PAY BACK TIME FOR ‘GESTURE POLITICS’
An independent report unveiled this week tells us that Liverpool City Council is the worst local authority in the country for managing its financial affairs. On the same day, Jason Harborrow is the latest high profile figure to walk away from the city with a handsome pay off in his back pocket. As we report in the news section of this bulletin, payments such as this have now cost the local taxpayers over £1 million!

We are also informed by the council itself that they face a £60 million budget deficit!

The council argues that we have enjoyed council tax freezes for a number of years but this, I have to say, simply confirms the charge of the district auditor that the city has been mismanaging its finances.

Tax freezes are all well and good if you can afford them. But with costs in education, social services, salaries, and other front line council services all increasing, it was only a matter of time before such ‘gesture politics’ caught up with Liverpool City Council.

With the biggest event in the city’s history to host, this is the worst possible time for a cash crisis – but unless some ‘family silver’ can be found to sell off, I fear a return to the days of Liverpool Councillors moaning about poor central government settlements. It didn’t work for Militant. I doubt it will work for the current administration either.


GOOD LUCK JIM
I was delighted to hear the news that Jim Gill had been appointed as the new Chief Executive of the ‘new’ Liverpool Vision. Of all the ‘public’ sector agencies involved in Liverpool, Vision, notably with a private sector led board, has been the most progressive. Jim’s understanding of local issues, the challenges businesses face and his experience in the regeneration field should have made him a shoe in for this job from the off. That it took a high profile snub from some bloke from Jersey before the right appointment was made is rather bewildering. Let us hope that this is not an indication of how the new organisation will function in the future.


RINGO STARR
Just one question. Why?