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