relations/friends to fill the stadium for one night?
That is if they are still in power.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

surely somone from HR&P can asnswer the Dr Dave works for.....question?!!!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

LDL has taken on a lot of extra Council services since the contract was first signed, often charging significantly more for these services than the Council paid pre LDL- but according to LDL THEY ARE NOT MAKING ANY PROFIT FROM THESE NEW ADDITIONS?

ps..Watch out for flying pigs

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Quo nunc said...

Hey Tone

I wonder what Richie Lewis is doing these days? I do hope he doesn't decide to put his two-penneth in (anonymously of course).

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Kendo said...

If a union asked whether it could approach staff members of LDL for a recognition ballot then I believe that the Council would have to let them know whether there are any such workers to recognise the union. That would show whether anyone IS employed by LDL. I suggest Unison (cos of Local Govt) and CWU (cos they are the main BT employee union).
To find out whether he is employed by the council, an FOI request asking how much remuneration the position of Chief Exec of LDL is paid (not the person who holds the role - important distinction) should reveal whether it is the Council who pays it (if they do then they cannot refuse as it does not fall foul of the DPA). But, to ensure you get an answer, you can ask if the Council pays for this position.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

Does anyone else find it interesting that when he was appointed Chief Executive for the waterfront arena, Bob Prattey also predicted that Madonna would want to perform there. (press release 27.4.05). I believe that Bob came highly recommended for the job! So ask yourself, who did he know?

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

HR&P here..........

You can bet your bottom dollar he has a Liver Bird on his payslip!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

Re the above - Of course he doesn;t get a paper payslip, he stopped those to save money being washed down the drain - unlike the water from his private shower!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

Aah - naughty HR &P persons. You will be sacked tomorrow by the big boss - or even the little boss who thinks she is the big boss!

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Anonymous said...

I'm really scared now - HR&P rebel

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

jail'em said...

Nice one, HR&P rebel!

We need so many more like you!

By the way, what's the name of this 'little boss'?

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Sentinel said...

Whilst your,re at it why not look at Housing Associations and their gifted Council Houses Believe some council employees were also given jobs by them.
Like Pigs in the trough.
God Help the CSA. and the council tax payer.
Sentinal

Thursday, August 03, 2006

The Major said...

Excellent site Tony

How come it has took so long for this to come online?

Until a few months ago I used to work for a partner company of LCC and saw first hand the complete disorganisation of LCC.

I worked on the 08 Place and your relevations come as no surprise to me.

May I suggest you start asking questions about the councils proposed 50 metre pool project at Picton, and who gave the go ahead for Gleesons to start work without realising that the council never owned the land. This has so far cost the tax payer of Liverpool in excess of 200K in preliminaries and there isn't even a hole in the ground.

As for me, I had enough of handing over my hard earned to the baffoons in the council to squander so I have recently took a job in a country that was thought as corrupt, but no where near as corrupt as what I left behind.

Keep up the excellent work mate

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Cllr Steve Radford said...

Dear Blog Site

Thanks for opening up a debate the majority of my council collleagues were too fearful to open up - bless the little dears

The huge question must be why was Henshaw paid off rather than sacked?

In any private company if the MD was deliberately working against the policy of the board or seeking to release persoanl e mails of hcair of borad with staff then no doubt dismissal would entail

May we remind bloggers that only The Liberal Party opposition group had the guts to table for a formal investigation on this count : Copy of Daily Post press report as follows
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A MOVE that could determine whether two of Liverpool City Council's most senior officers will face disciplinary action is earmarked for approval at tonight's meeting of the council.

Crucial support from members of the ruling Liberal Democrat group will be given when the minority Liberal Party seek approval for the setting up of a formal disciplinary committee to investigate the conduct of chief executive Sir David Henshaw and the council's resources director Phil Halsall.

The investigation, if backed by a majority of the 90 councillors, will centre on the publication of e-mails written between council leader Mike Storey and the currently suspended media chief Matt Finnegan. It will determine whether the actions of the two officers constitute a serious breach of trust between senior politicians and officers.

The e-mails were published in a dossier by Mr Halsall as part of a report claiming there was a move to see Sir David moved from office


Cllr Hazel Williams of the Liberal group, will be introducing the topic for debate, backed by fellow-Liberal, Cllr Chris Lenton. Their leader, Cllr Steve Radford, also supports the proposal, but he is on holiday and will not be at the meeting.


The Liberals will be urging the council to establish a formal disciplinary committee to investigate primarily the conduct of both Sir David and Mr Halsall.


They express alarm that the council's Internal Audit Section may have acted contrary to the Data Protection Act as well as copyright regulations and council e-mail protocols.


The Liberal councillors say the e-mails were read and copied, even though permission had not been given for their dissemination and publication.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I still contest that the opening of the emails between press officer and Leader of Council at the time during an investigation for a totally different issues constituted trawling and therefore illegal. The fact the e mails read more like lovers letters than a professional relationship between the Leader of the Council and its Press Manager is another matter of concern, but these should not have been circulated to all councillors

Cllr Steve Radford
Liberal Party Group - will will be contributing more

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Anonymous said...

How noble and public spirited of Steve Radford to enter the debate like a knight in shining armour. Maybe he would like to comment on his own unnatural relationship (in the political sense, obviously) with PJ Doherty and his chums at the Liverpool Motor Auction site or as seems more likely, is he going to continue spouting like the hypocritical tw*t that everyone knows him to be?

Watch out Steve, you might get run over by a bandwagon one of these days as you desparately try to clamber on board to make personal capital out of someonre else's originality and hard work.

Cheery pip

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Red till I die said...

Now,I am no fan of Mr Radford or any other of the elected members, but at least he had the bottle to put his name on the post unlike other councillors who are posting anon, I understand.

And it is very much in Dr Dave's interest for the attention to be diverted away by attacking others, in fact it is his main strategy!

so lets not have a go at Mr R and co on other matters, now that this blog exisits I would suggest this is the first of many, so watch out councillors we now have a way to name and shame, beware.

But for now, lets concentrate on the evil within (and wherever The Dark Lord is!)

Well done rebel HR&P, dont stop now, you are vital source of info to this campaign.

Come on everyone keep on the pressure!

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Tony Parrish said...

We are just going to offer a warning shot today: If anyone attempts to use this blog to make political capital out of it, they will not succeed. And hopefully they will be treated with the contempt they deserve by the voters. This is too important for party politics. It is about democracy and the future of our city. Our aim has been all along to expose those paid employees of the city (public servants for God's sake, ed!) who have served their own interests rather than Liverpool's. We know who they are - and so do you. We are not having this campaign hijacked by anyone. If politicians want to promote themselves or their own parties - GO AND START YOUR OWN BLOG! (And we'll see how many hits they get, ed) In the meantime we would ask politicians of all parties to continue to press for action, in any way they can, against the evil cabal. Their contributions, help and support are very welcome. Here endeth the lesson.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Anonymous said...

jail'em - you never heard of the little HR&P boss Colette Hannay? Loves to think of herself as Natasha Kaplinski look alike (maybe 30 years ago - perhaps it's the effect of working with the lovely Dr D).

Keep up the good work HR&P rebel. You've got loads of stories to tell - be brave!

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Culture vulture said...

Cabal spotting: Harbarrowboy going into Millennium House today. Obviously not suspended!

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Incontinentia Botox said...

'Red til I die' is right - whatever your views on Cllr Radford, he has offered to take up these questions and should be warmly encouraged to do so. Cllrs have better access to info than we do. The Liberals are just a small group but have arguably made more impact in the last year than the Labour opposition, with ten times fewer resources. Who cares if they are motivated by party politics - that's the incentive built into our gladitorial system - sadly, most of the gladiators have been gelded by the tin-pot ceasars of the cabal. Hail Radford!

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Walton Village Idiot said...

Is it possible that what is going on in our little city will be repeated in the cities lined up to have their own versions of 'Liverpool Vision' in the coming future, as readers may or may not know one of the functions of 'Vision' is to determine where European funding is to be allocated, often to projects that have benefitted their associates, which in many cases purchased property at knock down prices, knowing that funding and huge rises in value of the property would be guaranteed once the culture bid was won, this was almost inevitable, the experiment that is 'Vision' is one that has pulled the wool over the eyes of scousers (or so they think) I believe that if this is allowed to go on without government investigation we will see the same faces benefiting in the next round of planned redevelopment funding for the other proposed cities around Britain, I can't remeber the 'city list' that was printed in the press a few years ago, perhaps someone can dig the list out, I'm almost sure Bradford was one on the list, it would make sense as Robbie Fowler owns over 100 houses there!!!! Perhaps Robbie has insider knowledge?

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Sir Joer Dwyer said...

What?

Friday, August 04, 2006

Anonymous said...

This is what the city council had to say (almost a week later):
"Briefings were held for journalists from the Daily Post and Liverpool Echo to explain the details of a report on the 2005 Summer Pops being considered by the Culture and Leisure Select Committee.

"At the briefings, the current promoter answered questions from journalists about his future plans for the Summer Pops, should he be successful in winning the tender to promote the event. The chief executive of the Culture Company (Jason Harborow) took no part in those discussions.

"The contract for promoting the Summer Pops for 2007 and 2008 will be awarded by elected members and not officers. A sub-committee of members is to be set up to oversee the tendering process.

"A brief proposal was submitted by Cream, but it was received too late to allow a full appraisal and evaluation of this new proposal to be carried out. "

Monday, August 07, 2006

Anonymous said...

Interesting. Hilton first said that the Cream proposal came AFTER councillors had taken the decision to stick with CMP. Now that line appears to have changed to 'it came too late.' Which is it Colin?

HOME