Journal- February 22 2008

Give your bonus to needy, bosses told

by Dave Black, The Journal
BUMPER “golden handcuffs” pay rises to three senior county council officers have been branded scandalous by members of a rural parish council in Northumberland.
Hartburn Parish Council has called on the three officials to hand back their controversial 20% salary increases and donate the money to employ more carers for elderly and disabled people.
County chief executive Mark Henderson, deputy chief executive Jill Dixon and finance director Steven Mason were awarded the retention payments last October to ensure they do not leave to take up new jobs during the transition process to unitary local government in Northumberland next year.
The decision to boost their pay was taken unilaterally under delegated powers by council leader Peter Hillman, without being referred to the ruling Labour group or the full county council for approval.
It has been widely condemned by local MPs, opposition councillors, trade union officials and members of the public at a time when the Prime Minister is calling for tough controls on public sector pay. Now Hartburn Parish Council, which discussed the issue at its recent meeting, says it is united in its condemnation of the pay rises. The three officers were already on performance-related annual salaries of about £150,000, £110,000 and £100,000 respectively.
Parish council chairman Ernie Coe said the decision was “nothing less than scandalous” when police were battling for the Government to honour their 2% pay rise, other public sector workers were having their wages cut and the county council was making £4.7m in budget reductions.
“We feel sure there are county council employees who are perfectly capable of carrying out the work of these three figureheads. No one is indispensable. There is only so much work that one person can do, no matter how much they are paid.
“Perhaps Mark Henderson, Jill Dixon and Steven Mason might regain a certain amount of public respect by donating their pay increases back to the council to fund the posts of three or four full-time carers for the elderly and disabled.”
Coun Coe said parish council members were shocked that Coun Hillman was able to make a decision of such magnitude without the approval of the county council. “We sincerely hope that lessons will be learned and legislation put in place in the formation of the new unitary authority so that errors of judgment such as this can never be made again.”
Coun Hillman said he had used appropriate powers under the council’s constitution to sanction the payments. He said he had decided to approve them for “business critical reasons” to ensure the required knowledge and know-how was in place at the top of the authority during the huge challenge of switching to unitary local government.
“I took this decision in October in order to secure at an early stage the services of these three officers. These are time-limited retention payments, not permanent pay rises.” The payments mean Mr Henderson’s earnings will go up £28,200, Ms Dixon’s £21,099 and Mr Mason’s £18,989 – more than many people’s annual salary.

IS THIS THE END OF THE ROAD ???????????

Labour in move for all-women shortlists

Dave Black, The Journal

PROMINENT male councillors could find themselves squeezed out in the battle for seats on Northumberland’s super council because of a controversial Labour Party drive to get more women members on the new, all-purpose authority.
Labour officials in Blyth Valley have agreed to women-only shortlists from which to choose candidates in seven of the constituency’s 17 electoral divisions on the unitary council due to take over next year.
The decision has already helped cast a major doubt over the future of former county council leader Bill Brooks, whose Blyth Newsham ward is one of those affected by the all-women lists.
It emerged yesterday that Coun Brooks – who held the top political post from 2005 to 2007 – has been excluded from the list of potential Labour election candidates for May’s elections, but is appealing against the decision. However, even if his appeal is successful, he would then have to secure a nomination in one of the 10 remaining ‘open’ wards in Blyth Valley if he wants to contest a seat on the new authority.
The same prospect is facing fellow Labour county councillors David Montgomery and Ivan Hayes – whose Hartley and Cramlington West wards have also been earmarked for all-women lists.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Wansbeck, the drive to get more female councillors on board is causing serious friction, with constituency party members and potential election candidates said to be firmly opposed to bringing in all-women shortlists. If the row cannot be resolved, the result could be women candidates imposed on individual Wansbeck wards by regional or national Labour Party officials.
Only five of the 35-strong ruling Labour group on the current county council are women and party officials want to see a greater female involvement in the political decision-making process.
Yesterday Coun Brooks, who has 16 years experience in local government, said: “The situation is that I have been excluded from the list of Labour candidates by my peers, and I am appealing against that. However, even if I win the appeal, it is odds-on that my ward will have an all-women shortlist. I live in Newsham and want to represent the people of Newsham.”
Blyth Valley constituency Labour Party chairman, Dave Stephens, said the general management committee had agreed last weekend to make seven of the 17 local divisions women-only shortlists.
“This has not been an easy process but we have had several meetings about it, thrashed it out thoroughly and agreed that all-women shortlists is the best option to take,” he said.
“I don’t think that anyone is really in favour of all-women lists but we have to take a decision in order to encourage more women into council seats.”
Wansbeck constituency Labour Party chairman, David Nicholson, said he did not want to comment on the issue of all-women shortlists as discussions were still taking place with regional officials.
He said: “The constituency party’s view is that it is for local members to determine who will be their local Labour candidate.
“We want not only the best people, but people who will properly represent their community, whether that is by experience, expertise, gender or any other factor.”

More pay for Mark

There is one thing that is now sure within Northumberland – we are heading for period of financial stricture and belt-tightening in Wansbeck and Blyth Valley, under the new Northumberland Council run by the Tories and Liberals.

The person responsible of course currently leads the Labour Group at County Hall and we have come to this courtesy of Mr Hillman due to his desire to remain in power and retain his allowances.
He is supported by the Executive at the council and a few hangers on who now themselves are desperate for places to stand in the looming elections.

Be in no doubt this is an election and a change in local government that very few wanted, even now those at County Hall are squirming with the embarrassment of being hoodwinked by a Government more keen of saving money than providing good local government to those of us in the County.

In Wansbeck we are very proud of the record investment that has been achieved by a genuine Labour controlled authority. In Blyth Valley they have a record breaking Council one where setting low budgets is a matter of course – an ‘Excellent’ rated council.

The cadre of masochistic councillors who have brought this disaster upon us are at this very moment plotting and turning trying to gain support for their allowances.

There is however one person who could have stopped this all – Mr Hillman.
A short and recent history shows us that this is the councillor who ejected the children of a local panto group from HIS community centre.
This is the same man who stood by while Arriva stopped the only bus route serving his own community, and did NOTHING!
We must not forget the closure of the ‘underused’ nursery school in his ward. Underused partly because of competition from the nursery in his own Community Centre!


We haven’t even mentioned his closure of libraries, fire stations, care homes, training centres, the loss of 28 firemen’s posts, which ahs left Wansbeck without one fire station in its area. These have all happened on Mr Hillmans ‘watch’.
After imposing an academy on Blyth against the wishes of his won councillors, his own party, his own, MP, his own teachers, parents and children he seeks to the same in Ashington and Newbiggin – shutting nine schools and handing the education of children to private hands led by that well known educationalist the Duke of Northumberland, the gardener from Alnwick . Dennis Murphy says it all – there is no political direction at County Hall the leadership is out of control and the council are getting prepared to hand him even more powers next month!

Peter must now but looking two ways at once in his belief in his Executive officers to whom, he, on his own, has given a 20% rise whilst cutting services and tripling care
Charges in just 3 years!


Yet more pay for Henderson or…………………….

This can be all stopped and the certainty of the leader not being re-elected could do it. We could stop now and tell the government it just wouldn’t work, let them come in and try and force it through.

Bill Brooks the Downfall?????????????????????????

News just in Ex Leader of the Northumberland Bill (patio) Brooks fails to get through the Local Government Committee on Saturday 2 February, Bill can appeal
This means that CC Brooks can not stand as a Labour Party Candiate in the forthcoming elections, for the new unitary council.

WE HAVE A ELECTION THIS MAY PETER REMEMBER ? AND THIS BE ON PEOPLES LIPS IF YOUR THERE?

Ronnie Campbell slams pay hike for county council chiefsCritical of payments, Ronnie Campbell, MP.By HELEN SMITHSONRONNIE Campbell has slammed Northumberland County Council for the controversial 'golden handcuffs' pay rise awarded to three of its top bosses.Blyth Valley's MP has branded the 20 per cent pay increase given to the senior officials as 'disgraceful' and has written to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to voice his disgust.County council leader Peter Hillman granted the increases back in October to chief executive Mark Henderson, deputy chief executive Jill Dixon, and finance director Steven Mason to ensure they stay with the authority until it becomes unitary next year.The officials earned around £360,000 between them even before the increase was granted.Mr Campbell told the News Post Leader: "Who do these people think they are?"If Hillman has got that power, then that's very dangerous in local government."He shouldn't have that power, it's very dangerous in the hands of one man."I would urge the authority to take that power away from him."It's disgraceful that everyone else is knuckling under but these executives can pay themselves."In his letter to the PM, Mr Campbell states: "Do you not think if they are entitled to any pay rise that it should be 1.9 per cent like everybody else, or is it a case that the higher up the scale you are, the bigger the rise you are entitled to?"I think it is an absolute disgrace."The news of the increases has also angered residents, coming at a time when the authority is looking to take £4.7m off its budgets, and plans are in the pipeline to increase care charges for the elderly and the disabled.Joe Curran, who lives in Seaton Delaval, e-mailed Coun Hillman for an explanation behind the increase and why he approved the decision."The idea that a single person can dish out this money to three well paid executives when everyone else is being asked to accept a 1.9 per cent increase is nothing short of scandalous," said Mr Curran."Somebody is quite obviously taking benefit of his position and spending ratepayers' money."This decision is going to effect ratepayers in the county, and it's way out of order and totally unacceptable."Why wasn't thisfirst made public in October when the decision was made?"The extra wages will cost the authority an additional £6,200 per month.County council leader Peter Hillman defended the decision, saying it was vital to keep staff to ensure continuity and a smooth transition into the unitary authority."I'm pleased we have been able to do this to secure posts which are essential to making the re-organisation happen in the best possible way," he said."All organisations going through major change face a challenge in terms of keeping staff, and its common practice to offer incentives for people to stay to make sure that changes happen as smoothly as possible."Losing people in critical posts can not only damage or delay the transition process but is also be very expensive in terms of costs of recruitment to replace people in senior posts, which run into tens of thousands of pounds."
Posted by Northumberland County Council at 10:30

0 comments:
Post a Comment