However, for one man it has a use. Step up Sir Merrick Cockell. Cockell has been doing some calculations. Last year he picked up from the public purse around £120k a year. However, thanks to circumstances beyond his control he lost two of his sinecures totalling £37k a year. So his income slumped to an already bloated Leader's allowance of £70k a year- plus bits and pieces like his council pension etc.
So what to do? Well, a return to the world of business was not an option; his two man band ciggie selling operation had closed down and no one sane in the private sector was going to take him on.
Suddenly the Councillor had an inspired thought... How about the LGA? If he could keep his Cabinet loyal he would be on to a real winner. He would carry on being Leader and chair the LGA. All his financial troubles would be over and his income would soar upwards to £133k again-plus more perks.
Happy Days would be here again and there would be no end to lunches and dinners at his fave high end restaurants.
Dear Hornet's nest, Over the past few months you have relentlously attacked Sir Merrick and some of his fellow councillors. Some of these I know personally (incluidng the Leader) and strongly believe that only a few are guilty of alleged abuse of allowances and public office. I find it hard to believe that Sir Merrick is allowed to continue as leader after a number of very serious accusations about alleged misuse of public money. I have said before that RBK&C is run rather like Derek Hatton's Liverpool Council; for me Sir Merrick Cockell is no different. Sir Merrick does not believe in the democratic process and is a pretty grim example of Conservatism at it's worst; Eric Pickles should sort him and others or come the next general election the Labour party could be returned. It is ridiculous and again abuse that Sir Merrick can retain his position (again yawn) as leader after 13 year; there needs to be maximum terms of offcie, maybe two (Eric Pickles please act on this). All over the country people are finding it difficlut to make ends meet and it is appalling that Sir Merrick and others continue as if they live in a cocoon. Eric Pickles please bring to a halt any more unecessary local government expenditure and lean (heavily) on RBK&C.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Draycott
Pickles is not walking the talk
ReplyDeleteLocal Govt is madly out of control. Local Govt ensions are costing £6 billion a year to fund, equivalent to £1 out of every £5 of the council tax.
ReplyDeleteWe are paying for all these people without enough to do. To think up ways of spending our taxes.
And sitting on top of it all are troughers like Cllr Cockell who rushes around promoting himself for multiple positions funded by taxpayers. Positions like the Chairman of the LGA that no one wants to do so he swans in and picks up another £60k per year on top of his £70k from K&C as Leader.
How can one man do all these jobs effectively at the same time? Why does no one throw him out? Why does no one stop him?
Its out of control
The Hornet is doing a hugely valuable job exposing people like Cllr Cockell, Cllr Ritchie and Cllr Moylan to public scrutiny.
ReplyDeleteFor too many years these people have quietly dipped their snouts in the trough of Hornton Street for personal gain. And what they have taken out, and the manner of taking it, has soured what they have put in.
In the absence of checks and balances, we need to rely heavily on the Hornet, the Kensington Chronicle and the Evening Standard to control these vagabonds