Culture Company Incompetence

[geoffrey]

From Howie's link

Last night, Garston Labour MP Maria Eagle said Cllr Bradley had left it late to engage with the city’s MPs on the subject, as the start of Liverpool’s flagship year is only 18 days away.

“I want to do what I can to help with it, but he’s got to admit that there is an issue, and I have not seen much evidence of that.

“There has got to be some frankness, and he’s got to admit what the full situation is.”

This seems to me absolutely crucial. It's not just that the council are not admitting there's a problem, it's that they are diverting the resources and credibility of the city into kicking questions into the long grass.

[Howie]

Confusion as council leader asks for leaked confidential email on Culture chief be sent out to all 90 councillors
Dec 14 2007
by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

UNDER-FIRE council leader Warren Bradley requested a confidential email be circulated to all 90 Liverpool councillors in which he called for Capital of Culture chief executive Jason Harborow to be relieved of his duties.

More...

[Howie]

Liverpool councillors ‘worse than in eastern Europe’
Dec 14 2007
by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post



THE standard of behaviour from councillors in Liverpool fails to meet those of a “fledgling Eastern European” democracy, a d*mning inspection has concluded.

The behaviour of elected members came under scrutiny at a recent inspection by the Audit Commission as it judged how well the council is performing.

Auditors watched at a full council meeting on October 17 as part of their visit. The city is now set to be given a mark of just one out of four for councillors’ behaviour in the report.

The inspection formed part of the Audit Commission’s corporate assessment which will report early next year.

Last night, a source said: “They were shocked by what they observed.

“The auditors have found that the standards of member behaviour fell short of even the fledgling democracies of Eastern Europe.

“In some of the key indicators, Liverpool got a result of one. That was in finance and member behaviour.”

At this week’s full council meeting, Lord Mayor Paul Clark said the auditors had criticised the last council meeting.

“They felt that the behaviour of some members was not as good as it should be.”

He said the matter had been put in writing to the council: “I think we need to think about it carefully”.

Council leader Warren Bradley said that some individual councillors’ behaviour was “appalling” and not fitting of a democratic society.

“But there’s a lot of good people in the council who do a lot of good things, I don’t want them tarred with the bully boy brush,” he said.

Labour leader Joe Anderson said his opposition group were forced to “fight fire with fire” and he had made it his business to stand up to the Lib-Dems and be robust in defending his party’s policies.

But Cllr Bradley said: “It’s abhorrent the way some members act, and they will be brought to task about it.”

The council leader said he “begged to differ” with Labour’s view that they had to fight fire with fire, but admitted that the behaviour of some Liberal Democrats was inappropriate.

“When talking about the opposition, it’s only certain members and the way they behave is not fitting of a democracy of the western world.”

He said he did not know the exact outcome of the financial review, but he thought that the issues were around the council’s asset management plan. “We knew there was an issue there.”

Cllr Anderson said: “The majority that the Liberal Democrats used to have gave them an air of arrogance and they have constantly ridiculed our members.

“The Labour party will stand up to bullies and we will express our views in a robust manner.

“This council’s record and the leader’s record on behaviour is there for all to see.”

He reiterated previous comments relating to Cllr Bradley’s email to council chief executive Colin Hilton demanding Culture Company chief executive Jason Harborow be “relieved of his duties” – following the Mathew Street Festival fiasco – which he said amounted to a form of bullying.

He added: “This is not just about the behaviour in council meetings, it’s about the culture of fear that this administration has created, not just in the council chamber, but in council departments and among the workforce.

“I make no apologies for being passionate and for being robust in the defence of our party and policies.

“Why shouldn’t I be passionate about the waste and incompetence in the council as well as defending the elderly?

“I am passionate about our city.”

An Audit Commission spokesman said: “I can confirm we are carrying out a corporate assessment of Liverpool City Council which will measure how well it is working to deliver improved services and outcomes for local people.”

He said that the report would be published in February.

“Until that time, we will not be commenting upon its progress,” he added.

Liam Fogarty, chairman of amayorforliverpool.org, said: “Our so-called civic leaders are bringing the city into disrepute.

“They lurch from one crisis to another.

“People are sick to death of the council’s ‘seat-of-the-pants’ approach to running the city.

“On the eve of Capital of Culture year, this is confirmation Liverpool has a political culture which is dragging our city down.

“The Commission confirms what most Liverpudlians already know: we’ll never be like Barcelona as long as our politicians behave like they’re in Bulgaria.”

Source: Liverpool Daily Post

[SteH]

crunch talks are taking place between council leaders and MPs over the £20 milloin shortfall, whats to say the Labour MPs may just say F*** you to make the LibDems look stupid.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...de/7144284.stm

[geoffrey]

Except they aren't really crunch talks in any meaningful sense are they? They are about a budget to be set next April rather than in time for 2008.

The MPs really should tell Bradley to **** off if he tries to bounce them into giving unconditional support. They've been trying to get this kind of meeting for ages but the council has kept them out.

[Howie]

Capital of Culture chief to quit just days before 08 starts
Dec 18 2007
EXCLUSIVE by David Bartlett



THE MAN charged with leading Liverpool’s Capital of Culture is set to agree to step down from his role, just days before the start of celebrations.

More...

[Howie]

End of the road for Culture chief?
Dec 18 2007
By Nick Coligan, Liverpool Echo Political Reporter

THE man in charge of organising Liverpool’s Capital of Culture celebrations is set to be offered a deal to leave his job.

Councillors are due to be asked tomorrow (Wednesday) to give permission to Town Hall officials to start negotiating Jason Harborow’s exit from the Culture Company.

More...

[A.D.W]

^^^^^^^

Not a very good show at all!!

[Cameraman]

Will he be missed?

[Howie]

Capital of Culture chief to leave
Dec 19 2007
by Nick Coligan, Liverpool Echo



TAXPAYERS are facing a second big pay-off to a Culture Company official less than two weeks before 2008.

The ECHO understands the organisation’s chief executive Jason Harborow can expect to receive up to £250,000 if he agrees to leave his job.

This would be paid out on top of the sum given to departing artistic director Robyn Archer in July last year, believed to be about £125,000.

More...

and more...

[A.D.W]

£250,000? Why?

[SteH]

That is obscene, he was only appointed in March 2006 on £150k a year. He is actually being given nearly as much by way of a pay off than he has earned since then (£262k over 21 months), enough to tide him over till August 2009 on current earnings.

[phredd]

£250,000? Why?

No doubt because its a fiddle by men in "Grey Pin Stripe Suits". They always pay themselves and their kind off well.

Phredd

[Ged]

Let's not forget he took the wee by staying off on paid sick leave for weeks on end knowing all the time he was about to say his position had been made untenable, that often used favourite phrase they give themselves in times of crisis - what crisis?

[buggedboy]

Basically it's because he knows he has them by the balls because of the mistakes made by Storey and Bradley. You just can't make statements like "off with his head" before any investigation is launched. In any field that would basically give the employee an automiatic case for constructive dismissal as it suggests the decision to sack has already been made.

As to him taking sick leave then buggering off. That's a toughy as I witnessed a similar situation recently. Someone I know has been treated like **** by his employers. However, he then needed an operation and so took 3 months off (paid) and got the operation done privately via their health care package. He goes back soon, with his resignation letter in hand and a thank you for his 4k operation and 8k paid holiday.

Basically they wrung the person I know dry and so he did the same thing to them.

I'm guessing that's how ol' Jason feels.

Still peeves me that it came to this.