More Squabbles Over The Border

Posted by David Sudworth on November 28, 2007 8:51 AM

ANOTHER week and yet more reasons why carving up West Lancsand sticking half of it in Sefton and the other in Wigan was such a rubbish idea.

This week's juicy titbits are:

- Crosby councillor rapped by Standards Committee for threatening a political opponent. Following a planning meeting he apparently went all Blakey from On The Buses and said: “I will get you for this”. Full story here.

- Sefton Conservatives continue to implode, this time by turning on ex-Mayor by using 'dirty tricks'. Full story here.

- In Wigan, Community Action Party leader Peter Franzen gets embroiled in yet another row over alleged 'point socring'. Full story here.

Meanwhile, the long-suffering ratepayers in these boroughs continue with their daily lives completely unaware of what childish games are being played out in their name. If they knew, I suspect the election turnouts would crash through the floor.

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Oi, What About That Missing Data?

Posted by David Sudworth on November 28, 2007 8:31 AM

RECEIVED a letter today from HMRC offering profuse apologies for the fact that some dimwit has gone and lost my family's personal details.

Along with 25 million others, I hasten to add. And I'm bloody furious.In fact, the letter made it worse because if anything it brought home to me the scale of the cock-up. It has a touch of the Carry Ons about it, but it's certainly no laughing matter.

Unfortunately, it appears that the likes of BBC and Sky are now focused on dodgy donations, obviously assuming that the public is getting bored of wondering which scam artists have got their hands on their NI numbers and more interested in some Bob Dylan lookalike's benevolence.

Well, I'm not and I hope the mass media eventually return to the story soon because without close scrutiny and pressure, these data discs will end up like those elusive Weapons of Mass Destruction... quietly forgot about.

The worse thing about it from the government's point of view is that it is now a question of competence. Northern Rock, the floods, Foot and Mouth, Blue Tongue etc are all events which, to be honest, it would be hard to blame any government for.

But the goings-on over the last few days mean it's a whole new ball game, with the government's credibility being called into question for the first time in 10 years.

Somewhere in the Middle East right now, I bet a certain Tony Blair is thanking his lucky stars he quit when he did...

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Lib Dem MEP in shock defection to Tories

Posted by David Sudworth on November 26, 2007 8:44 AM

NORTH West Lib Dem MEP Sajjad Karim has announced this morning he's defecting to the Conservatives.

He told Sky News: "Two years ago David Cameron described himself as a Liberal Conservative and that's very much how I see myself.

"But I needed to be convinced that he could change his party and now I am.

"David Cameron's recent speech on immigration was incredibly impressive - sensible, rational and positive. It persuaded me that he is a leader who has changed his party and will change this country.

"I'm afraid that the Liberal Democrats have lost their way and are no longer a serious force in politics."

This is quite a coup for the Tories as Karim, despite his short spell in office (since 2004) has become quite high-profile.

Some commentators reckon this could be the start of more defections. More comment here.

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Out of Lancs, No Thanks - and thank God!

Posted by David Sudworth on November 18, 2007 9:43 AM

IT'S hard to believe that it's nearly four years since the Advertiser's hugely popular and successful Out of Lancs, No Thanks campaign.

You may remember it was launched to protest against the Boundary Committee's pathetic attempt to realign local political boundaries, with one of the options being to split Ormskirk down the middle, taking everything on the western part into Sefton and the eastern part into Wigan.

Looking at recent news from those two authorities I'm glad we managed to get the idea scrapped.

In Sefton at the moment, there's a wholly unedifying row going, so much so you could write a book on it.

The 'highlights' are as follows:
- Chief exec Graham Haywood decides to quit after apparently being forced out
- Deputy chief exec, Alan Moore, suspended over alleged misconduct
- Debi Jones, a Tory councillor and prospective parliamentary candidate for Sefton Central (the old Crosby seat) is reported to the Standards Board as part of the above probe
- Oh yes, and an ex-Mayor, John Walker, is facing jailed for benefits fraud.

Over, in Wigan it's come to light that the authority's councillors are the worst for infighting in the country, having topped a Standards Board league table.

You'd expect that both Wigan and Sefton are run by toddlers but, in fact, I can exclusively reveal that they are adults (well, over 18 at any rate).

The words 'lucky' and 'escape' spring to mind....

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Freedom of (No) Information Act

Posted by David Sudworth on November 14, 2007 3:15 PM

I'VE JUST read a cracking story in today's Liverpool Daily Post about the so-called Freedom of Information Act.

It concerns a Katherine Byrne, who is campaigning to save a piece of green space near her homes, and tried to use the Act to back up her case.

She requested to have sent to her a private and confidential report and Liverpool City Council duly obliged.

But guess what? The town hall mandarins had crossed out everything in the report apart from two sentences, and they were "Planning issues in developing on..." and "As the land is designated..."

When asked to explain their move, a spokesman said: "The purpose of issuing the response was to show that the particular report did exist. But as it contained commercially senstive information it was regarded as exempt."

Don't you just love it?

But I'm not surprised as throughout my journalistic career I've lost count of the number of times public bodies have tried to worm their way out of things by citing "commercially sensitivity" and their all-time favourite, the Data Potection Act, which they (wrongly) think means you can't even ask somebody's name.

99 out of 100 their reasoning is utter tripe, balderdash and piffle - they know it and so do I. But the inference is "well, what ya gonna do out it?" and, to be honest, without taking it to the Lord Chancellor, there isn't a lot you can do. Even then there's no guarantee of success.

So take my advice, if you're looking to use FoI do yourself a favour, don't ask anything too interesting or searching which might involve them giving away anything useful.

It also helps if you're either a) prepared to be told they don't have the information or b) accept the fact you'll only get the information - complete with all its bureaucratic jargon and gobbledegiook - at 5pm on 20th working day.

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Setting The Standards

Posted by David Sudworth on November 8, 2007 3:27 PM

EVEN the biggest political anorak in the world will find some part of the democratic process as dull as ditchwater.

In the world of local councils, it's always the plannning committees, full councils and cabinets who tend to hog the limelight, which is fair enough as this is where the big decisions are made.

But as this week's Advertiser shows, it doesn't mean that there's nothing interesting elsewhere.

Take for instance our report on page 26 on how planning committee councillors will now be able to air their views about schemes just to go before them, as long as they don't give the impression they've already made up their minds on an issue.

The rules, brought in by the Standards Board for England, have been immensely unpopular with most on the committee - and their irritation is only heightened when an issue comes up in their word as they have to stand there with their traps shut.

Unfortunately, the rules were based on the assumption that all councillors can't be trusted to make sound judgements based on evidence put before them.

It's sad, but typical of just how many unnecesary rules local government representatives and officers are forced to work under these days. No room for discretion or common sense.

Thankfully, the SBE has seen the light and has now to a certain extent relaxed the rules.

In truth, any councillor or civil servant who tries to use the system for their own ends these days are plain stupid as the risk of getting caught is greater than it's ever been.

And if they ignore that, they deserve everything they get.

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A Plea: Don't Praise Lazy MPs

Posted by David Sudworth on November 6, 2007 7:50 PM

I GET really brassed off at this time of year when MPs' allowances are published.

And it's all down to the ridiculous interpretations placed upon them based on ill-informed judgement and political opportunism.

Here's how it goes: MP X claims £100,000 and gets ridiculed all across the press for being the most costly member in the country.
Meanwhile, MP Z claims £5,000 and not a word is written about them, save for a few paragraphs in the local paper.

But add into the mix the fact that MP X has sent 1,000 letters responding to constituents' concerns and have a fully staffed office open 7 days a week, while MP Z has sent just 20 letters and they only have one part-time staffer, meaning for the rest of the week you've got just an e-mail address.

Look at it that way, and it's a completely different ball game. The fact is that most of the allowances claimed are for stationary, office and staffing costs. There's no 'snouts in the trough' or politicians lining their own pockets. Afterall, the openess of the allowances scheme makes that almost impossible.

There was a quite excellent article in our sister paper, the Crosby Herald, last week makes the very same point - but this time it's an actual MP, Claire Curtis-Thomas, saying it.

She tells how her work is constricted by fears she will be criticised for spending too much. Can you believe that?

Over the past year the Labour politician has claimed £143,016 on expenses such as staff, travel, and incidentals in comparison to the £168,889 figure that earned her the nickname ‘Costly Claire’ in 2004.

But she says the media furore that followed made it impossible for her to continue working late hours seven days a week.

So there you are; MPs are now afraid to work hard incase they get lambasted when, in reality, they should be given a massive pat on the back.

You just couldn't make it up...

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Overview & Scrutiny - What Issues Do You Want Looked At?

Posted by David Sudworth on November 1, 2007 7:53 PM

WEST Lancs District Council issued this press release this week.

I thought I'd share it with you, given the previous post about the Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Please note there is a deadline of November 9 for any ideas/suggestions you may want to make.

What's important to you?
The District Council's External Overview and Scrutiny Committee is inviting local residents to submit ideas to be included in their work programme for 2008/09.

The Committee aims to provide real benefits to the people of West Lancashire by carrying out in depth reviews of the Council's relationships with external bodies and bringing forward appropriate recommendations to Cabinet and Council.

Topics covered in the past have ranged from the 'Healthy Schools' initiative to a review of 'external funding'. If you have an issue that you think might be suitable - let us know. Email your ideas to memberservices@westlancsdc.gov.uk or call 01695 585016/585017.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Geoff Roberts, said: "The reviews carried out by the External Overview and Scrutiny Committee can bring about significant improvement for residents and I really hope people will take the time to send in their ideas for 2008's work programme.

"The deadline for suggestions is 9 November, so I would encourage people to send in their ideas in straight away

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