Investigation anyone?

[DRiddle]

It's 6 years since I went through the process of calling for an investigation into aspects of HBC. It's six years since Geoff Lilley tried to get a meaningful investigation into certain councillors connections to the voluntary sector. Barrister Tom Mitchell's investigation was limited in size and scope due to the (lack of)  money allocated to it.

Despite this. Angie Wilcox resigned as a councillor around this time.

Fast forward 6 years and now LABOUR are pushing for their own investigation in aspects of HBC during the same time frame.

What I would be doing over the next few weeks is keeping my eye on which councillors do NOT call for or support such an investigation. Especially a retrospective one which could dig deeper into the last 6 years or so.

One of the most vocal critics of the Tom Mitchell investiok back in 2013 was Ray Wells.

Speaking at the time he said "Conservative leader Ray Wells said: "I questioned the necessity of spending the money on this inquiry as I said we already had procedures in place to ensure that no wrongdoing could happen within the authority.

"Tom Mitchell's report has clearly supported my earlier comments. I sincerely hope that those who called for the inquiry are now satisfied that councillors have not acted in an improper manner."

As I said earlier, Angie Wilcox resigned as a councillor during this period and ultimately went to prison.

I personally support a new investigation with significant funding and real powers of retrospective investigation.

I'd hope most people would.

Especially whoever ends up as leader.

[fred c]

I was at the meeting were the labtor mob finally agreed to hold an investigation, from memory I think  it was Wells who proposed the £20k cap on the funding for the inquiry by the Barrister Mr Tom Mitchell, unfortunately an awful lot of information that was presented to Mr Mitchell was "outside of his remit"......In truth the £20k was a waste of money, primarily because it just wasn't enough.

[Inspector Knacker]

An investigation call is a popular move with the public and long overdue. But calling for one and actually putting it into action is another thing altogether.
Labour have emerged blinking into the sunlight following their release from the cellar and rushing about to announce new popular policies, but is it just attention seeking/rebranding?
Time will tell. I won't hold my breath.

[John dory]

There should be an investagation no matter what the cost will be ,whats to stop future councils feathering their own nest knowing there will be no investigation because of the cost. Anyways if there isnt any of cab/sabs vanity projects there should be more in the kitty.

[grim reaper]

Sadly, like a number of issues exposed on this site, people ask for answers, action, prosecutions. However, those same people fail to coalesce into a force to be reckoned with.
The latest 'ask' is for those councillors suspected of larceny to be investigated at length.
How many times have those words been typed on these hallowed pages, over the years?

What about organising a petition, from the residents of Hartlepool, demanding an investigation into the finances of the council, to include the income and outgoing of councillors living standards?
Every one of those appearing to spend like there's no tomorrow (like Wilcox) to be vetted. The petition to be sent, not to an expensive barrister but to Cleveland police and HMRC.
A copy of the petition could also be sent to a number of newspapers.
Not, I hasten to add, the Hartlepool Mail. Not that they would report it anyway.
The petition sheets could be signed at 'The ramp', outside the Civic and similar high footfall locations.
We have the perfect opportunity to finally have the questions answered, "Have our councillors been spending OUR money on themselves?"
I am sure those same councillors will be all for such an investigation into financial irregularities and give it all their support, purely to prove their innocence of such charges.
Or will we continue to harp on and do nothing at all?

[diSme]

Sadly, like a number of issues exposed on this site, people ask for answers, action, prosecutions. However, those same people fail to coalesce into a force to be reckoned with.
The latest 'ask' is for those councillors suspected of larceny to be investigated at length.
How many times have those words been typed on these hallowed pages, over the years?

What about organising a petition, from the residents of Hartlepool, demanding an investigation into the finances of the council, to include the income and outgoing of councillors living standards?
Every one of those appearing to spend like there's no tomorrow (like Wilcox) to be vetted. The petition to be sent, not to an expensive barrister but to Cleveland police and HMRC.
A copy of the petition could also be sent to a number of newspapers.
Not, I hasten to add, the Hartlepool Mail. Not that they would report it anyway.
The petition sheets could be signed at 'The ramp', outside the Civic and similar high footfall locations.
We have the perfect opportunity to finally have the questions answered, "Have our councillors been spending OUR money on themselves?"
I am sure those same councillors will be all for such an investigation into financial irregularities and give it all their support, purely to prove their innocence of such charges.
Or will we continue to harp on and do nothing at all?

An excellent suggestion, which goes beyond mere words and involves action.

I would help support the logistics of organising such a petition in any way I could, and I'd like to think that there would be plenty of signatories showing their support once the purpose of the petition was explained...

Is this a viable plan of action...?

[DRiddle]

It was done 6 years ago.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/calls-to-sign-petition-calling-for-government-probe-into-hartlepool-council-1-5778332/amp

Carl Richardson argued against widening the scope of the investition back then.

He's now in the group calling for it.

[Hartlepudlion]

Part of the problem lies in the Cllrs Declaration of Interest Form. It is not as inclusive as I thought and, therefore, does not give full a full declaration of a Cllrs interests.

For example: a Cllr does not have to declare if they are in receipt of housing benefit and yet they are allowed to vote on matters concerning it, such as the CT support scheme. This exemption also applies to family members.

[grim reaper]

Yes, it may have been attempted 6 years ago but that was to acquire Govt. intervention.
What I propose is a 'local' petition, putting pressure on local official bodies to act on our behalf.
If the alleged offences, carried out over the last number of years are collated and evidence supplied, they are all in High Tax Hartlepool/Hartlepool Post; (e-bay ad for the tin shed, Rifty/cafe accounts, Cemetery cafe etc etc), then with a volume of signatures from the public, the police MUST act.
Or we will need to know why not.
Council officers may now, finally, be able to provide information on volumes of money and to whom it was dispensed and to what end.
These are the questions a local investigating department can ask. The Govt. aren't interested in a 'backwater' like Hartlepool, especially as it has been under Labour control for 60 years!
Yes, 60 years Labour in Hartlepool, and 13 years of a Labour Govt. and people still cry 'Tory austerity'.
We need local action, from local officials.

Hartlepudlion is right in his assertion, the Declaration of Interest forms are not to the required standard for financial probity.
However, THAT is another route for intense investigation by the police.
WHY are some Cllrs allegedly NOT providing a full account of their extra curricular activities? It is a Pandora's Box, let's now peer inside.

[mk1]

Might as well pass a resolution calling for World Peace and the end of war. Labour will kill any effective investigation. You might get  some sort of 'enquiry' but Labour will block any real attempt to get at the truth. Their plan will be to publicly back it but do all they can  to limit the scope until (they believe) they get back in control next year and then kill it stone dead. Too many of the current mob are implicated in the SCAB Scandals for them to want the truth to come out. I expect they will  trot out the old mantra 'lessons have been learned and safeguards are in place to prevent any repitition. Nothing to see here everyone move along please'

Why is anyone wasting time  thinking it will be otherwise?

[jeffh]

Might as well pass a resolution calling for World Peace and the end of war. Labour will kill any effective investigation. You might get  some sort of 'enquiry' but Labour will block any real attempt to get at the truth. Their plan will be to publicly back it but do all they can  to limit the scope until (they believe) they get back in control next year and then kill it stone dead. Too many of the current mob are implicated in the SCAB Scandals for them to want the truth to come out. I expect they will  trot out the old mantra 'lessons have been learned and safeguards are in place to prevent any repitition. Nothing to see here everyone move along please'

Why is anyone wasting time  thinking it will be otherwise?

That was when Martin-Wells was the Audit & Governance chair.  Now if James Black was to take that chair things could well be different - be interesting to see who votes for him tomorrow.  Could I suggest that those who don't may have something to hide - just a thought

[mk1]

That was when Martin-Wells was the Audit & Governance chair.  Now if James Black was to take that chair things could well be different - be interesting to see who votes for him tomorrow.  Could I suggest that those who don't may have something to hide - just a thought

It must be hard ignoring all the years of bitter experience and believing have at last found your first unicorn honest politician

[jeffh]

Might as well pass a resolution calling for World Peace and the end of war. Labour will kill any effective investigation. You might get  some sort of 'enquiry' but Labour will block any real attempt to get at the truth. Their plan will be to publicly back it but do all they can  to limit the scope until (they believe) they get back in control next year and then kill it stone dead. Too many of the current mob are implicated in the SCAB Scandals for them to want the truth to come out. I expect they will  trot out the old mantra 'lessons have been learned and safeguards are in place to prevent any repitition. Nothing to see here everyone move along please'

Why is anyone wasting time  thinking it will be otherwise?

That was when Martin-Wells was the Audit & Governance chair.  Now if James Black was to take that chair things could well be different - be interesting to see who votes for him tomorrow.  Could I suggest that those who don't may have something to hide - just a thought

Looked like along with SLP the HIU/Tory Coalition weren't too keen on somebody with drive and a desire for openness and accountability  being chair of Audit & Goverannce

[kevplumb]

makes you wonder how many had their hands in the cookie jar all along