Wilcox

[kevplumb]

"However, the main type of skimming in these sort of organisations is to use the organisations resources to fund personal purchases and expenses. Taxi fares, Petrol, Food and all sorts of other purchases would go through the organisation "

like the council you mean 

[Inspector Knacker]

There'll be frantic airbrushing going on and it'll be like the Councillor who never was, a non person, gone and definitely forgotten. It'll be the name that can't be mentioned.
'Who?'
'I don't know who you're talking about'
'Hardly knew her'
'Nah, news to me'
' She used to be a councillor, but that's years ago'
' I don't recall the name' etc, etc. etc.

[Inspector Knacker]

"However, the main type of skimming in these sort of organisations is to use the organisations resources to fund personal purchases and expenses. Taxi fares, Petrol, Food and all sorts of other purchases would go through the organisation "

like the council you mean 

Where's the paperwork and receipts ?

[Hartlepudlion]

It's a good job driddle that you have posted your questions on here as they now stand a chance of getting passed the censor.

[fred c]

I could kick myself for my little outburst at the extraordinary  meeting, like others who tried to bring what was going on at MRA into the open i was waiting for the 1st meeting after Wilcox got jailed.

Unfortunately  i will now miss watching the rats who left the sinking MRA, try to squirm their way out of answering driddles questions....... they are all highly pertinent & factual...... i would add 1 more......  will the CEO of HBC call in an independent forensic  accountant to examine the accounts of any organisation that has councillors connected to it in any way....... going back at least 5. years.

Cook will really have to work hard to try & keep a lid on this little lot..... if he does what he has done on previous occasions, stifle debate by using the ticking clock, serious question would need to asked of a higher authority. ....ie. the LGO  or the communities minister.

I await with anticipation the video.

[steveL]

Questions at council are understandable but between now and next Thursday, there will be a lot of work going into brushing the whole episode aside; a strategy involving Cook, Devlin, Alexander and the whole Labour Group will be in place by next Thursday. They are all operating as a single unit these days.

Bare in mind that once a subject is raised, Devlin will claim at any future meeting that it can't be discussed again for another 6 months - they just have to get passed next Thursday's meeting in one piece.

Personally, I've pretty much written HBC off as a properly functioning local authority. When you have a Chief Executive who states that, 'some stones are best left un-turned.' then there's really not much hope. She clearly belongs in the group of public servants which includes the North Staffordshire Hospital Trust and the BBC Executives during the Saville period - 'the wrong-doing is far less important that the risk of the public finding out about it'.

We'll be putting a portfolio together on this whole business and sending it out to all and sundrie from the Charity Commission and Media to the Department of Communities and Local Government.

I've no idea if it will do any good, but I think we're well passed the time when anyone can reasonably expect HBC to police itself.

If anyone is interested, the Crown Court do a very nice Quiche at a very reasonable cost. I'm planning on having another slice at the trial of another Labour Councillor next year.

[DRiddle]

'Going public' in advance with the questions will be interesting. I don't doubt SteveL is right and there will be a coordinated effort to get through these questions as quickly as possible with as minimal amount of fuss as possible.

To be honest, that's part of the reason why I've posted them on here. People who go to meetings regularly will have seen that when Labout attempt to hold things together in the chamber with a 'plan', that's when things are most likely to go 'belly up' for them.

In the past we've seen them try to have motions declared null and void instead of just debating them and voting them down. We've also seen them try to stifle the contributions of some councillors instead of just letting them have their say. Whatever plan they try to execute, given the brains of their front bench, it's highly likely to be very embarrassing and explode in their faces.

My 'favourite' plan was when Wells had to pretend he was bothered about the council tax rise, so he introduced his 'surprise' amendment. This was quickly followed by Barclay stumbling his way through a 3 page pre written 'response' which referenced many times, word for word, the 'surprise amendment'.

The best thing Labour can do is just let me have my say. Any 'plan' to do otherwise will quickly result in a comical situation.

Still, I guess it is pantomime season.

[Steely Dan]

Fred C I salute you.

This is the question tha met be asked. "will the CEO of HBC call in an independent forensic  accountant to examine the accounts of any organisation that has councillors connected to it in any way going back at least five years"

It's a killer. No reason not to do it. Charitable organisations should be squeaky clean if they are to retain public support.

[Steely Dan]

Steve L "We'll be putting a portfolio together on this whole business and sending it out to all and sundrie . . . "

Can I suggest you send this to the CEO of Johnston Press and ask them why their local newspaper has all but ignored this scandal.

[steveL]

Today's Audit and Governance meeting should be interesting given that included is a report into what the council describes as its Draft Anti-Fraud and Corruption Strategy from the Chief Finance Officer. Timing is everything as this reports comes within a week of one of the council's own councillors being locked up for fraud - the report doesn't mention Manor Residents.

It looks like another paper exercise aimed at answering any possible future question as to whether or not the council has appropriate procedures in place. We now know that that implementing any procedure is quite a different thing.

The ruling group is not allowed to hold the Chair of Audit and Governance. We could perhaps take the operation of this committee more seriously if the Chair hadn't been given to the ruling group's coalition partner. In the infamous Radio Hartlepool telephone conversation, RMW explains how he agrees everything with Labour before it gets to the Council Chamber. As Chair of Audit and Governance, he then has the job of scrutinising what he himself has already agreed with the Labour Group - just another crooked manipulation of the constitution that favours the ruling group.

The Audit and Governance meeting today will also cover Cranney's 'wife-beater' outburst and as you'd expect, it has been pink-papered.   

[steveL]

Steve L "We'll be putting a portfolio together on this whole business and sending it out to all and sundrie . . . "

Can I suggest you send this to the CEO of Johnston Press and ask them why their local newspaper has all but ignored this scandal.

Yes I've had the same thought. Locking a councillor up, ex or otherwise, has to be one of the most significant stories in town for some  time but it's already well down the visibility chart on The Mail site. They had to cover the story; to not do so would have totally given the game away.

I wouldn't hold out much hope with Johnston Press. A little bit of Googling reveals that the company has many other publications equally embedded half-way up their own local council's rectum.

[akarjl]

Steve L "We'll be putting a portfolio together on this whole business and sending it out to all and sundrie . . . "

Can I suggest you send this to the CEO of Johnston Press and ask them why their local newspaper has all but ignored this scandal.

Private Eye would love this..maybe independent or Guardian ....worth a call also to Sunderland Uni....they run a Journalism degree course...I would imagine senior lecturer will be online.people are always looking for a "scoop".

BBC seem to be applying the ostrich approach or maybe it should be called the Savill approach?

[fred c]

Another question that springs to mind is in regards to Lying Ste getting the Tin Tack, at the time he said it was a private matter & he would fight the decision, well, he didn`t, it wasn`t private & the investigation into his disgusting slur regarding the care of vulnerable adults was investigated by Newcastle council & northumbria police

So by throwing a sickie, was he actually getting money under false pretences from his employer & by making spurious allegations, was he wasting police time ?


As for this act of farce.

The Audit and Governance meeting today will also cover Cranney's 'wife-beater' outburst and as you'd expect, it has been pink-papered. 

Do we really expecy anything different, HBC must use 90% of the UK`s production of Pink Paper, it comes to something when the CEO of HBC can oversee the banning of members of the public from council meetings & yet take part in discusions with a misogynistic, verbally abusive bullyboy & several blatant liars.

I suggest a contract with the following company might prove useful within the civic centre.

http://www.calibrate.co.uk/

[akarjl]

So by throwing a sickie, was he actually getting money under false pretences from his employer & by making spurious allegations, was he wasting police time ?

I keep wondering about that too.

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/d_to_g/fraud_act/#a10

See Fraud by abuse of position (Section 4) - very interesting

[seaton]

If anyone is interested, the Crown Court do a very nice Quiche at a very reasonable cost. I'm planning on having another slice at the trial of another Labour Councillor next year..

Who ??