LIVERPOOL UNGAGGED

NADIA BITES BACK

2008-05-31T21:14:00.000+01:00

Taken from ECHO LETTERS PAGES

Cllr Stewart speaks

MAY I put straight a few misleading statements that have been made since my joining the Liberal Democrats to support Cllr Warren Bradley as leader of the council.

Firstly, I have not been offered a thing in return, nor have I asked for anything. Some have wrongly blamed me for closing care homes and costing workers their jobs. I have done neither; I voted with the Labour group on the issue of the care homes and, along with my fellow ward councillor Phil Moffatt, have asked the Lib Dem group to have another look at retaining the current level of care homes run by the council and the jobs that go with them.

As to why I gave my support to the Liberal Democrat group; firstly the Lib Dems are the largest single group on the council and also took more votes in the elections than any other party. I firmly believe that the largest single party on the council should lead the council, not a number of minority parties.

It would have been easy for me to stay as the only independent councillor on the council and pull the strings of power, but what kind of message would that send out about Liverpool to the outside world, especially at a time when we hold Capital of Culture status and the city is rapidly becoming one of Europe's leading tourist destinations?

My decision, which I believe was the right one, was not made out of bitterness towards my political opponents but because I care about the city of Liverpool and it’s future.

Cllr Nadia Stewart, Liberal Democrat councillor for Croxteth.

AND IN REPLY

May 15 2008 Liverpool Echo

She jumped before....

J O’DONNELL voted for Nadia Stewart he claims, when she was a Labour candidate over two years ago, (ECHO, May 9). He says he supports her decision to prop up a failed administration despite the fact that significantly more people voted Labour, 40% compared to 33% Liberal Democrat.

He also says I have proved I am not the man to lead Liverpool because I said “the Lib-Dems were welcome to her”. Let me be even clearer for you Mr O’Donnell, as Labour Party leader I took the decision to expel Nadia Stewart from the Labour Party because her attendance at meetings was appalling over a two year period and in my view she failed the people of Croxteth who she should have been representing.

The people of Croxteth deserve better and that is why she was being expelled from Labour but jumped before she was pushed.

The fact that her decision alone has closed Leighton Dene and Boaler Street respite/care facilities because Labour would have overturned these savage cuts is a disgrace. But don’t worry, the people of Croxteth will have their say soon when she once again stands for election I look forward to that day.

Cllr Joe Anderson, Liverpool Labour party leader

FIRST OFFICIAL PICTURES OF LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE FOR OLD SWAN

2008-04-11T17:14:00.000+01:00

TODAY IS THE OFFICIAL UNVEILING OF THE NEW LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE FOR OLD SWAN.

NEW CANDIDATE LIVES AT THE BACK OF THE HIGHFIELD SOCIAL CLUB MOST OF THE TIME, HOWEVER HE HAS RECENTLY FOUND A WAY INTO THE BACK OF THE CHARITY SHOP, WHICH IS A HOP SKIP AND A JUMP OVER THE BACK WALL TO THE CHIPPY. HIS MAIN AGENDA FOR CHANGE IN THE CITY IS MORE PUBS, CLUBS, DOSS HOUSES, SOUP KITCHENS AND PUBLIC TOILETS.

HE INTENDS TO LOWER COUNCIL TAXES SO MUCH THAT THE CITY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO KEEP OPEN LIBRARIES AND ELDERLY HOMES ETC, THIS IN TURN WILL CREATE AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY FOR DOSSERS AND THIEVES, WHICH WILL BE THE CITIES, "COMMON PURPOSE"

BERNIE TURNIP SAID"I WISH HIM WELL HE LOOKS LIKE HE WILL FIT IN AROUND HERE, HE IS ALREADY STREETS AHEAD OF ME AND RECYCLING, HE EVEN GETS TO DOSS OUT THE BACK OF THE AFRICAN CHARITY SHOP, I'M STILL DOWN BY GOSHEN STREET!, TRYING TO SNEAK INTO THE BACK END OF TESCO'S."

KEVIN FIRTH THE DE-SELECTED CANDIDATE, WAS UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT.

LIVERPOOL LIBERAL DEMOCRATS ARE THE WORST COUNCIL IN ENGLAND! OFFICIAL!!!

2008-02-01T12:32:00.000Z

THE GUARDIAN UNLIMITED HAVE MADE COMMENT ON THE LATEST EMBARACEMENT FOR LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL TAX PAYERS.

WARREN BRADLEY AND HIS TEAM OF LIBERAL DEMOCRATS HAVE TAKEN OUR MONEY AND SPENT IT ON THEIR FRIENDS AND PAID OFF THOSE WHO MESS UP.

WARREN BRADLEY HAS LEAD OUR CITY INTO FINANCIAL CRISIS.

Liverpool council bottom of league

· Financial management is worst in England

· Minister's statement infuriated local authorities

David Hencke, Westminster correspondent
Tuesday January 29, 2008
The Guardian

Liverpool - the council which John Healey, the local government minister, said could save its council tax payers more than £100 a year each - was named as the worst financially managed local authority in England by an independent watchdog yesterday.
The Liberal Democrat-controlled authority comes out alongside Southend and the Isles of Scilly as the worst in the country in an analysis by the Audit Commission.

The findings come days after Healey listed savings which could be made by the 10 highest spending authorities in England to meet government targets to save £4.9bn, and how much cash could be saved by an average band D council tax payer. Liverpool was the highest in the country, at £101.

The statement provoked fury from the councils - seven wrote to the Guardian yesterday accusing the minister of playing party politics and saying the authorities had made huge savings already, far in advance of ministerial demands.
In his letter Paul Clein, a Liberal Democrat councillor on Liverpool's children's executive, said the minister's claim was "blatantly partisan and contradicted by the evidence".

Last night he admitted that the Audit Commission's findings showed that "it is not as good as we made out ... we have made good progress in education and children's services but I have to admit our housing has been poor, which is why we are handing it over to a mutual society."

He blamed part of the problem on the cost of Liverpool "being the European City of Culture this year, which we are funding 60% and has led to people taking their eye off the ball".

Healey was diplomatic, pointing out that the report also showed that other councils had improved their performance: "I am pleased to see that the majority of councils continue to improve the management of their finances, as all council tax payers would expect them to do, but there is no room for complacency and I agree with the Audit Commission that there is still much scope for improvement."

The Local Government Association, which had also attacked the minister for highlighting possible council tax cuts, was silent on Liverpool's plight yesterday, preferring to concentrate on the report's more positive findings.

Sir Simon Milton, its chairman, said: "This report is a ringing endorsement of the efforts councils have made to provide an ever better deal for the taxpayer. The commission has confirmed that more than nine out of 10 authorities are meeting or exceeding requirements."

Best and worst

Worst financially managed

Liverpool

Southend-on-Sea

Isles of Scilly

Worst value for money

Berwick-on-Tweed

Bromsgrove

Hart

Best financially managed

Cambridge

Chichester

Runnymede

Best value for money

Bedford

Chiltern

Chorley

Source: Audit Commission

LIVERPOOL DIRECT LIMITED IT SYSTEM NOT A GREAT AS DAVID MCELHINNEY MAKES OUT.

2008-01-24T14:41:00.000Z

LIVERPOOL DIRECT LIMITED IS A JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL AND BRITISH TELECOM.
LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL UNDER THE ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE DAVID MCELHINNEY,(NOW A LDL EMPLOYEE), GAVE AWAY 80% OF ITS SERVICES TO LDL.
BRITISH TELECOM IN RETURN FOR THIS HUGE FREEBEE, INVESTED MILLIONS OF POUNDS IN THE UPDATING AND MAINTENANCE OF LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL'S INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

THIS SERVICE IS NOT HOWEVER A FREE SERVICE IN RETURN FOR 80% OF THE CITIES MONEY GENERATING SERVICES, OH NO, IT COST LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL, £THOUSANDS PER COMPUTER.

A CONTINUOUS COST TO THE CITY IS THE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT THAT WAS AGREED BY DAVID MCELHINNEY.

EACH AND EVERY COMPUTER WITHIN THE CITY COUNCIL HAS A REPAIR COST PER YEAR ATTACHED TO IT THAT IS PAID TO LDL REGARDLESS OF THE NEED FOR ANY REPAIRS.

IF THE COMPUTER A MEMBER OF STAFF IS USING DOES NOT NEED ANY KIND OF REPAIR OR MAINTENANCE IN ANY GIVEN PERIOD OF TIME, LDL WILL STILL CHARGE FOR THE SERVICE.

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL STILL PAY THE LDL STAFF THEIR WAGES AS THEY ARE SECONDED TO THE SERVICE AND THERFORE STILL LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL STAFF, YET THEY CHARGE THE COUNCIL FOR THE SERVICES THESE STAFF MEMBERS PROVIDE.

DAVID MCELHINNEY IS CONTINUOUSLY TELLING THE WORLD WHAT A WONDERFUL SERVICE HE PROVIDES, HE CHARGES THE EARTH FOR THESE SERVICES.

NOW THE WHOLE OF THE CITY'S COMPUTER NETWORK HAS BEEN INFECTED WITH A VIRUS THAT WAS NOT FORSEEN BY THE SUPER WONDERFUL IT, SERVICE THAT BT PROVIDE.

CHILDREN AT RISK HAVE THEIR DETAILS INFECTED, THIS COULD IN TURN RESULT IN ESSENTIAL SERVICES NOT BEING DELIVERED TO VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN LIVERPOOL!
THIS ALSO AFFECTS ALL SERVICES WITHIN LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL.

BELOW IS REPORT FROM LIVERPOOL DAILY POST ON THE VIRUS.

City council’s IT system hit by new virus

Jan 24 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

COMPUTER engineers at Liverpool City Council have spent the last six days battling a virus that infected the authority’s IT system.

Last night a council spokesman apologised to council tax payers if they had not received a prompt response to an inquiry.

It is understood more than 90% of the computer system is now up and running properly again.

The virus first emerged on Thursday, January 17.

A city council spokesman said: “Parts of the council’s IT system were infected by a brand new virus which was so new a fix hadn’t been identified by our anti-virus software manufacturer.

“A team of engineers worked around the clock last week and over the weekend to tackle the problem and prioritise services.

“As a result, our IT network is now almost back to normal.

“We thank customers for their patience and apologise if they have not received a prompt response.”

THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU VOTE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS INTO POWER IN LIVERPOOL

2008-01-19T14:41:00.000Z

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL IS IN £62 MILLION DEBT!

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS MISMANAGEMENT OF PUBLIC MONEY.

ROGUES GALLERY

TREVOR JONES LIB DEM

VERA BEST LIB DEM

RON GOULD LIB DEM

STEVE HURST LIB DEM

STUART MONKCOM LIB DEM

TINA GOULD LIB DEM

TOM MARSHAL LIB DEM

PHIL MOFFATT LIB DEM

RICHARD KEMP LIB DEM

RICHARD OGLETHORPE LIB DEM

ROBBIE QUINN LIB DEM

ROGER JOHNSTON LIB DEM

PAUL CLARKE LIB DEM

PAUL CLEIN LIB DEM

PAUL TWIGGER LIB DEM

PETER MILLEA LIB DEM

PETER ALLEN LIB DEM

MALCOLM KELLY LIB DEM

MARYLIN FIELDING LIB DEM

MIKE STOREY LIB DEM

NORMAN MILLS LIB DEM

PAMELA CLEIN LIB DEM

KAREN AFFORD LIB DEM

KEITH TURNER LIB DEM

KEVIN FIRTH LIB DEM

LAURENCE SIDORCZUK LIB DEM

LINDA BUCKLE LIB DEM

JAN CLEIN LIB DEM

JEAN SEDDON LIB DEM

JIMMY KENDRICK LIB DEM

JOHN CLUCAS LIB DEM

JOSIE MULLEN LIB DEM

ELAINE ALLEN LIB DEM

ERICA KEMP LIB DEM

FRANK DORAN LIB DEM

DAVID HENSHAW FORMER CITY COUNCIL CHIEF EXECUTIVE

IAN JOBLING LIB DEM

FLO CLUCAS LIB DEM

COLIN ELDRIDGE LIB DEM

DAVE ANTROPUS LIB DEM

DAVE IRVING LIB DEM

EDDIE CLEIN LIB DEM

BARBARA MACE LIB DEM

Beatrice Fraenkel LIB DEM

BERNIE TURNER LIB DEM

BOB OUSBY LIB DEM

WARREN BRADLEY LIB DEM

ANDREW MAKINSON LIB DEM

ANDREW TREMARCO LIB DEM

ANN HINES LIB DEM

BARBARA COLLINGE LIB DEM

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS OF LIVERPOOL HAVE PUT THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY INTO SO MUCH DEBT ,DUE TO THEIR TOTAL MISMANAGEMENT OF COUNCIL TAX SPENDING, PAYING TOP OFFICIALS SUCH AS SIR DAVID HENSHAW AND JASON HARROWBOW OFF TO KEEP THEM QUIET, ALLOWING CORRUPT OFFICIALS TO GO UNCHECKED AND UNPUNISHED.THEY HAVE PUT LIVERPOOL CITY INTO SUCH A FINACIAL SHORTFALL
(£62 MILLION), THAT OUR BUILDINGS ARE BEING SOLD OFF AND WE HAVE TO PAY EVEN MORE COUNCIL TAX THIS YEAR, WITH NO FACILITIES OR ESSENTIAL SERVICES PROVIDED.
IT WILL ALL GO TOWARDS PAYING OFF OUR DEBT THAT THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS ARE RESPONCIBLE FOR CREATING.

When Liberal Democrats came into power, they made the fantastic promise that they would not raise the council tax whilst they were in power, they kept this promise until last year, as they realised too late the promises and pledges they were elected upon, were not feasibally possible.

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL TAX PAYERS HAVE BEEN DUPED AND NOW FACE THE HUGE DEBT OF £62 MILLION, TO PAY FOR THE CORRUPT ACTIONS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS.

OF COURSE THE PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL, THE ACTUAL COUNCIL TAX PAYERS, WILL NOT RECIEVE BETTER SERVICES FOR THIS INCREASE, THEY WILL CONTINUE TO ENDURE THE LACK OF LOCAL FACILITIES AND PISS POOR HOUSING. THE PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL ARE THE ONES THAT WILL SUFFER AND THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE CAUSED THIS MESS WILL BLAME EVERONE ELSE BUT THEMSELVES AND GET AWAY WITH RAPING LIVERPOOL OF ITS MONEY AND DIGNITY.

THE MONEY RAISED WILL BE TO PAY OFF LIVERPOOL'S DEBTS CREATED BY LIBERAL DEMOCRATS SUCH AS MIKE STOREY AND WARREN BRADLEY.

See below for Daily Post report

Liverpool City council faces a £62m hole in its budget this year with a likely council tax increase of around 3.75%, with £20m of that needed to pay for Capital of Culture.

2008 debts may force sale of Culture office

Jan 19 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

Millennium House

THE HOME of Liverpool’s Culture Company could be placed into a charitable trust and sold to help plug the £20m shortfall in ’08 finances, the Daily Post can reveal.

The unusual option of setting up a charitable trust is being explored by the city council as an option to plug the funding gap for the city’s Capital of Culture celebrations.

Last night, council officials stressed the preferred option was for the Government to give permission for buildings or land to be sold directly through a process known as capitalisation to pay for the year.

It comes as new figures show the council faces a £62m hole in its budget this year with a likely council tax increase of around 3.75%, with £20m of that the need to pay for Capital of Culture.

Yesterday, councillors at the authority’s ruling Executive Board hit out at the Government’s continuing delay in letting the council know whether the city would be allowed to break a treasury “golden rule”.

The setting up of a charitable trust would see advantageous tax relief applied to buildings, services, or the proceeds of sales put in trust.

Liverpool Culture Company is based at Millennium House in Victoria Street and it is one of the buildings that could be put into a trust.

And the Daily Post understands it is not just selling and leasing back council buildings through a trust that is being considered.

Placing services like libraries or leisure centres in trust is also being looked at.

The Charity Commission would have to approve any move to set up such a scheme.

It is understood the option is seen as a last resort, as once set up trusts are very difficult to wind up and the council would lose political and financial control over the new body.

Last night, the city’s finance leader, Cllr Keith Turner, said: “There is a whole range of potential options that have been put forward by officers as we go through the budget-setting process for next year.

“At the moment, we are completely focused on working with our local MPs to persuade the Government that they should give us permission to use capital receipts as that is the most simple and straightforward solution, because this is a one-off expense.

“Obviously, we are also looking at a number of other options and one of the many things suggested is for us to possibly consider placing a council function in a charitable trust.

“One thing is clear – our Capital of Culture year will be fully funded.”

Opposition Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson said: “It has been made clear to me this is an option (putting Millennium House in trust).”

He said the irony of putting the home of the Liverpool Culture Company in a trust and re-mortgaging “was not lost” on him.

The council and the city’s MPs are discussing the option of selling off buildings or land to pay for the year.

This is usually only allowed to help pay for other capital building projects, but the council argues that as Capital of Culture is a one-off, it should be treated the same.

At executive board, education leader Paul Clein led the protests against the Government for not having made up its mind yet over the issue of capitalisation.

He said: “We are not asking for a handout, we are asking for a relaxation of the rules. To leave us dangling like this beggars belief.”

A council spokesman said: “The council is in the process of setting its budget at the moment but no final decisions have yet been taken.”

davidbartlett

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT, BUT THEY DID IT ANYWAY!

2008-01-07T13:10:00.000Z

The Liverpool City Council are £29 million pounds overspent in their budget for Capital of Culture. The Liberal Democrat controlled Administration have insisted that the Private care providers, sign a new contract for this provision of care which equates to a 30% cut across the services, having the direct effect on the staff and the vulnerable. The same administration has decided to cease the existence of the generic council run home care service. This again has a direct impact on the carers and the vulnerable. We request that the Government ensures the full budgets are released for the vulnerable and elderly citizens of Liverpool and not in the form of high wages for the senior management teams of the caring profession.

Current signatories

Tori Blare, the Petition Creator, joined by:

pat b
daniel duffy
Charlotta Jones
margaret walker
Sue Mayers
Mailytn Sheeran
John Michael Bramwell
Chris Collins
Helen Bramwell
Thomas McNiven
Pam Scrimshaw
victoria wright
Timothy Hayden
doreen watling
pat watling
Anne Campbell
MARIE THOMAS
chris austin
Katie Fowler
carol davidson
Pat Dandy
Julie Finnigan
Rob Lacy
Neil Hughes
Pat Williams
Mildred Moahner
Stori Blare
Steve Downey
Janet Jones
Matthew Eland
Helen willingham
Brenda Hincks
Wendy Smith
susan healy
Carolyn Curtis
Jenny Hincks
P. Stevens
BRENDA WHEATLEY
andrew healy
Irene Witter
Nick Wall
Liam Foster
Martin Burke
maria seanor
Sue Egan
colin hincks
kelly sweeney
Celia Waiters
Jo Waiters
Angela Stevenson
Michael JP Lawler
Caroline Jeans
Liz Williamson
Agree absolutely! And the same for Camden which is using this to fund Council Tax freeze

HENSHAW, EITHER SUE US OR SOD OFF!!

2007-07-05T17:22:00.000+01:00

Taken from Henshaws Evil Cabal Blog, an anonymous person informs Tony Parrish that Henshaw is going off on one over the blogs and Mr Finnegan. No mention of Mr Storey though?

HENSHAW, GLAD YOU HAVE LEFT LIVERPOOL, DON'T COME BACK AYE?
THERE'S A GOOD GNOME.

COMMENT ABOUT HENSHAW POSTED ON GOSSIP BLOG

Anonymous said... to get serious for a minute...you should know that Sir Diddy has run as fast as his little legs will carry him to his solicitors, following the post on the henshaw evil cabal blog about the Guardian lecture. he is threatening writs, libel actions, injunctions, judiucial reviews and all kinds of other legal jiggery pokery to again try and close the blog down. his solicitors are brabners again. This has all come from a colleague of his wife (who is herself a nice person, given who she lives with). Sir Diddy is also apparently in regular contact with Mceilhenny and halsall and the three of them met for dinner before xmas at a hotel in Cheshire - but i doubt whether Diddy paid! One bizarre thing - he has also been talking to the cops to see if he can persuade them to do something. he says he is being persecuted! The irony of it! He is really worried about the Guardian lecture and whether anyone is going to take the piss out of him publicly in front of the great and the good and has seriously talked to someone from the guardian about improving security or pulling out! christ knows who he thinks he is. but his solicitors have advised him to carry on. He is apparently furious at Finnegan and the Tony Parrish campaign, which appears to have had a big impact at westminster amongst labour mps and in other local councils. according to the girls, henshaw is afraid that he is now regarded as being completely persona non grata and worries constantly about important people snubbing him. which must be true! but the best news is this - they are talking about leaving liverpool and moving somewhere else! hurrah! anyway, watch out for the lawyers lads - even though he is full of the usual bluster, you never know what he will do when he gets in a tizz. and he has got the money. will try to keep you up-dated on any other developments... Thursday, January 11, 2007 2:34:00 PM

TONY PARRISH, WHERE ARE YOU?

2007-06-25T12:11:00.000+01:00

IN THE SUMMER OF 2006, A BLOG SITE CALLED LIVERPOOL EVIL CABAL,APPEARED ON THE INTERNET AND TOOK LIVERPOOL BY STORM.

THE BLOG WAS CREATED BY THE NOW INFAMOUS TONY PARRISH.

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL PRESSURED THE BLOG TO CLOSE DOWN.

COLIN HILTON BANNED ANY COUNCIL WORKER FROM READING THE BLOG.OR WAS IT DR DAVID MCELHINNEY?

THE LOCAL LIVERPOOL NEWSPAPERS HEADLINED THIS BAN, THE POLITICIANS FROM THE LIVERPOOL LABOUR PARTY OBJECTED TO THIS BAN AS IT INCLUDED ANY COUNCIL COMPUTER, INCLUDING THE LOCAL LIBRARIES, THIS IN EFFECT BANNED THE GENERAL LIVERPOOL PUBLIC FROM READING THIS BLOG.

GAGGING THE LIVERPOOL TAX PAYERS IS NOT A POPULAR STANCE TO TAKE.

THIS OF COURSE HAD THE OPPOSITE EFFECT AS HUNDREDS OF COUNCIL WORKERS RUSHED HOME TO READ THIS EXCITING BLOG, JUST BECAUSE THEY WERE BANNED FROM DOING SO.

WHEN PEOPLE ACTUALLY READ AND DIGESTED WHAT THIS BLOG WAS PROCLAIMING, THEY WERE SHOCKED AT THE DIRTY DEALINGS OF THE LIVERPOOL EVIL CABAL, THE VERY PEOPLE WHO WERE BANNING THEM FROM READING THE BLOG IN THE FIRST PLACE.

THE NEWS WAS OUT AND COLIN HILTON HAD HELPED IN PROMOTING THE SITE. WELL DONE COLIN!

AFTER A FEW MONTHS, THE COUNCIL SUCCEEDED IN PUTTING PRESSURE ON TONY PARRISH AND THE BLOG WAS SADLY CLOSED DOWN.

NUMEROUS PEOPLE, INCLUDING MYSELF, HAD SAVED ENTIRE PAGES OF THE BLOG,

THE NEWS WAS OUT THERE, THE COUNCIL COULD NOT STOP THE INTERNET WORLD FROM REPRODUCING THE WORDS OF TONY PARRISH!

A FEW MONTHS LATER, ANOTHER BLOG APPEARED, THIS WAS CALLED, LIVERPOOL SUBCULTURE.

THIS BLOG HAD MORE EXCLUSIVES THAN THE ECHO HAVE EVER MANAGED!

THE SUBCULTURE SITE HAD ALL THE USUAL SCANDAL THAT WE HAD READ IN THE LIVERPOOL EVIL CABAL BLOG, INCLUDED IN THIS SITE WAS ,GOSSIP, CITY OF THE DEAD, POSTCARDS, REVIEWS OF CULTURE AND THE TONY PARRISH FRINGE.
AFTER A WHILE TONY TOOK THE POSTCARDS AND THE TONY PARRISH FRINGE OFF THE BLOG AND CONCENTRATED ON GOSSIP, FACTS OF SUBCULTURE AND THE CITY OF THE DEAD SITE.

OH WHAT FUN WE HAD READING THE EXCLUSIVES!

TONY RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE HIGH UP IN THE LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL AND EVEN HAD COPIES OF WARREN BRADLEY'S EMAILS!

TONY PARRISH HAS BECOME A NAME IN FOLK LAW AND I AM PROUD TO HAVE SUPPORTED HIM IN HIS QUEST TO OUT THE CORRUPTION OF LIVERPOOL EVIL CABAL.

NOW AS SUDDENLY AS HE APPEARED, HE HAS DISAPPEARED FROM OUR INTERNET?

WHERE ARE YOU TONY?
WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

THE LAST POST TONY PUBLISHED WAS CONCERNING AN EMAIL HE RECEIVED FROM GOOGLE, WHO ADVISED HIM THAT LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL WERE NOT REALLY HAPPY WITH HIM POINTING THE FINGER AT THEM AND SUCCEEDING IN UPSETTING A NUMBER OF THE EVIL CABAL.

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL WERE THREATENING GOOGLE!

IS THIS THE REASON OUR HERO HAS TAKEN HIS BLOG OFF THE INTERNET?

HAVE THE EVIL CABAL GOT HIM?

DID THE BALD EAGLE FIND HIS SAFE HOUSE IN THE WIRRAL?

DID MACCA THREATEN HIM WITH HIS LUFFA?

THE FAMOUS "HENSHAWS EVIL CABAL" IS STILL ACCESSIBLE BUT SADLY THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY RECENT POSTINGS.

TONY IF YOU STILL READ THE BLOG, LET US KNOW YOU ARE SAFE?

HAVE THE EVIL CABAL MANAGED TO GAG YOU?

SOME WORDS OF WISDOM FROM OUR LIVERPOOL WHISTLE BLOWER

Tony Parrish
Posted on 15 Jun 2006 12:18 pm (Report this comment)

Tony Parrish: To anyone in Liverpool, it is absolutely amazing that Hutton has appointed Henshaw. As chief executive of the city council Henshaw mounted an attempted coup d'etat against the Leader of the Council, Mike Storey, when the city council turned down Henshaw's bid for a £360,000 pension deal. In a typical fit of pique, Henshaw announced his retirement when the council turned him down (this was in March last year) and then appears to have changed his mind. However he got rid of his media chief, Matt Finnegan (suspended on trumped up charges) because he did not like the publicity that his announcement and the council's decision had attracted. Then he got access to Finnegan's computer and used emails from the Leader of the Council, expressing his opposition to the pension deal, to try and blackmail Storey and then to try and get rid of him! Everyone in Liverpool knows Henshaw is a greedy little (literally) bully who is only interested in himself. Other MP's - former health minister Jane Kennedy - have objected to other lucrative part-time jobs that Henshaw has secured since finally retiring from Liverpool in March. Henshaw is also getting more money than the Head of the CIvil Service for this CSA job! Try icliverpool or the guardian or telegraph for more on Henshaw. It is absolutely incredible. Rumour has it that this report has been done months ago and they just want Henshaw to front it. He's an arrogant, nasty piece of work, who is full of bull.

Council leader fumes as 'evil-cabal' site is blocked

Aug 10 2006

By Larry Neild, Daily Post

LIVERPOOL council leader Warren Bradley

last night demanded to know who ordered the blocking of a controversial

internet blog set up in a war against senior council officials.

The leader's call came just hours after the council's chief executive,

Colin Hilton, revealed he had asked for a police investigation into the so-called "Liverpool-evil-cabal" website.

Thousands of people are looking onto the site,

but council staff, councillors and visitors to internet rooms

at public libraries and one-stop shops,
have found the site has been blocked.

Last night the city council denied the site had been blocked

on the orders of Liverpool Direct,

the company jointly owned by the council and BT,

headed by former executive director David McElhinney.

A council spokesman said

the order for the blocking had been made by the city council,

and carried out by Liverpool Direct

who run the computer website servers on behalf of the council.

"The city council took the decision to block access.

Liverpool Direct runs servers for the council and the libraries

and an instruction was issued to them by the council to block it.

"The council has a duty of care to its staff

and as a consequence took a decision to block access to this anonymous site,

which makes allegations that would not be printed or broadcast by the media.

"An increasing number of council staff, some relatively junior,

have been named and it has caused a considerable amount of distress and upset to them."

But Cllr Bradley last night appeared to come to the defence of the controversial site.

He said: "I had a meeting with the head of libraries Joyce Little,

and asked about the blocking of the website.

I was informed that it had been done by Liverpool Direct.

I want to know why we as a council are blocking access to sites

that people with their own computers can access without problem."

One view among councillors is that the deliberate blocking of the site

has prompted people to seek it out on external computers.

Chief executive Colin Hilton finally broke his silence

on the website by issuing a message to more than 20,000 council staff,

as well as the 90 councillors.

In his communication, issued through the council Intranet

- a site closed to the general public -

Mr Hilton reveals the council has gathered evidence

which is helping to identify the mystery author of the blog.

The website,

now compulsive reading among council staff and

many of the city's key movers and shakers,

contains many intimate details about council activities that point to information being fed by town hall insiders.

The phrase "evil cabal"

first emerged in a series of e-mails between

former leader of the city council Mike Storey

and the head of the council's media department,

Matt Finnegan, currently suspended.

The council spin-doctor has been away from his office,

on full pay since April of last year

as part of an investigation into a series of e-mails

between him and Cllr Storey

in which there was evidence of a plot

to smooth the exit of Sir David Henshaw from his post as chief executive.

Mr Finnegan is due to fight for his reinstatement

to his Dale Street office at an internal disciplinary hearing next month.

Mr Finnegan cannot comment about his situation

at the city council because of the forthcoming case,

scheduled to be heard by a panel of councillors.

Last night his solicitor, Rex Makin, said:

"There have been numerous rumours about the identity of the blogger.

There is no evidence about the authorship of the blog.

As far as I am concerned reference to a criminal investigation is futile since criminal libel was abolished some years ago.

Those who sue for defamation, as Oscar Wilde found out,

may discover that the cure is worse than the disease."

Last night a spokesman for Merseyside Police said:

"We can confirm that several complaints have been received in relation to the website. Inquiries and an investigation are on-going."

Hilton's letter of explanation to Liverpool Council staff

"YOU will probably be aware that some weeks ago an internet blog site was set up to run a series of libellous articles in a journalistic format.

"The initial targets for its malicious activity were senior officers of the council, but over time references have been made to a wider number of staff, causing both distress and anger.

"To date, I have held back from making any public comment on the matter

in order to deny the site any credibility and to prevent further publicising its existence.

"Behind the scenes, however,

we have been working with colleagues in audit, legal services

and the executive member for Central Services, Cllr Richard Marbrow,

to put in place steps to deal with the anonymous author of this disreputable website.

I can now inform you that we have gathered evidence which is helping us identify the author.

Today, on my instruction, officers have started investigations on the evidence received.

I have also formally asked the police to launch a criminal investigation.

I have received a number of requests for information

from people who intend to pursue civil action against the author

and will be taking legal advice on this.

We are also attempting to have the website removed in order to prevent further upset to colleagues.

"You will realise that I cannot give you any further information,

but I think it is important to give all employees reassurance that matters are in hand."

Blogger to face legal action

Aug 23 2006

EXCLUSIVE by Deborah James Daily Post Staff

LEADING Liverpool council officials and others named on a controversial website about town hall dealings are preparing legal action against its author, the Daily Post can reveal.

City lawyer Mark Manley confirmed he is acting for several people who want to sue the author of the Liverpool-Evil-Cabal blog for defamation.

It is understood the group include current and former council officials and other high profile city figures named on the website, which criticised and attacked the council's former management team.

The website attracted over 80,000 visitors during July and August, but was shut down amid controversy about its contents last week.

Last night Chas Cole, who runs Summer Pops operator CMP Entertainment,

confirmed he is among those who have sought legal advice

after his business was discussed on the site.

He said he was prepared to sue the mystery author of the site,

who wrote under the name "Tony Parrish", when he is unmasked.

Privately at least one council official believes the group now have

firm evidence about who wrote the blog.

Solicitor Mr Manley, of Brabners Chaffe Street, said:

"I have received a number of instructions from a number of people

which led me to take appropriate steps to close down the blog, which we did.

"The highly defamatory comments published about a number of people

on that site cannot go uncorrected.

"I anticipate that when our inquiries are complete

the author or authors of those statements will be sued."

The website, which had a humorous tone,

listed Tony Parrish's occupation as "whistleblower" and interests as "victory".

Mr Cole said: "Whoever it may be I will sue them.

I have taken legal advice, and we are prepared to take legal action.

"We are planning action against whoever the blogger was,

whether that be one person or several people.

"I have heard all the rumours.

If they prove to be correct then I will sue the author

and his associates if there are any.

"The evidence from what I hear is in the hands of the council.

I will be interested to hear the outcome of the council investigation."

The blog is named after a comment by Cllr Mike Storey in a dossier of e-mails between

him and the council's suspended media chief Matt Finnegan,

which led to Cllr Storey standing down as council leader.

It focused on alleged conduct by three town hall officials,

former chief executive Sir David Henshaw,

resources director Phil Halsall and Dr David McElhinney,

managing director of the Liverpool Direct call centre.

Mr Halsall declined to comment last night,

and Sir David and Dr McElhinney were not available for comment.

The site also heavily criticised the council's approach to Capital of Culture,

the departure of artistic director Robyn Archer

and an investigation into council contracts with private firms Enterprise and BT.

Earlier this month Merseyside police were called in by council chief executive Colin Hilton,

and he blocked council employees from viewing it on municipally-owned computers.

Police said the website did not break the law, but it was taken down 10 days ago.

deborahjames@dailypost.co.uk

Was the council right to block Evil-Cabal website?

Aug 15 2006

Action to silence the website raised issues of free speech.

Larry Neild investigates

Daily Post

VISITORS to Liverpool's libraries were banned from visiting a controversial website spilling the beans on life at the Town Hall earlier this month.

The Liverpool Evil-Cabal website attracted over 80,000 visitors during July and August as a mystery blogger, known as Tony Parrish, teased and attacked, for the most part, the former management team of Liverpool City Council.

The site closed down at the weekend with Mr Parrish, who has become known as the Liverpool Pimpernel, saying "we have now been promised that there will be a proper investigation into the allegations made on the blog".

Last week, Merseyside police, called in by council chief executive Colin Hilton,

announced that the website does not break the law.

Mr Hilton, recently installed as chief executive,

wrote an email message on the council's intranet,

breaking the council's silence on the issue.

He said attempts were being made to have the website removed to prevent further upset to council staff.

Council leader Warren Bradley has demanded to know

who gave the order for the website to be blocked in the libraries.

Like many people, Cllr Bradley is concerned about censorship,

although he is no defender of the blog itself.

Council staff using municipally-owned computers are also barred from visiting the site.

The contents of the blog indicate there is a source, or sources,
within the corridors of power,

willing to leak sensitive information to the mystery bloggers.

The big question, though, is does the council have any right to deny,

in a country that promotes the concept of free speech,

access to a blog site,

however uncomfortable the contents may be for those who feature?

Today the Daily Post asks:

Was Liverpool council right to block the Evil-Cabal website?

larryneild@dailypost.co.uk

NEXT YES: The case for >>>

Website is a slimy retailer of malicious gossip
YES SAYS Cllr Richard Kemp,

Lib-Dem representative on the Local Government Association

YES, the site should be blocked.

Free speech is one of the fundamental safeguards of democracy.

Tyrants and dictators close down means of communications

to help enforce their tyranny.

Too often in our history, those who have defended free speech have appeared like

Frodo Baggins taking on the might of Sauron!

But the person (people?) behind this blog site is (are) no Frodo -

the character that springs to mind is Gollum,

the disreputable slimy creature that is evil, devious and disreputable,
and lurks in dank caves and slimy caverns.

The website is not a champion of democracy

but a sordid retailer of malicious gossip, spite, spleen and tittle-tattle.

Specific claims have been made against officers.

Correspondents have made a series of claims about leading councillors.

No-one has yet done the proper thing

- to report these allegations to the appropriate external and independent authorities

to have them properly investigated.

If members or officers are on the take, then it is illegal

and they should be dealt with by the police and then by the courts.

If they have been doing things which are outside the standing orders

and regulations of the council,

they should be dealt with by the
District Audit Service and then by the courts.

If councillors have broken the code of conduct,

they can be dealt with by the Standards Board for England.

Indeed, a check has recently been done.

The Audit Commission has undertaken a governance review of the council.

I cannot believe that the things being described on the website

could be going on and not have been seen by these people.

The report will come out in the autumn, but I am sure that action

would already have been taken if 5% of the allegations had any substance whatever.

So remedies exist - yet none have been tried -

so that leaves the council with two quandaries.

The first is about telling the truth.

If you knowingly repeat a lie, then you too are a liar.

The council knows that these things are untrue.

British justice says they are untrue because every person is innocent until proven guilty.

The second is how we care for staff.

We have a legal duty of care to our staff

(including former staff) to protect them from harm and abuse.

So, there we are then - gossip but no substance, allegation and no follow up.

The council should not assist with this for legal and moral reasons.

But, above all, bloggers - put up or shut up.

If you really think that there is any truth in what you say,

it is your duty and responsibility to go to the police NOW!

NEXT NO: The case against >>>

Mr Hilton may not like it, but it is called democracy
NO SAYS Rex Makin, lawyer

AT A time when our freedoms are under threat,

it takes either a very brave man, or a very stupid one,

to censor freedom of speech.

But the new chief executive of the city council, Colin Hilton,

is guilty of that in banning the Liverpool Evil-Cabal blog from computers

in Liverpool's public libraries.

Cllr Warren Bradley did not appoint Mr Hilton as Big Brother to the bloggers.

Nor was Mr Hilton appointed to decide what the people of Liverpool choose to read or believe.

The council taxpayers of Liverpool pay for the council's computers,the public libraries

and the £190,000-a-year salary for Mr Hilton.

It is up to them what they do when they surf the web in their local library,

provided, of course, that no offence is being committed.

And certainly the blog's growing army of thousands of daily readers

are not committing any offence.

Nor I believe is the blogger himself, who goes under the name Tony Parrish.

What Mr Parrish and his associates are doing is,

arguably, providing a vital public service to the people of Liverpool.

Liverpool-evil-cabal is merely exposing a wider Liverpool audience

to startling allegations about the regime of former chief executive Sir David Henshaw

which have been circulating among the great and the good in the city for months.

The blog asks some serious questions about the awarding of council contracts

worth millions of pounds, and questions the relationships

and actions of highly-paid senior officers who,

we should remind Mr Hilton, are servants of the public.

Mr Hilton may not like this, but it is called democracy.

Along with the blog's serious purpose comes a fair amount of humour,

direct language, gossip and innuendo from Mr Parrish and his readers,

of the sort that might be heard on the number 79 bus every day of the week.

Mr Hilton's over-reaction has been to ask the police to arrest the bus driver.

The police should be after burglars, not bloggers.

Banning the blog from council computers

has predictably sent thousands of city council staff

rushing home to avidly log in for the next instalment.

As for Mr Hilton (if it was he who was really behind the ban),

he would better serve the people of Liverpool

if he investigated the allegations being made.

People will not tolerate a cover-up of past procurement irregularities.

They look to Mr Hilton to come clean and put his own house in order first.

For, as Mr Parrish has eloquently stated,

the genie is now out of the bottle and it can't be put back in.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ONE THING TONY?

WHERE IS THE GENIES BOTTLE?

LIVERPOOL TRADE UNIONS ARE KEPT IN THE DARK AS DETAILS OF 150 REDUNDANCIES ARE MADE PUBLIC

2007-06-16T18:57:00.000+01:00

Follow the link below of read in full under this link

http://liverpoolinamess.blogspot.com/2007/06/liverpool-joint-trade-unions-are-kept.html

LIVERPOOL JOINT TRADE UNIONS ARE KEPT IN DARK OVER 150 MEMBERS REDUNDANCIES

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL JOINT TRADE UNION COMMITTEE HAVE ISSUES A STATEMENT TO ALL THEIR MEMBERS ALERTING THEM TO HOW MANAGEMENT HAVE KEPT THEM IN THE DARK ABOUT THE PUBLICATION OF THE COUNCIL'S DECISION TO PUT 150 MEMBERS OF THE HOME CARE SERVICE OUT OF WORK, IRONICALLY KNOWN AS THE PREVENTATIVE SERVICE!

WHAT THIS SERVICE ACTUALLY PREVENTS IS A GREAT MYSTERY?

SUGGESTIONS ON A POSTCARD WELCOMED.

SEE BELOW FOR THE TRADE UNIONS RESPONSE TO THIS DIRTY ACTION TAKEN BY TONY HUNTER AND SUE TRAFFORD.

IF YOU THINK YOU WON'T EVER NEED TO USE A HOME CARE SERVICE ?

THEN HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PREVENT GETTING OLD?

THINK ON EVERYONE AND GET BEHIND THE CARERS OF LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL AND DEMAND A STOP TO THIS DESTRUCTION OF SERVICES.

MORE TO FOLLOW SOON ON THE REAL BEHIND THE SCENES STORY OF CARING

LIVERPOOL.......

Chair:

Bobby Daniels

GMB

Treasurer:

Arthur Moss

GMB

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL

JOINT TRADE UNION COMMITTEE

Secretary:

Angela Blundell

UNISON

G.01 Cotton Exchange

Bixteth Street

Liverpool L3 9LQ

Tel: 0151 236 1944

15^th June 2007

HOME CARE STATEMENT

The following is the Statement issued to the trade unions at 3 pm on Thurs. 14^th June 2007

It is the Council’s intention to write to all potentially affected staff with offers of Voluntary Redundancy with terms consistent with the Council’s policy for early retirement of a maximum of 5 added years.

This will result in each employee – including those over the age of 50 and up to the age of 65 – having entitlement to a “one-off” redundancy payment based upon their age and length of service.

Those employees who are over the age of 50 will also, however, be entitled to the early release of their pension and lump sum based upon their accrued benefits as at the date of their redundancy.

These pension entitlements will be without actuarial reduction which would have been the case if the employees had taken early retirement.

No other details were shared with the trade unions at that time. The details would follow probably within the next week.

Management should apologise to its staff for the lack of information.

After leaving the meeting the trade unions were advised a press statement had already been given out and the Executive Director Tony Hunter would speak on local radio.

The trade unions are aware that this is an uncertain time for the Home Care Service and differing statements being issued by LCC are causing confusion.

We have asked for joint meetings with staff and as soon as there is more information we will contact our members.

LIVERPOOL COUNCIL TAX PAYERS, WHAT IS YOUR MONEY SPENT ON? City of the Dead*: THE ROTTWEILLER ATTACKS THE UNIONS AT LIVERPOOL DIRECT

2007-06-13T23:22:00.000+01:00

IS THIS WHAT YOUR LIVERPOOL COUNCIL TAX IS SPENT ON?

BULLYING PRIVATE FIRMS TRYING TO BRING THE WORKERS OF LIVERPOL CITY COUNCIL DOWN?

FOLLOW LINK OR READ BELOW

City of the Dead*: THE ROTTWEILLER ATTACKS THE UNIONS AT LIVERPOOL DIRECT

Sunday, June 10, 2007

THE ROTTWEILLER ATTACKS THE UNIONS AT LIVERPOOL DIRECT

THE ROTTWEILLER McElhinney is trying to force Liverpool Direct staff to do whatever he wants.

The dirty doctor has written to the trade unions to try and get a clause in the LDL contract scrapped.

The clause prevents him from forcing council staff - ie, secondee's to Liverpool Direct - to work for any external business.

If the unions agree, it would mean the evil McElhinney could have Liverpool Direct staff answering calls on behalf of his own private interests, such as Corrupt Bastards Inc, or that infamous local company, Evil, thieving, lying Cabal or the legendary TakingthepissoutofLiverpool.com or anyone else, more reputable, who is prepared to pay through the nose.

The move to scrap the clause follows the blog's recent exposure that Liverpool Direct was handling calls about Bernard Matthews's bird flu crisis for DEFRA.

This caused huge ructions for the thieving McElhinney, with protests from trade unions and politicians that calls to care staff were going unanswered while Liverpool Direct staff answered calls about turkeys.

The evil McElhinney is blaming the unions for leaking the story to the blog (wrongly, ed) and is now trying to get them to agree to the clause being scrapped so he can make sure that, in future, he can take money from anyone he likes.

He wants to take the clause out of the contract that states he has to consult with staff and unions on any changes in contracts and then use the staff in anyway he see's fit.

No union in its right mind would give McElhinney carte blanche like this, of course. But stranger things have happened in Liverpool...

In his letter notifying the unions of an official consultation period for removing the clause, McElhinney's motives become transparent.

He first tries to blackmail the unions over jobs, clumsily reminding them that LDL was originally set up as an alternative to outsourcing (in other words, we can always outsource your jobs again lads, unless you agree to this, ed)

He claims that the council wanted LDL to win "third party work" (who exactly is supposed to have agreed to that then? ed)

He then goes on: "You will know that the success of LDL's support to Defra during the recent outbreak of Avian influenza was heralded by the city as a major achievement." (Who was the numbskull 'herald' in this case then, Dr? ed)

McElhinney has clumsily included the bird flu example to anger the unions (who were horrified at what he was doing, ed) and give them a slap in the face about how untouchable he is (along the lines of, 'I can do what I like lads, so get stuffed - like those turkeys', ed)

The evil McElhinney claims 80 new jobs have been created from this so-called 'third party work,' withouthout producing any evidence for his claims. Indeed so flimsy is this particular claim that he has to repeat it twice, (presumably so 'the thickos in the unions' as he calls them, get his point? ed).

Then comes the sting - unless the unions agree to scrap the clause, there will be "the potential risk of redundancy or redeployment."

Crude blackmail.

Of course, McElhinney is hoping the unions will cave in and allow him to continue running his own private enterprise, without any challenge or accountability.

He wants to use council employees - public servants - without being accountable to anyone else. Least of all the unions, or councillors.

No doubt his mates in the ABA, his boxing friends, his jogging pals, websites for members of his family - and any other blonde ladies like very-well-looked-after-employee Sarah Parr (right) who need special 'services' - could benefit again from this nasty, vicious, arrogant little megalomaniac being allowed to do whatever he likes, while he laughs all the way to the bank.

Any hope of the Lib Dems doing anything to defend the interests of the workforce is, of course, absolutely pointless.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...: After recent victories, you are still not going soft on him are you, Tony?; Sunday, June 10, 2007 11:18:00 PM
grass said...: Have a little sniff round...

...I am sure youll find his scent on other areas of council operation...; Monday, June 11, 2007 2:22:00 PM
Anonymous said...: I no longer thought it was possible - but I'm truly shocked by this story!!; Monday, June 11, 2007 4:51:00 PM
Anonymous said...: me too,
whatever happened to public service and democracy?; Monday, June 11, 2007 5:05:00 PM
idnaaonv said...: Theres nobody got the Balls to see him off...pulic service ? democracy ? with the Lib Debs ? Your joking.; Monday, June 11, 2007 6:28:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Democracy - Liverpool - Evil Cabal -- Whats that then?; Monday, June 11, 2007 8:10:00 PM
Ordinary Joe said...: Go 'ed Tony. Maybe Joe Anderson's courage will inspire the unions to show some backbone.; Tuesday, June 12, 2007 3:50:00 PM
Tori Blare said...: Shocking stuff who would have thought it aye?; Wednesday, June 13, 2007 6:24:00 PM
Mrs DrMcDog said...: Where am I????; Wednesday, June 13, 2007 6:25:00 PM

SIGN UP TO GET THE MONEY FOR OUR VULNERABLE

2007-06-05T17:14:00.000+01:00

A PETITION HAS BEEN CREATED ASKING THE PRIME MINISTER TO ENSURE THE MONEY ALLOCATED BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR ADULT CARE IS SPENT ON THE PEOPLE WHO NEED CARE AND NOT ON THE HIGH SALARIES THAT THE SENIOR EXECUTIVES OF THE CITY COUNCIL GIVE THEMSELVES.

IF WE DO NOT STAND UP AND SAY NO THEN IT WILL CONTINUE AND GET WORSE.

MAKE YOU VOICE HEARD

SIGN THE PETITION TODAY!

IF YOU DO NOT SIGN THEN HOW CAN YOU COMPLAIN?

SIGN THE DOWNING STREET PETITION IN SUPPORT OF THE CARE WORKERS....(courtesy of Tori Blare)

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to provide more public funding towards the care of the elderly and vulnerable in Liverpool City.

The Liverpool City Council are £29 million pounds overspent in their budget for Capital of Culture.

The Liberal Democrat controlled Administration have insisted that the Private care providers, sign a new contract for this provision of care which equates to a 30% cut across the services, having the direct effect on the staff and the vulnerable.

The same administration has decided to cease the existence of the generic council run home care service.

This again has a direct impact on the carers and the vulnerable.

We request that the Government ensures the full budgets are released for the vulnerable and elderly citizens of Liverpool and not in the form of high wages for the senior management teams of the caring profession.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCILLOR FLO CLUCAS HAS SOME CHEEK!!

2007-06-01T10:23:00.000+01:00

anderson-demands-standards

FLO CLUCAS HAS BEEN NAMED, BY LIVERPOOL LABOUR COUNCILLOR JOE ANDERSON, AS NOT DECLARING AN INTEREST IN THE COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER SHE PLACED ON THE HISTORIC IRISH CENTRE, HER DANCE COMPANY PUT IN A BUSINESS TENDER FOR GRANTS LINKED TO THIS, SEE LINK TO PREVIOUS POSTS.

NOW CLUCAS HAS THE AUDACITY TO PUSH HER OWN MOTIONS THROUGH TO KEEP EVERTON IN LIVERPOOL CITY, WHEN SHE HAS BEEN SHOWN WANTING IN HER OWN AFFAIRS?

ITS NOT THE EVERTON ISSUE THAT IS THE PROBLEM IT IS THE COUNCILLOR INVOLVED, HOW MANY FOOTBALL FANS COULD YOU FIT IN THE IRISH CENTRE ANYWAY????

Liverpool City Council pass motion to keep Everton in the City

A motion by Councillor Flo Clucas OBE, has recently been carried which shows that Liverpool City Council will continue to work with the club to find a solution of the need for a new ground.

The full document as follows:

"538. Everton Football Club by Councillor Flo Clucas OBE

Motion by Councillor Flo Clucas OBE:

That this Council, mindful of the contribution that sport plays to the economic well-being of the City, and to it's international reputation, expresses it's concern that Everton Football Club should be seeking to move from the City.

Recognising work that been ongoing for some time to encourage the club to stay in Liverpool, and mindful also of the needs of local communities, this Council resolves if the period of exclusivity comes to an end with no decision that it:-

Continues to work constructively with the Club to find a solution to their need for a new ground; and Ensures that local councillors and communities are involved in, and consulted about, any relocation.

A vote was taken, the Motion was carried."

HENSHAW ON THE TELLY AGAIN!

2007-05-29T13:38:00.000+01:00

SIR DAVID HENSHAW HAS BAGS OF CASH BUT WON'T LET THE NHS SPEND IT!!!!

LOCAL NEWS PRESENTER FOR BBC 1 GORDON BURNS HAS JUST INTERVIEWED SIR DAVID HENSHAW , HE ASKED HIM ABOUT THE ARTICLE BELOW.

Henshaw has insisted that giving the nurses and care staff in Hospitals pay rise of just 2.5% is none of his concern.

He insists that the money put aside that constitutes the underspend is for emergency purposes!

WHAT THE HELL IS AN EMERGENCY IN HIS BOOKS?

The health service is in a mess and putting much needed money aside for so called emergencies just proves that there is money to give our medical professionals a living wage rise, it also shows the contempt that Sir David Henshaw has for the workers he is responsible for.

Yet another area that Henshaw has started already to destroy.

I fear for our national health service with him in charge!

This feeling is backed up by a number of high ranked members of parliament including Junior Minister Jane Kennedy MP for Wavertree Liverpool, who resigned her post as she felt so strongly that Henshaw was the wrong man for the job.

GIVE US THE MONEY HENSHAW! Or are you going to fleece the health service like you fleeced Knowsley and Liverpool?

NHS ' is heading for underspend'

The NHS looks like it has underspent by nearly £500m last year after making cuts amid intense political pressure to avoid a deficit, early data shows.

Unions suggested the NHS had gone too far in making cuts and harmed care. But the government said any surplus would be re-invested.

Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has staked her job on the NHS balancing.

Figures compiled by the Guardian newspaper revealed the under spend was estimated to be £456.8m in England.

The Guardian analysed data from England's 10 strategic health authorities, regional NHS bodies which oversee hospitals and local NHS trusts.

If these figures are right, we know that some trusts must have unnecessarily cut back on services to patients
Dr Sam Everington, of the British Medical Association

They showed that only two regions failed to balance its books - the east of England and the south-east coast. The north west on its own ran up a £161m surplus.

The figures include the £450m contingency fund - built up over the year by making cuts to training and public health budgets - which was redistributed to NHS trusts in March.

But the data shows a large increase on the three-quarter year point, when the NHS was predicting a small £13m surplus.

It is unclear how such a big surplus has been amassed in the final three months of 2006-7. There have been reports of trusts imposing minimum waits for operations in a bid to avoid paying for treatment until the new financial year.

The NHS had also not had the full £5.4bn increase in its budget passed on for 2006-7. Some of this went to pay off last year's debt of over £500m, but it that still left several hundred million pounds left over.

The Department of Health is due to publish the final figures next week.

'Impacted adversely'

But Dr Sam Everington, acting chairman of the British Medical Association, said: "If these figures are right, we know that some trusts must have unnecessarily cut back on services to patients such as reducing operating lists and clinics, closing wards, cutting education and training budgets, and making staff redundant.

"All of these things will have impacted adversely on patient care."

Other unions also questioned the fairness of staggering a 2.5% pay award for nurses and other health workers when there was so much money left in the system.

But a spokeswoman for the Department of Health said the final figures would be published shortly.

But she added: "The NHS ended last year [2005-6] with a deficit of over £500m.

"This was unacceptable, and we introduced new rigour and discipline in order to put the NHS on a sound financial footing for the future."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/6700663.stm

City of the Dead*: IT'S CRIMINAL: "'THE COUNCIL ARE OVERSPENT AND NEED TO FIND MORE MONEY TO FUND CAPITAL OF CULTURE..."

2007-05-28T23:51:00.000+01:00

CARERS IN LIVERPOOL FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE COUNCIL SECTOR ARE UNITING IN THEIR FIGHT TO SAVE THE ELDERLY AND THE VULNERABLE.

SEE LINK TO CITY OF THE DEAD BELOW OR READ THE FULL ACCOUNT WITH COMMENTS TO DATE

THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT IS VERY DEEP ROOTED IN LIVERPOOL COMMUNITTES THEY UNDERSTAND AND THEY SUPPORT THE NEED TO PROVIDE DECENT CARE FOR THOSE OF US IN NEED.
KEEP POSTED FOR UPDATES....

City of the Dead*: IT'S CRIMINAL: "'THE COUNCIL ARE OVERSPENT AND NEED TO FIND MORE MONEY TO FUND CAPITAL OF CULTURE..."

City of the Dead*

What's going on at the city council and inside the Liverpool Culture Company - *from the song by The Clash

Monday, May 21, 2007

IT'S CRIMINAL: "'THE COUNCIL ARE OVERSPENT AND NEED TO FIND MORE MONEY TO FUND CAPITAL OF CULTURE..."

Stanford88 has left a new comment on your post "THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE...":

Hi Tony.
Thanks for your support.
I attended a meeting in the North of the city last week organised by the Liverpool Care Slaves United.
Over 100 people showed up and we met a local labour councillor Joe Hanson.
I spoke to carers from all different parts of the city who are all in the same position - facing about 30% PAY CUT !
The Labour Party can't believe that the council are trying to force such cuts through on the private sector workers and they are vowing to help us in our struggle for equal rights of pay.
If you dont mind I would like to take this opportunity to tell other care workers that are concerned about what the council are doing to contact Joe Hanson.
His email address is :joseph.hanson@liverpool.gov.uk
The same answers keep coming back on this when we ask why is the council changing the contract?
Answers.....1) The council are overspent and need to find more money to fund the Capital of Culture stuff. I would ask, why target the care services?
2) When they have come up with the idea of this new homecare contract, they have not thought through the knock on effect on the carers and workforce in the city. I would ask, who are the people making these decisions without speaking to us?
3) It is to increase efficiency and is better for the council tax payer. I would ask, why target just the private sector service? Home Help staff are being paid for their spare capacity and also get paid for their traveling time. District nurses and health authority staff get paid for shifts of work, that includes traveling time.
WHY ARE WE ANY DIFFERENT?
IT IS NOT EQUAL IT IS NOT FAIR
Tony, I say : CUT THE CULTURE BUDGET, NOT THE CARE BUDGET - and let us continue to do our job caring for the elderly of this city and giving them the time and quality of life they deserve.

Posted by Stanford88 to City of the Dead* at Monday, May 21, 2007 11:44:00 AM

35 comments:

Anonymous said...: Cultue
A decadent civilization compromises with its disease, cherishes the virus infecting it, loses its self-respect.; Monday, May 21, 2007 8:51:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Regarding Care Workers Pay.

Can I ask just a simple question ? Why me?
I am a care worker working for an independant Care Agency. I have a mortgage and 3 beautiful children who need all the things that children require. Like food, clothes,toys,outings etc act.

My pay is about to be cut by 30%. Why me?
My hours wont be guaranteed. Why me?
There is legislation against discrimination racial discrimination, age discrimination, sexual discrimination and lots of other discrimination.
Discrimination against private Agency care workers? Doesn’t exist and its rife.

They say it’s to save tax payers money. But why me?
Has anybody asked the tax payers why it should be me?
District nurses do the same kind of job. Why not them?
The ‘In House’ service do the same job. Why not them?
Age concern do the same job. Why not them?
Other big charities do the same job. Why not them.
Its all paid for by tax payers.

Cant get it out of my head. Why me?
Has anybody asked the tax payers do they want to save money on people who care for vulnerable people?
Has anybody asked the tax payers if it should be just me?
I will go home to my 3 kids to night they will ask.

Why you Mum ?

Rose; Monday, May 21, 2007 9:05:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Hi Mr. Parish.

I am so mad about this.

My Uncle receives care from an agency.

I spoke yesterday with his main carers. They said that if the 30% cut effects them, they will have no choice but leave and find a new job that pays decent wages and offers them stable work. What will happen to my uncle then? If most of the carers in the city feel and act in the same way, who will care for him? I think that carers do a fantastic job and they should not be steamrollered over by the council because they want to save money on the capital of culture. Carers have mortgages, just like Warren Bradley. How would he react to a 30% pay cut?

We need our carers. Something has to be done to stop this nonsense. Reading through your web site, it appears that if the council stopped spending so much money on yachts, paying off its staff and incompetence we may stand a chance of looking after people like my uncle and at least give him some quality of life like he has now with the carers he knows and is used to.

Lets put some things in to perspective, if ONLY one of the councils officials is making say £150 000 per year, and they took a 30% pay cut, £45 000 would pay for over 1 years work of care for my uncle. On the other hand, how many carers wages do they have to slash for the same effect?

Capital of Culture or Capital of Vultures? Leave the carer workers alone. Their job is hard enough without people kicking the legs from under them.

Madness!; Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:12:00 AM
Tori Blare said...: Thought you all should know, despite the private sector being told to take a 30% cut in wages with no minimum hours, the Council run in house home carers are being made redundant.
The work they did have was given to the private sector, no new work is taken on except for 6 weeks if you are just out of hospital. Most of the carers from the council do not have work to do, this is because the stupid adult services let the service run down on purpose.
The aim of the council is to get rid of all the carers, of what is termed generic, they cost too much in paying staff to go home and wait until they get a call with some work, or walking the streets, many have become so disillusioned they have gone off ill. This of course costs a lot of money, so lets just get rid of them!
This needs just as much publicity as the private sector.
Care in Liverpool is excellent,when allowed to give it.
The Capital of Culture should not be cut, the disgusting high wages of these so called heads of the council and the Chief Executive, this is wht should be cut.

WHAT PRICE IS IT TO GET OLD?

Keep the pressure up Care workers, private and council.

If you are getting old, be very afraid as unless you have lots of money, there is nothing down for you.
Oh and lets not forget the Day Centres that the council are always trying to close down, Venmore Mews?
What has happened to that one?
Notice how the cuts in services for the elderly were not publicised until after the election?

Dirty Liberal Democrats, dirty dirty....; Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:35:00 AM
Anonymous said...: I am just a simple tax payer. I have nobody using the care services in Liverpool.I am sure I will need to use the serice at some time in my life.(Although I hope not) All I can ask is what the bloody hell is going on in Social Services in Liverpool? In House facing cuts.Private sector facing cuts.....everybody facing cuts.and they say the service is getting better. JUST WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON ?? (after all it is my money they are using); Tuesday, May 22, 2007 4:16:00 PM
Onlooker said...: I think that's right - we should not have to choose between Culture and Care. Both are important to people. What is wrong is the huge salaries for incompetent officials like Halsall and Hilton and Harbrow and the millions they have wasted on yachts and trips abroad and being sent back to school so they can find out how to do their jobs properly. We have seen no benefit.; Tuesday, May 22, 2007 5:09:00 PM
Anonymous said...: I'll wager that someone somewhere in the City is doing very nicely thank you out of this and I bet that he or she is within the Evil Cabal; Tuesday, May 22, 2007 7:39:00 PM
Anonymous said...: You bet your life someone is doing very well out of this and its not the service users or care staff.Its immoral; Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:16:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Every civilization when it loses its inner vision and its cleaner energy, falls into a new sort of sordidness, more vast and more stupendous than the old savage sort. An Augean stable of metallic filth; Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:45:00 PM
Anonymous said...: "Wherever you see a man who gives someone else's corruption, someone else's prejudice as a reason for not taking action himself, you see a cog in The Machine that governs us."; Tuesday, May 22, 2007 10:26:00 PM
Tony Parrish47 said...: Let's not get too esoteric now - people's livelihoods are at risk here....; Tuesday, May 22, 2007 11:48:00 PM
Pam said...: Glad somebody realises livelihoods are at risk.; Wednesday, May 23, 2007 8:14:00 AM
Stanford88 said...: That’s right Mr Parish.

There’s nothing mysterious or cryptic about my 30% pay cut!

The only mystery I face is how I pay my mortgage and feed my kids from July !; Wednesday, May 23, 2007 9:42:00 AM
MILDRED said...: I'm getting old and I'm getting very very scared at the thought of my arthritis getting worse and my sight not improving, I cannot get around much at the moment but I manage without help for most of the time. I know that soon,in maybe 3 years, I hope its not so soon, but I know at some time I will need someone to look after me and help me with my essential needs.
Who will help me then?
Some young girl just out of school looking for a few bob now and again?
Or will we all stand up now and tell the council ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

The elderly of today are the very people who helped build the services the council is now trying to destroy.

Do we agree that our elderly are not important?

Is your Mother of no importance now ?
Why did your Grandad go to War?
Was it so he could be treated like dirt now?
Private or Council Home carers, we need to stand up for the elderly and show that sometimes the cost of a service should not be the first factor of consideration, cutting costs is not the answer in care, providing quality services using highly trained and committed workers, who actually care about the people the look after! This is the most important factor.

The most effective way of achieving a balanced budget is......?????

Colin Hilton Take a cut in your wages, I survive on £325 per week with 2 children, why can't you?

Phil Halsal.. You are supposed to be good at finances? Try this one for size then... take a cut in wages yourself! I know a mad idea, but just try it you will be amazed at how easy it would be for you, anyway your son can keep you in the custom you are used to, is he on the Sefton Pops?
All the other useless AED's of Liverpool City Council and the senior managers who don't seem to actual manage anything? TAKE A CUT IN YOUR WAGES FOR ONLY A YEAR AND WE WILL BE BACK ON TRACK!

LEAVE THE ELDERLY ALONE!

WE WILL ALL BE OLD SOON!; Wednesday, May 23, 2007 11:51:00 AM
Anonymous said...: Now its the In House care workers protesting.......Who the hell is running Social Services in Liverpool? Do they know what they are doing? Oh to be in need in Liverpool !!; Thursday, May 24, 2007 8:57:00 PM
Stanford88 said...: I have just got in from work and picked up the paper only to read about more protests, this time from the councils home help staff. I have done back to back shifts today and Im tired. I read comments like “communication breakdown” and “council management always say they do not know what is going on”.

Well it looks like their staff are in the same boat as us.

There appears to be the same old stories and cover up when the council “spokesman” says that there will be no job losses. I ask the social services bosses, whoever they are these days, to come and ask me and my fellow workers how many of us are going to leave and get new jobs as a result of the cuts they are introducing. We cant afford a 30% cut.

My home help friend is quite right when she is quoted in the paper “Whoever is responsible for this should be ashamed.”

The “spokesman” once again comes out with the same made up statements about consultation and representative groups. Let me tell you now Mr. Spokesman, you and your colleagues that are pretending to run social services have never consulted me about cutting my wages or hours.

They had better keep the home help service because they will need it when the private staff all leave to get better paid jobs!

I will be there to support your demonstration in six weeks – we should join forces and fight them together!

I’m going to bed now, cos while Im still a dedicated and loyal carer I need to get some rest as come rain or shine, hail or snow, Christmas day or Mothers day, I am at my first call at 8am.

At least I sleep with a clear conscience at night social service bosses!

God bless
X; Friday, May 25, 2007 12:00:00 AM
Anonymous said...: astounding the way they are treating people
there priorities are wrong how can they make these cuts yet spend over a million pounds on things like the clipper yacht race ?; Friday, May 25, 2007 10:07:00 AM
Stori Blare said...: Tony Hunter is the Spokesperson, and there WILL be job loses in the council run home help service, that is a certainty!
Please tell us more aboput the demonstration in 6 weeks time please Stanford88?; Friday, May 25, 2007 11:02:00 AM
Anonymous said...: stori blare. If Tony Hunter is the spokesperson for social services who is the Director? I want to write and tell him what I think of his running of the Sham hes operating in Liverpool that is causing so much heartache for servuce users and care staff. Anybody know were I write to him?; Friday, May 25, 2007 3:46:00 PM
Stanford88 said...: Thanks for your support stori blaire.

The demonstration I was talking about last night is the one mentioned in yesterdays Daily Post newspaper. It says “In-house home care workers say they are planning another protest in six weeks’ time, and say they will appeal for the public’s support.” I think that the union maybe organizing it. Unison?

It would be great if we can get a united front, with all care workers from both in house and private protesting against the council plans. They obviously don’t know what they are doing. If the council bosses would have spoken to us in the first place then we could have told them the effect their plans was going to have on us. Our service users ARE going to suffer cos we cant afford to take a 30% pay cut and still work as a carer. What part of that don’t they understand?

Perhaps they have thought it through and just dont care about care staff. They get paid massive wages and bonuses no matter what they do to us. I just don’t know.

The carers in the north of the city seem to have the right idea. Strike action maybe the only option left.

You say Tony Hunter is the spokesperson making all these comments about their being no problems and services will not be affected?

Tony Hunter, you and your workmates need to get yourself on a care induction training course, a moving and handling course, a food hygiene course, a health and safety course and get criminal records checks done because you may just be needed in some of my clients houses come July cos there aint gonna be any carers left, in house or private!

Oh, and by the way Tony, when you finish work after your first day as a carer and get home at gone 11pm like I used to, after a back to back shift of cleaning clients backsides, emptying their commode crying with a client and comforting them cos they have just lost a loved one and everything else I used to do as a carer, you will find a letter on your doorstep telling you that tomorrow you will get a 30% pay cut.

Will you go up stairs, kiss the kids goodnight, tuck them in and sit on your bed and cry at the injustice like I did?

You would do if you and your colleagues cared Tony Hunter.

Stay safe, united and pround my fellow workers.; Friday, May 25, 2007 5:39:00 PM
Pat said...: Protests ! Strikes ! Carers on the streets, Service Users in wheel chairs protesting ! and they tell us its improving services? Just who the hell are the kidding ? Improving for who?; Saturday, May 26, 2007 6:38:00 AM
Pat said...: Its a good job we have you Tony Parrish47 to help expose whats going on in Care in the City.; Saturday, May 26, 2007 6:58:00 AM
Pat said...: Is Tony Parrish the 5th HORSEMAN OF THE APOCALYPSE I have to ask???...........The "Fifth" Horseman, Christ
Christ's return riding on a white horse and wearing diadems (rather than a stephanos) is described in Revelation chapter 19, verses 11 to 16:

“ Then I saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed which no one knows but himself.
He is clad in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, followed him on white horses.
From his mouth issues a sharp sword with which to smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords.
”

It is believed that at the end of the current Kali Age, the god Vishnu will incarnate as a rider on a white horse called Kalki to destroy evil and uphold good.

Although the concept of,"On his robe and on his thigh was inscribed king of kings and Lord of Lords," is popular, translation has been proven that the actual statement from Aramaic is "On his robe and his (banner) he had a name inscribed, King of Kings and Lord of Lords." TONY KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK WE NEED TO EXPOSE THESE INFERIOR (PEOPLE WITHOUT FATHERS) ON HIGH SALARIES THAT ARE DOING SO MUCH DAMAGE TO SOCIAL CARE IN LIVERPOOL.; Saturday, May 26, 2007 7:12:00 AM
Pat said...: Any nominations for the Antichrist?

Please form a queue here..........; Saturday, May 26, 2007 7:15:00 AM
Pat said...: ***Identity of the Antichrist***
A discerning person can identify the Antichrist by the number of the beast, specifically, 666 according to Book of Revelation 13:18 WHO IN THE SOCIAL SERVICES HAS 666 ON THEIR OFFICE DOOR ??; Saturday, May 26, 2007 7:35:00 AM
Anonymous said...: This year is the 200th anniversery of the abolition of the slave trade in U.K. Its also the 200th anniversery of the take over of the first country in the world, Haiti, by the slaves. Its about time somebody stood up for the rights of carers in the Care business.; Saturday, May 26, 2007 12:00:00 PM
Anonymous said...: Two hundred years ago in Liverpool if you walked down along Dale Street and along Water Street the offices of the shipping lines that took part in the pitful slave trade were situated. The occupants of those offices, the movers and shakers of Liverpool at that time,lived a grand life.Business thrived on the dastardly immoral, and sickening slave trade and the slaves who lived a life of misery. Whats the difference to-day? Those same offices are occupied by the movers and shakers of Liverpool at this time (Liverpool City Council) living a grand life. £100,000 + salaries not uncommon. THE SLAVE TRADE IS ALIVE AND KICKING IN SOCIAL CARE IN LIVERPOOL TO-DAY.

CAPITAL OF CULTURE ? SOME CULTURE !!; Saturday, May 26, 2007 12:01:00 PM
Stori Blare said...: Tony Hunter IS the director of Adult Services.
He is based in Millennium House,
After him it is Colin Hilton I guess.
He is based in Municipal Buildings.

The council have a complaints service as well, also in Millennium House in Victoria Street.
Go on the council web site for more information on who runs the City and look at the Health and Social care committee reports while you are at it, this will tell you who to write to on the committee, they have ALL been elected to look after the best interests of the city, so write to them and tell them what YOU feel is in the best interests of the electorate!
Well said to Stanford88, he/she has hit the nail on the head when describing the real effect it has on people who just want to help others and earn a decent living at the same time.
The truth about ALL of the cuts in this City is Henshaw and McElhinney raped the City and left us with the mess, Storey and his Lib Dem mates let them do it!
We are now paying for that mess and it is as usual the needy who are targeted first.; Saturday, May 26, 2007 4:22:00 PM
Anonymous said...: How can one person who is not even from Liverpool cause so much heartache to a Liverpool,loyal dedicated caring workforce across all sectors? In House service,Private Agencies,Housing Associations,are all effected.Most care workers are so giving and so loyal to the people they care for. How can some moron do this to them?
He/or she should be run out of the City fast.Or perhaps run over by a bus. Its outrageous.; Saturday, May 26, 2007 5:10:00 PM
Anonymous said...: I am from Canada. I plan to visit Liverpool next year for the celebrations to see the Beatles Cavern Club,Anfield,and all the buildings I have heard so much about.I have been reading these Bloggs and about the 'underbelly' of Liverpool.How can it be? A vibrant so caled 'world class'City with an undercurrent.Corruption! A city that can't look after the most vulnerable its elderly and children.I am begining to feel guilty about my choice of next years holiday.Can somebody tell me the truth? Buildings are one thing...... people are another.; Sunday, May 27, 2007 3:54:00 AM
Anonymous said...: I am a care worker. I consider myself a good carer.We need to alter whats going on in Liverpooland look after service users and carers. There is another Blogg worth seeing by carers.Carers....you need to express your opinions http://unsocialservices.blogspot.com/; Sunday, May 27, 2007 11:33:00 AM
Tori Blare said...: Oh dear it looks as though the council are going to have to re-think this one then?
What you gonna do now Tony Hunter?

Where are you going to get your budget deficit money from now Warren Bradley??

How are you gonna cover this one up Colin Hilton???

Where you gonnaget the funds for the Sefton Pops now Phil Halsall?; Sunday, May 27, 2007 4:46:00 PM
Anonymous said...: A thought just ocurred to me........Supposing there was only the Evil Cabal left on this earth......and no carers (They had gone to heaven)............. Who would look after who in the Evil Cabal? Who would wipe each others backsides? Who would lick each others backsides? Who would rob from the others? Who would stab each other in the back?................ Excuse me while I vomit.; Sunday, May 27, 2007 5:34:00 PM
Dan said...: Warren Bradley..Hope you parents dont need care now or in the future.Cos it looks as if they aint gonna get it.; Monday, May 28, 2007 9:42:00 AM
Tori Blare said...: To the person from Canada, Please don't worry about coming to Liverpool the place is full of caring people who love the City so much they are prepared to stand up and have their voices heard at great cost as they could lose their jobs.
Anyway hopefully if you come to the City after May 08 Labout will be in power and they have pledged to clean up the City.
This means getting rid of all the EVIL CABAL; Monday, May 28, 2007 12:46:00 PM

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LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL HISTORY. The begining of the liverpool evil cabal charade

2007-05-26T19:30:00.000+01:00

REMEMBER

WHEN DAVID HENSHAW BLACKMAILED LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL?

BELOW AN ARTICLE WITH THE EMAILS THAT TERMED THE PHRASE

THE EVIL CABAL

TRUCE IN LIVERPOOL ROW

Henshaw and Storey agree to mediation plan

By Mark Smulian
Former chief executive of Birmingham City Council Sir Michael Lyons has been parachuted into Liverpool City Council to patch up the increasingly acrimonious row between chief executive Sir David Henshaw and leader Mike Storey.
Mediation was agreed moments before last week's council meeting had been expected to endorse disciplinary proceedings against Sir David and suspension of delegated powers to officers.
Advisers on both sides are understood to have pushed for mediation.
One councillor from Mr Storey's ruling Lib Dem group said: “I was surprised. An hour before the meeting, I still thought we would go for disciplinary action.”
Sir David was said to be in a jovial mood when he joined councillors after the meeting to watch Liverpool's victory over AC Milan.
Relations between Mr Storey and Sir David, previously close, deteriorated after a dispute over a proposed light rail system last year.
They also disagreed over whether Sir David should be chief executive of both the council and the 2008 Capital of Culture company, which he has headed temporarily. Mr Storey wants a separate chief executive for this body.
Sir David unsuccessfully sought a pension rise to compensate for tax changes from next year (LGC, 14 April). He had been expected to leave, but said last week: “No matter what the personal financial consequences, [I] will stay and finish the job for the 2008 European Capital of Culture.” The statement omitted to say in what capacity.
Relations were also poisoned by the discovery during a probe by executive director of resources Phil Halsall, of e-mails between Mr Storey and assistant executive director for media Matt Finnegan, containing indiscreet remarks about Sir David.
Mr Finnegan has been suspended for alleged audit irregularities, which he had denied.
A report by Mr Halsall said he had found “a clear conspiracy between Mike Storey and Matt Finnegan to force Sir David Henshaw out of his position.”
mark.smulian@emap.com

Feeding grist to the rumour mill
“I am anxious to try and box cx more into corner while you are both away. So its impossible for him to wriggle out.”
Matt Finnegan Assistant executive director for media

“The other way to box him into a corner is for the specialist press to speculate on this position and also how his request for a special arrangement was turned down.”
Mike Storey Leader

Private e-mails reveal Liverpool's internal warfare
From Mike Storey
Sent 11 August 2004 12:40
To Matt Finnegan
Subject Re: media broadcast analysis 11/8/04
DH needs a holiday. He is losing the plot judging by a couple of emails he has forwarded to me.

From Matt Finnegan
To Mike Storey
Sent Wed Aug 11 15:40:41 2004
Subject Re: media broadcast analysis 11/8/04
I know, but have you ever tried to reason with someone who doesn't want to be reasoned with? Exasperating in the extreme, won't listen, won't hear, won't be advised.

From Matt Finnegan
To Mike Storey
Sent 12 August 2004 09:52
Subject Re: media broadcast analysis 11/8/04
I wonder if something is going on. He was off last week and came in like a bear with a sore head on Monday... He is beating everyone up.
.............................................
From Matt Finnegan
To Mike Storey
Sent Tue Mar 22 13:26:22 2005
Subject dgh
Mike - you should know that dgh has apparently told LGC that he is considering staying because the council has asked him to. (!) I have referred them to his previous public statements on this and the quotes in the post and the Liverpool Echo. They also have your quotes.

From Mike Storey
To Matt Finnegan
Sent 22 March 2005 19:36
Subject dgh
Good.
I think he should be boxed into a corner Keep pressure up on his leaving. Mike
.............................................
From Richie Lewis
To Matt Finnegan
Sent 22 March 2005 12:38
Subject Audit Review

Matt
As part of our Annual Audit Plan, I have arranged for an audit to commence in respect of your service area. I attach, for your information, a copy of our Audit Planning Memorandum that details the areas of activity to be covered.

From Matt Finnegan
To Mike Storey
Sent Tue Mar 22 12:45:09 2005
Subject FW: Audit Review
Well, here we go. You can imagine my feelings.

From Mike Storey
To Matt Finnegan
Sent 22 March 2005 12:54
Subject Re: Audit Review
Absolutely
Keep a perspective though you have nothing to hide.
Mike

From Matt Finnegan
To Mike Storey
Sent 22 March 2005 13:08
Subject FW: Audit Review

You have no idea how reassuring it is to know that you are out there, watching this. They will find what they want to find however.
Hope you are having fun!
Regards
.............................................
From Mike Storey
To Matt Finnegan
Sent Fri Mar 25 02:43:16 2005-05-26
Subject Re: random things
Matt
...I intend to make this clear - [City of Culture] needs someone in overall charge and all key players...want this. It might be interesting if Echo or Post speculated on this. It would further seal DH's position Mike
.............................................
From Sir David Henshaw
To Matt Finnegan
Sent 11 August 2004 11:13
Subject Fw: media broadcast analysis 11/8/04
I cannot believe we are circulating this defamation for wider consumption. Do I take legal action against the council?
[The council media team had circulated the transcript of a radio broadcast in which a local trade unionist made allegations about Sir David. Mr Finnegan apologised to him and said the e-mail had been recalled.]

From Sir David Henshaw
To Matt Finnegan
Sent 11 August 2004 11:25
Subject Re: media broadcast analysis 11/8/04
Amateur night and recall makes it worse. Was it deliberate methinks
This is very unimpressive and all part of my concerns.
.............................................From Matt Finnegan
To Mike Storey
Sent Mar 23 19:23:52 2005
Subject Office
Wonder whether I should leak my expulsion from culture office? Fallout from cex pension etc thoughts?
.............................................From Matt Finnegan
To Mike Storey
Sent Sat Mar 26 10:56:01 2005
Subject re: random things
...I guess I am anxious to try and box cx more into corner while he and you are both away. So its impossible for him to wriggle out.

From Mike Storey
To Matt Finnegan
Sent Sat Mar 26 20:40:39 2005
Subject re: random things
Mat
The other way to box him into a corner is for the specialist press to speculate on this position and also how his request for a special arrangement was turned down.
.............................................
From Matt Finnegan
To Mike Storey
Sent 30 March 14:43 2005
Subject Re: quote
Long conversation with Phil H. The penny has not dropped that you want dgh out.
.............................................
From Mike Storey
To Matt Finnegan
Sent Fri Apr 01 19:18:45 2005
Subject Re: stuff
Don't worry about the evil cabal whatever happens we want [sic] let you down.

THIS IS THE REASON FOR LIVERPOOL BLOGGERS

2007-05-08T17:38:00.000+01:00

THIS POST HAS BEEN COPIED FROM THE WONDERFUL AND FACTUALLY PROVEN LIVERPOOL TIMES.

IF ANY OF YOU HAVE WONDERED JUST HOW HENSHAW CAME TO BE IN POWER AND HOW MCELHINNEY SUDDENLY APPEARS FROM LITTLEWOOD'S TO BULLY AND INTIMIDATE ANYONE WHO EVER TRIED TO STAND UP TO HIM?

READ ON AN UNDERSTAND THE TRUE CORRUPTION THAT HAS AND STILL IS GOING ON IN LIVERPOOL CITY, KNOWSLEY AND LONDON.

Insight into the Henshaw years in Knowsley.

Mon 30 Apr 2007
Posted by admin under: Local News

The impact of David Henshaw on Merseyside is considerable, even if you don’t count yourself as a fan.

Before he took charge of Liverpool he had ruled the roost in nearby Knowsley Council, where life suddenly became easy in this one party fiefdom.

The trail blazing Kirkby Times was the first printed news site to highlight the dubious activities in this council between 1995 – to date; activities that in any other council would certainly have attracted severe sanctions from the government, audit commission, and probably the law enforcement agencies as well.

These included, positions and cash given for votes on land deals, the whip applied on planning applications, non declaration of interests on land deals, Councillors with convictions for burglary and violence holding down senior and sensitive positions. Single Regeneration Poverty Funds ( £35 million pounds ) doled out like confetti to Cllr Keight’s cohorts, this list is not exhaustive, and is only a taste of what went on.

Henshaw with a bag of peanuts

Many have lifted our stories, reassured that our factual reporting is completely accurate.

Gratitude is extended to those very close to events in Knowsley whose contributions allow this further chapter of history to be told.

David Henshaw had arrived in Knowsley Council in late 1989. This had been a bad time for the Council, with the twin problems of a decline in jobs and population.

Before he had time to put his feet under the table the Boundary Commision for England – a body that reviews and determines Council boundaries – announced they were recommending the abolition of Knowsley, with its parts reconciled with their nearest neighbour.

This would have seen Kirkby and Huyton merge into Liverpool, which made sense for the long established social, community, transport and health service links.

The political and financial turmoil in Liverpool was a barrier, which galvanised Henshaw to successfully campaign for the status quo. The rebirth of the Council began, though it was unforeseen it would become entirely based on Huyton.

With a highly professional team of officers the foundations were put into place. We are informed by some of those staff that the political steel was provided by some excellent Councillors. We refrain to mention them by name, but the Councils financial strategy, it health and environmental strategy that they now claim so much credit for, was the driving force of two senior Councillors around 1990-94.

One was from Kirkby ( PF ) the other from Halewood ( TJL ), ex staff say they are the ones who should get the real credit for where the Council are today.

Senior people told us that all the initial top- level meetings with the E.U, Health, Business, and Industrialists, involved Henshaw, his team, and Cllr’s PF. D.L. & M.M.
Henshaw was said to greatly admire their professional image and natural intelligence, handling top executives with natural aplomb.
This was the era the ground was laid for the future success.
It was said Council leader Keight always absented himself from such high level meetings, often preferring to be in his office with the rebel Councillors mixed up in the anti poll tax campaigns of 1989-92.

Henshaw does Kirkby

Around this time – 1990-93 - Henshaw was said to be amenable to others around him. Then a fundamental shift took place, that was to herald a power base never seen before in local government in these parts of the country.

Senior Civil Servants had been perplexed as to why Knowsley Council, which abuts the city of Liverpool , was successful in securing the multi million pound grants that the City Council was unprepared to bid for. Things like Housing, Transport, and Economic regeneration took off in Knowsley, while things stood still in Liverpool.

So something had to give.
Decision making had to be speeded up in Liverpool, as well as a managerial and financial reorganisation.

This anomaly proved a life changing experience for Henshaw. He was quid’s in.

The senior civil servant he had links with was one Jonathan Powell, later to become Tony Blair’s Chief of Staff.

When Blair took charge of Labour in 1994, Henshaw was ordained as a High Priest of New labour, everything else just fell into place.

In 1997 when Labour took power, he dovetailed into every aspect of their sinister and hidden agenda. Nobody or anything was to stand in the way.

Knowsleys new labour Council leader, J Keight, simply enjoyed the ride and a long sweet heart arrangement with Henshaw, that was to later see them both receive honours from Blair, for services rendered !

This created the Henshaw aura of invincibility that is now well documented.

One issue, above all, gives an example of how Henshaw and Keight could manipulate almost any situation to turn fact on its head and spin an untruth.

Around 1994 another man, who was later to gain notoriety, arrived in Knowsley.

Almost from nowhere, Mr David Mc Elhinney popped up to secure a tempory funded post in Marketing (spin ) pushed in by Henshaw.

This was despite the Council having a long list of staff on the ”at risk “ register, and facing possible redundancy.

This situation soon changed.

Mc Elhinney was quickly appointed as an Assistant Director of Leisure Services, a meteoric rise for a man who had only recently been recruited to the Council from a job giving marketing displays at Littlewoods Stores !

It was, in the eyes of senior colleagues, a slap in the face for qualified and professional staff who were overlooked for promotion and put under his watch.

In reality however, he became Henshaws unofficial number two; in control, and without portfolio.

It coincided with increased levels of bullying against staff , together with stress related reasons for higher sickness levels. Issues that were to surface on a similar scale inside Liverpool City Council a few years later.

We now return to McElhinneys role in the awarding of a Council contract – without going out to tender- and his role with others, in receiving overseas travel and hospitality from the firm that were awarded the contract.

Such action, whether approved or not, was once a very serious offence in local government, before new labour came to power.

In 1996 the Tower Hill Community Association, in Kirkby, secured a grant of £43,000 pounds from the old National Lotteries Charities Board ( NLCB ) to provide a new playground for children in the community.

The Association was run by volunteers under the overall management of Knowsley Councils Leisure Services Committee. This brought it under the direct management of Mr Mc Elhinney, and his staff.

The scandal unfolded in Oct 1997, when a local Tower Hill Councillor received a copy of an invoice from a firm called Hags Play Limited, it related to expenditure by the Tower Hill Community Association.

The Councillor acted responsibly and reported the matter to the Councils Director of Finance, and requested an investigation why the invoice should have been sent to him.

The Councillor had also raised the question of Council Officers making an all expenses paid visit to the headquarters of Hags Play Limited in Sweden.

At this stage Henshaw became involved and investigated the Councillor’s concerns.

In a letter dated 19 November 1997, Henshaw stated

“the contract was not put out to competitive tender by the Association”

This was ignoring the fact that the Association was run by volunteers and had specifically asked McElhinney’s staff for assistance with the contract process.

He also identified Mr McElhinney ( Senior Assistant Director of Leisure Services ) and Ms Sarah Atkins, Parks Development Officer as the staff who visited Sweden between 14 –17 June 1997, some four months after the contract was awarded to Hags Play Ltd.

It was later confirmed this hospitality and the other expenses claimed on the trip were not approved by the Councils Director of Finance, and were outside the requirements of the National Conditions of Service for Council Staff.

Henshaw also claimed the Association had awarded the contract to Hags Play Ltd.

He also pre empted an audit investigation to say “ I can confirm that the auditors have not been provided with any other evidence, letters etc, which supports the view that the Association did not agree with the decision at the that time, that Hags Play Ltd be awarded the work.”

The premature intervention by Henshaw was a clear attempt to obfuscate the facts, and pass the buck to people who were not qualified to act in a way he was claiming.

The investigation by his own internal audit staff exposed his letter as a crude attempt to cover up for McElhinney.

In a report to the Councils Audit Committee 25 February 1997, the auditors reported that the Community Associations Treasurer stated categorically that Hags Play was not their choice to do the work.

Alarmingly the auditors report 25/2/97, found “ There are no minutes of the meeting when the decision was made.

The Council Officers ( McElhinney and Atkins ) still insisted to the auditors that the Association had made the decision. The audit report went on to say : the auditors have not been provided with any evidence, letters etc, which support the view that the Association did take the decision itself to award the work to Hags Pay Ltd.

This contradicted Henshaws comments in his letter of 19 Nov 1997, which were exposed as baseless, and highly misleading.

At best this was negligence, and incompetence, on a major scale; or at worst arrogance and greed, which elsewhere would attract disciplinary action against McElhinney and Atkins; and also Henshaw, for obstructing the inquiry.

And if proven, amount to gross misconduct, and instant dismissal.

If we accept the former lets not forget this involved a man ( McElhinney ) who by this time had risen to the level of the Deputy Chief Executive of the Council, despite being unable to provide minutes of a body awarding a five figure Council contract !

If it was the latter, they got off Scot free But as usual in Knowsley the villains are the innocent, and the innocent are the villains.

What we may ask was the role of the Chairman of the Audit Committee in all of this ?

Its Chair at the time was then Council leader Cllr J Keight OBE JP.

He saw no problem with these serious beaches of the financial regulations and standing orders of the Council.
This was not surprising has he was up to his neck in the sale of freeholds to his local Labour club, and should have declared an interest in the Liverpool FC academy development instead of steering it through every stage of the Council, threatening any dissenters by imposing the political whip.

Meanwhile, Mc Elhinney had become his favourite lackey freeing up land for greedy developers without taking the trouble to tell the existing occupiers of the land !

What was the role of the District Auditor. The guardian of the public purse ?

With having an office inside the Council they had to tread very carefully with Henshaw, given his high level contacts within new labour

The malpractice in the awarding of a large contract, glaring procedural failures, unauthorised hospitality, and the unauthorised claiming of expenses in breach of the staff National Conditions of Services; was summed up on an Audit Commission report on one side of an A4 single sheet of paper !

And what happened to the other key players in this scandal ?

Mc Elhinney and Atkins grew in confidence, and carried on uninterrupted in their roles in Knowsley, thanks to the Cllr Keight and Henshaw.

The Councils Director of Finance, whose report torpedoed Henshaws lies and obfuscation, left shortly afterwards, amidst the internal fall out in the Council.
He was a highly professional Chief Officer of great ability, and the utmost integrity.

The local Tower Hill Councillor T.R. who simply did his public duty was bullied and hounded out by Keight and his henchmen.

Henshaw grew tired of the squalid political mess around him and got out.
He sought a bigger challenge, and went to Liverpool, helped by new labours machine.

He quickly installed Mc Elhinney into a highly paid management post on a salary that drew gasps of amazement throughout the City of Liverpool.

The salary of £125,000 pounds a year, was being given to a person and who couldn’t even organise the taking and recording of the minutes of a Community Association.

He was allowed free licence by Henshaw to boss around the whole workforce of the City Council. !

The hopeless Council Leader Mike Storey – in awe of Henshaw – justified the appointment and salary calling people like Mc Elhinney “a super director”!

Try telling that to the committee at the Tower hill Commo, or Knowsley Councils former Director of Finance, the admirable Mr David Fellows.

Corruption, and new labour, in Knowsley, sit comfortably together.

This episode, while not earth shattering in its impact, does however characterise why the guilty and corrupt escape, and the innocent suffer in Knowsley, just has they did in Liverpool. And people like Henshaw always want the final word

The long term effect of no action taken over these matters is hard to envisage.

The failure Cllrs Keight and Round to declare financial and pecuniary interests when they had positions of responsibility in a club, on which they voted on in secret to sell freehold land, is by far the most serious.

The law on this is clear and live, the Councillors code of practice says

“Councillors must not seek to use their official position so as to benefit themselves, their professional or business interests, or others with whom they have personal, family or other ties”

Keight and Round held elected positions in the club that gained a freehold deal on favourable terms.

In 2002 Round, on the back of 12 years as planning boss, became the council leader!

Their immunity from any political or criminal sanctions will make it extremely difficult for the authorities to prosecute similar breaches of the 1972 , and 2000 Local Government Act, in the future.

In interpreting the law, precedence and practice will often apply. Clever lawyers can now reasonably argue the application of immunity in this instance probably renders any legal enactment on the non declaration of interests by Councillors obsolete.

The Labour Party on coming into office in 1997, laid down ground rules for the conduct of their Councillors.
This is an extract from a letter dated 3 July 1997, from a national labour party official – Mr Howard Knight- and sent to the Knowsley Labour Council group.

“The labour party expects and requires the highest standards of integrity and probity from its representatives. When there is an allegation of a failure to uphold these standards, the Party will investigate and take appropriate action”

Bold words that have proved utterly meaningless. Fully aware of the failure to uphold these standards in Knowsley, in October 2002, Mr Blair singled out the Council - who have a stall at the labour party conference each year –saying “This is a great Council”

This dubious accolade from a man whose entire entourage are embroiled in the cash for honours investigation says it all. You simply couldn’t make it up !

We thank the many people who have supplied anecdotal information of this period of time in the recent history of what The Private Eye once called, one of the original rotten boroughs.

HOW MUCH WOULD YOU PAY FOR A LIFELINE?LIVERPOOL ELDERLY AND VULNERABLE ARE AT RISK

2007-05-08T00:38:00.000+01:00

AS THESE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SHOW, PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL ARE NOT GOING TO STAND BY AND LET THE RICH LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED ADMINISTRATION CUT THE SERVICES OF THE ELDERLY AND VULNERABLE OF OUR CITY.

THE ELDERLY THAT HAVE AND ARE BEING CARED FOR BY EITHER PRIVATE OR THE 3 AND 4 STAR RATED COUNCIL RUN HOME CARE SERVICE, ARE THE VERY PEOPLE WHO SET UP AND MAINTAINED THE SERVICES WE ALL TAKE FOR GRANTED IN LIVERPOOL TODAY.

DON'T STAND BY AND LET THE RICH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS DESTROY OUR TOP RATED AND MUCH NEEDED ESSENTIAL SERVICE, WHO CAN AFFORD TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN LIVE IN HOUSE CARERS FOR THEIR OWN LOVED ONES?
THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CAN AFFORD THIS EXPENCE FOR THIER LOVED ONES

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND HIS MANY ASSISTANTS CAN WELL AFFORD THIER OWN AND THEIR FAMILIES CARE.

THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO EARN £100,000 PLUS, THEY TELL YOUR LIFELINE TO TAKE A 30% CUT IN WAGES, YOU KNOW THEY WILL LEAVE THEIR JOB AS THEY CANNOT AFFORD TO FEED THE KIDS, YOU KNOW SHE REALLY CARES FOR YOU AND YOU ARE SCARED THAT THE REPLACEMENT WILL HAVE NO EXPERIENCE AND WILL TREAT YOU LIKE BABY.

THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVES WON'T SUFFER.

YOUR MUM AND DAD WILL THOUGH!

YOUR GRANNY NEEDS HELP THAT YOU CANNOT ALWAYS SUPPLY, THESE PEOPLE GIVE HER ANOTHER REASON TO LIVE.

YOU ARE STUCK IN YOUR HOUSE MOST OF THE DAY, YOUR CARER BRINGS YOU THE PAPER AND SOME BITS OF SHOPPING AND THE GOSSIP OF THE DAY.

IF YOU RECOGNISE YOURSELF OR YOUR FRIENDS?

THEN STAND UP AND SHOUT THAT CARERS NEED MORE PAY NOT LESS PAY!

CARERS NEED A DECENT STANDARD OF LIVING AND SECURITY IN MINIMUM HOURS

Letters to the Editor - 02 May 2007

May 2 2007

Liverpool Daily Post

No respect for the elderly

I WAS appalled to read in Monday’s paper of the proposed reduction in pay for carers. I know from the support my elderly mother receives just what a difficult yet valuable job is done by the dedicated people who provide home care.

If their pay is to be cut by 30%, as it is suggested it might be, the quality of people willing to provide this service will inevitably fall. It would not then be a surprise if this led to a demoralised, under-paid workforce, more rather then less likely to abuse and possibly steal from the isolated vulnerable people receiving care.

In attempting to justify this miserable policy, the council say they are seeking to provide “a much better deal for council tax payers.” Are not the very elderly people, living in their own homes, also council tax payers? Or because of their age do they no longer count?

Finally, all of this would be bad enough were it not for the fact that, nearly 12 months ago, Liverpool City Council started charging service users by the hour, in the way they are now proposing to pay carers. In my mother’s case, this resulted in an “overnight” 50% increase in charges for the same level of service. I would like to know what the council has done with all the extra revenue and why, on top of this, salary reductions are necessary?

It used to be that people were encouraged to show some respect and consideration for elderly people. Sadly, Liverpool City Council appears to be capable of neither. Such an outlook is outrageous. It is surely time for those with responsibility for care of the elderly in our city to reconsider their policies and their positions.

Name and address supplied

New slavery

I AM a care worker and I am appalled and shamed by the 30% pay cuts my city is proposing for care workers. We won’t be getting paid for walking between visits to the people we care for. We won’t get paid when somebody we care for goes into hospital or away on holiday. How would our masters in Social Services, who are bringing about these cuts, feel if they didn’t get paid when they go to the toilet or walk to a meeting?

I am sure Warren Bradley is a good fireman, but does he only get paid when he is putting out fires? The city should hang its head in shame. Slavery was abolished 200 years ago, but it is alive and flourishing in care in Liverpool today.

TM, via email

LIVERPOOL ELDERLY COULD BE LEFT TO ROT

2007-05-03T01:11:00.000+01:00

Liverpool's Elderly and Vulnerable Residents, once again pay the price of Liverpool City Council
administration and the nasty smell that is LIVERPOOL EVIL CABAL.

LIBERAL DEMOCRATS ARE CRAWLING IN YOUR AREA!

CALL LIVERPOOL DIRECT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND WE WILL FUMIGATE THE AREA. 0151-233-3000 ASK FOR DOCTOR DAVE

AT A COST

Care crisis as city staff face pay cuts

Apr 30 2007

by Jessica Shaughnessy, Liverpool Daily Post

THOUSANDS of vulnerable elderly people who rely on home help could see the quality of their care plummet, Liverpool support agencies warned last night.

Domiciliary care agencies fear hundreds of home helps will walk out in search of better-paid work, after the city council drew up a contract which they say cuts their pay by 30%.

One agency has already refused to sign the new contract unless town hall officials agree to re-negotiate the terms of the deal.

Around 8,000 elderly and infirm people across the city rely on daily help from home carers who give vital assistance with cleaning, washing, dressing, and shopping.

Insiders fear staff shortages could mean families may be left without support, or at best suffer a dramatically reduced quality in services – putting the burden of care back on to family, friends or neighbours.

One care sector source told the Daily Post last night: “If something isn’t done, the quality of care will go into quick decline because there will be a mass walk-out of carers.

“Not only will carers see a pay cut under the new contracts, but their hours will not be secure.

“They will not know from one day to the next if there is work for them. It will be like going back to the days when dockers had to queue for work every morning.

“On the face of it, the council is making big savings, but, in reality, it (the council) will pay in the long run.”

The council insists it is trying to offer the best value for money for the city's council tax payers.

The row erupted after town hall officials set out its new care package for thousands of the city’s most vulnerable people.

Four of the city’s five existing care providers, who employ around 900 carers, have been offered the new contracts, along with five other new companies.

The existing providers offered new contracts are Lyndhurst, Local Solutions, Homecarers and Merseycare Julianne and one of them has refused to sign..

The Daily Post understands the other three are in discussions with the city council in a bid to win a compromise. Instead of paying for the service in blocks of time, the council will pay by the hour, and will stop paying for carers’ travel time from July 1.

It will also stop paying capacity hours, which means carers will not be paid if their client dies or is taken into hospital.

Carers will be employed on zero hour contracts, rather than being guaranteed a set number of hours each month.

Judy Boyle, 58, a saleswoman from Old Swan, said she was concerned about the future of her 86-year-old mother’s care.

She said: “My mother loves her carers. They are like part of her family, and if it wasn’t for them, she would have had to move to a nursing home long ago.

“The carers are so dedicated, but it is a tough job for them. They don’t get paid much as it is. Why should they stay in such a demanding job if they get paid less and do not have any security.”

One source within the care sector said last night: “The contracts were put out to tender and when they were offered, the care providers were told the terms and given a week to sign.

“It was a choice between refusing to sign and effectively going out of business immediately or signing and trying to negotiate with the council from the inside.”

Another care sector source said: “The care providers have been offered less hours then before, so already that reduces the amount of work for carers.

“Without travelling time pay and capacity pay, their wages will be reduced significantly. There are concerns this will mean carers will go away and find more secure jobs, where they are paid better.

“Why should they stay in a stressful job when they can get paid more working as a supermarket cashier?

“The council used to work under a similar system before 2001 and it didn’t work. If extra clients came in, it was harder to put a care package in place, be-cause companies had to hire car- ers as and when the work came in.

“When it went over to the block payment system, things improved. Staff had a set number of hours, they stayed longer and employers were able to give them better training.

“It is unbelievable that the council want to go back to those days. Staff will come and go, they will not have the same training because of this and the quality of care will suffer.”

Len Collins, the director of Lyndhurst, said: “There are difficulties, but the contract doesn’t allow me to speak to the Press.”

In an interview with the Daily Post in July last year, the council’s director of social care and housing, Tony Hunter, and executive member Cllr Dave Antrobus admitted retention of home carers was its biggest problem. They said they feared home carers would be tempted to move to an influx of retail jobs in the run-up to Capital of Culture, where the pay is better.

Cllr Antrobus said last night some agencies had already signed the contract.

“The Government are asking us to give value for money and that is what we are giving. We are making sure the tax payer only pays for the service it receives.” .

A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said: “The new contracts are based upon feedback and ideas received from people who need home care services to assist them in living independently.

“The new service will provide a much better deal for council tax payers, along with increased quality, flexibility and value for money.

“We have agreed terms with eight out of nine of the success- ful bidders. If this doesn’t prove possible with the ninth, we will ensure continued high quality care provision and certainly no-one will experience disruption in the service they receive.”

OPINION: PAGE 10

jessicashaughnessy

Fears for elderly if home helps quit over pay cuts

LIVERPOOL BLOGGERS WILL NOT BE GAGGED LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL

2007-04-24T10:15:00.000+01:00

LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CONTENT OF OTHER LIVERPOOL BLOGS AND CLAIM THE CONTENT MAY HAVE UPSET SOMEONE.

contains allegedly defamatory content that violates the rights
of the
complainant and English law.

I DON'T KNOW WHO'S RIGHTS HAVE BEEN VIOLATED, AS ALL THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THESE BLOGS ARE BASED ON PROVEN FACTS.

IS IT DAVID HENSHAW THE LIVERPOOL BLOGGERS HAVE UPSET?

OR MAYBE THEY HAVE HIT SOME NAILS ON THE HEAD BY PROCLAIMING COLIN HILTON IS A HYPOCRITE FOR COVERING UP THE ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION?

EITHER WAY THE MORE THEY COMPLAIN THE MORE BLOGS LIVERPOOL BLOGGERS WILL CREATE.

LIVERPOOL BLOGGERS WILL NOT BE GAGGED.

KEEP LOGGING IN TO READ ALL THE NEWS AND GOSSIP CONCERNING LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL AND LIVERPOOL DIRECT LIMITED.

THIS IS A BLOG DEDICATED TO POINTING YOU THE READER IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE "TRUE HISTORY" BEHIND LIVERPOOL, THE PUBLIC SECTOR AND BIG BUSINESS'S BEHIND THE CAPITAL OF CULTURE 2008 , THIS IS A HUGE BIG FINGER POINTING YOU TO THAT TRUTH.