No wonder they don't want to publish this report........

[mk1]

This report


http://www.hartlepoolpost.co.uk/index.php/2012-10-02-23-07-25

is a damming indictment of the 'charidee' muggers and empire builders currently lining their pockets at our expense.

A few choice observations below:


Anxieties have been expressed regarding the effectiveness and transparency of the council's commissioning and grant-funding arrangements for the voluntary and community sector-which generates a specific risk given the strong links between some elected members and this sector.....................


However, significant concerns were expressed to us by local partners regarding the current situation regarding the governance and political leadership of the council and the conduct of some elected members - thus significant reputational damage is being done......................


The voluntary and community sector feel there has been a signincant deterioration in their relationship with the council over the last two years.............



Weaknesses in the governance system are a major concern, with the respective roles and responsibiities of offcers and elected members sometimes being blurred in a way that undermines open and transparent decision-making............


Additionaly, there is a perceived lack of rigour around the declaration of interests that has established a widely held view that some elected members are focused on the pursuit of self-interest...................


The overall governance system needs to be hugely strengthened.................

The effective running of the council and its reputation are currently being badly damaged.........................

[marky]

no no no - I read the write up in the Mail and everything is wonderful. It's at times like this that I thank God for HTH...and I mean that most sincerely, folks!

[fred c]

This report




is a damming indictment of the 'charidee' muggers and empire builders currently lining their pockets at our expense.

A few choice observations below:


Anxieties have been expressed regarding the effectiveness and transparency of the council's commissioning and grant-funding arrangements for the voluntary and community sector-which generates a specific risk given the strong links between some elected members and this sector.....................


However, significant concerns were expressed to us by local partners regarding the current situation regarding the governance and political leadership of the council and the conduct of some elected members - thus significant reputational damage is being done......................


The voluntary and community sector feel there has been a signincant deterioration in their relationship with the council over the last two years.............



Weaknesses in the governance system are a major concern, with the respective roles and responsibiities of offcers and elected members sometimes being blurred in a way that undermines open and transparent decision-making............


Additionaly, there is a perceived lack of rigour around the declaration of interests that has established a widely held view that some elected members are focused on the pursuit of self-interest...................


The overall governance system needs to be hugely strengthened.................

The effective running of the council and its reputation are currently being badly damaged.........................

I have mentioned umpteen times in HTH forums about the need for a "Publicly" available document listing Councillors who have any salaried / directorship positions in the Voluntary / Charity sector

It is obvious to the "Blind Man on a Galloping Horse" that some councillors have positions within this sector, in fact some appear to have that many i don`t know how they have time for a "Proper Job".

The time has come for senior officers within HBC to make known their concerns about what is going on within the civics corridors ( Good on Dave Stubbs for refusing to pass on the information ) he should also tell SAB that a commitment to a confidential agreement, means just that..... Councillors should know all about those... one of them gained an extremely large settlement under just such an agreement.

Bullying is all to prevalent during Full Council Meetings, where members of the public have been on the recieving end of it, so i have no doubt that employees of HBC including senior staff are more than likely to have come under pressure to, "Do as i say".

The sooner this "Mob" are sorted the better off Hartlepool will be............ there are some really good councillors amongst the Labour group & its about time they had the balls to stand up to the self servers in the council chamber

I`m with "marky" on the thank goodness for HTH bit.........

[Julie noted]

Well, well, well, someone has finally lifted the rock and peered underneath. 
It did cross my mind to ask for the police to be brought in to investigate 'payments' etc. but looking at what has gone on there.......just WHO do you trust?   

We're all going to hell in a handcart!

[fred c]

The Councillors should be sorting it out............... Never mind party politics, there are enough right thinking councillors to get together to sort out this mess, even if it means forming a governing Coalition of councillors.

The fact there has been an attempt to cover up this reports findings is typical of how Hartlepool is run, what is really worrying is that a senior officer thought it was ok to keep it on the QT, we should also be asking why a Mail reporter was given a copy & a member of the public was apparently fobbed off by the PR Dept.

There should be a call for an Extraordinary Council Meeting open to the public that should be looking into this report, there have been numerous calls for Transparency, Openess & Accountability in local politics, now is the time for that to take place.

[Stig of the Seaton Dump]

Look what happened with the vote of no confidence letter, not difficult to be pessimistic about the outcome of any meeting.

It needs somebody independent to follow the report up for there to be any good to come out of it.

I can't see HBC letting that happen.

[mk1]

Looks like SD has borrowed a pair of balls and is getting some payback.
Hopefully once he hands them on to a Labour Councillor then someone can start cleaning from within.
You only have to look at the way Council departments are  being duplicated by the Manor Mafia to see how rotten the whole system has become.
Even if Mad Marg is booted out she will spring straight back with a highly paid job as head of an arm of Angie's empire. Who would have thought we would be looking back on the Brash years as 'the good old days'!

[steveL]

  bloody 'ell, you're right there, mate!

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

Pretty powerful stuff...the Mail has even made it the subject of their daily poll, which currently stands as below...looks like the 50k+ voters on the Wynyard issue haven't logged on yet...

It's your vote
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Are you happy with the way Hartlepool Borough Council is run?
Yes
9 (15%)
No
53 (85%)

[mk1]

A gem from SCAB 2.


Coun Akers-Belcher said he was surprised to hear the conduct of some councillors had been called into question and said he wanted to see the evidence.

I never thought he  would be so brazen.

'owz about this then (from  before Mad Marg stopped your  posting rights here)

Anyone wishing to financially support any of our key projects can do so by making cheques payable to Rift House East Residents Association.

Kind Regards,

Christopher Akers-Belcher
Chair – Rift House East Residents Association.

Or even these?





And who can forget the ramblings of the Labour stalwart(s?) who tried to smear G. Lilley:

Did you know that a councillor representing your community (Lilley) used an internet forum to mailiciously attack a woman in Harlepool and tried to hide their identity buy using the identity of 'COOKING FAT'. In our book men who hide their tendencies are called cowards.
The case was publicised by the local press and radio but failed to cover the Crown Prosecution Service felt the offence should be handled by a 'Standards' board for breaching the principles of public office'
Fact:
If you are in any doubt , before you go to vote in the local election you can judge for yourself and see what this man wrote by visiting the site: WWW.high-tax-hartlepool.co.uk particularly by using the forum archive search.

Your group even got a mention in Private Eye:

PING PONG BALLS

LAST MONTH a councillor was arrested by
Knacker, questioned, had his laptop confiscated
temporarily and was held for eight hours, including
four hours in a cell.
What caused Cleveland's finest to feel the
collar ofGeoffLilley, an Independent member of
Hartlepool borough council? Bribes? Bullying? A
hard drive full of kiddie porn? Not quite. Lilley
had said rude things about a Labour councillor on a
community website.
Back in December Cllr Marjorie James chaired
a meeting of the council's "scrutiny forum" at
which she refused to take questions from members
of the public about pay increases awarded to senior
council officers.
After the meeting a discussion ensued on the
"High Tax Hartlepool" community website, in the
course of which a contributor called "Cooking Fat"
- allegedly Cllr Lilley - opined that Cllr James had
"a chip on her shoulder the size of a house... She
is a Stalinist at heart. Favourite radio station, Radio
Moscow..." The following day Cooking Fat added:
"Rumour has it her party piece is pretty spectacular,
I understand it involves five 'ping pong' balls, a
pekenese [sic] dog and a lighted candle." Cllr James
was not amused and complained to the police.
Knacker's spokesperson said "a 60-year-old
man" was arrested "on suspicion of an offence
under the Malicious Communications Act" and had
been released on bail "pending further inquiries".
Lilley, bailed until 24 April, said: "I look forward
to my day in court."

Issue 1283. 4 March-17 March 2011

I could (and will) go on...........

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

Another little gem...isn't it funny what poor proof-reading can do...

'Coun Akers-Belcher said he was surprised to hear the conduct of some councillors had been called into question and said he wanted to see the evidence.

He said there were "robust" procedures in place regarding the commissioning and grant funding arrangements and said the scrutiny system "compliments" the current decision making process.'

[mk1]

It was asked why SCAB 1 was after the names of everyone who gave evidence to the Council Review.
The answer is obvious-so as to remove their funding!
The man is delusional. All he ever hears is what a wonderful couple 'they' are and how much of a saviour he is. How his tireless 'charidee' work is an inspiration to all. He seems completely unaware  he is being told what he wants to hear because those who depend on his largesse (I.E our money) are loathe to upset him and his clique.
They have seen how many groups have had their funding stopped only for Angie to step in  pick up the money at a later date.
I am sure he is shocked to discover those who are nice to his face do not speak the same way  in private. Given the chance to speak in confidence they tell it as it is. The SCAB/Manor Mafia axis is a spiteful vindictive group of chancers and charlatons who think only about what is in it for themselves.
These  slimy individuals thought they were untouchable and it took  outsiders to get at the truth.
For too long now these thieves have been able to brush off all criticism as the work of a few disgruntled troublemakers. That excuse  has lost all credibility.
Face it lads-your are as bad as we have been saying all along. 

[steveL]

it's on radio tees at 4pm.....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/radio/bbc_tees/listenlive

[fred c]

He has no reason & more importantly no right to know who said what.........

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

The article in tonights mail had 5 "Comments"............. they seem to have disappeared.


http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/local/damning-detail-of-council-review-revealed-1-4986400

I wonder why ?

Maybe Ms Yates was concerned lest the poor 'plebs' of the town might be tempted to use naughty words, and hoped to save them from themselves...