York Council mismanagement revelations – trend emerges

Even the most enthusiastic Labour supporter cannot fail to be dismayed by today’s revelation that the York Council considered issuing “fudged” figures to potential care village bidders.

But it is simply the latest in a string of mistakes that has eroded the trust that residents have in their local authority.

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The Lowfields Care Village project fell foul of a system which has encouraged a series of over ambitious “mega projects”.

At a time when the Council’s management structures were being cut back, leading Councillors failed to recognise that the system had broken under the strain.

They failed to get answers to key questions in a timely way

Not only is York’s social care system now breaking down, but another project – to turn the Guildhall into a Digital Media centre – has produced fresh calls for a public inquiry.

Local experts have poured scorn on rental income assumptions for the serviced workstations proposed for the site.

When the item was “called in” earlier in the month for review, business plan assumptions were only displayed via a projector, giving Councillors no chance to evaluate them.

Westfield Councillors launch "save our care services" campaign

Westfield LibDem candidates launch “save our care services” campaign

If the business case is flawed, then nearly £500,000 of taxpayers money (out of a potential £9.2 million total cost) is already at risk as the project moves to its next stage.

So there is growing evidence that this business case has also been “fudged”.

So what next?

There are Council elections on May 7^th and a record number of candidates (over 200) are likely to be seeking votes. Most have now declared themselves and are beginning to actively canvass for support.

The prosperity of our City depends on having a team of able Councillors with a mix of life and work experiences.

Most of the failed Cabinet decisions can be put down to a system which prevents debate and which encourages secrecy.

That needs to be changed, with the traditional “committee system” being the obvious alternative.

Failing that, Cabinet membership should be restricted to Councillors with at least 5 years experience.

On May 7th, electors will need to look beyond the headline policies and seek out the hidden – potentially unpopular – promises which may be hidden in the manifesto small print.

Hardly anyone noticed in 2011 that Labour intended to introduce wide area 20 mph speed limits – but the policy was there, on the Labour web site, albeit in the small print.

Most of all voters will, on May 7^th, need to look beyond party labels and ask who would be the best representative for the ward and for the City?

Who has the best blend of skills, experience and a track record in the local neighbourhood?

Then there is the culture issue that the York Council faces.

Some changes have been made in the months since the Council became “balanced”. But more needs to be done.

The writing was on the wall from the day when the new Labour Cabinet took office in 2011. Cllr Alexander apparently told the Chief Executive that her job targets were to implement the Labour manifesto.

That attempt to politicise officials may be partly responsible for the attempts that are still being made to suppress information and use the Councils press office to “spin” bad news stories.

That has to stop when the new Council takes over in May.

It is difficult also not to conclude that, to convince residents that a new start is being made, a refresh of the Councils management team should be undertaken.

Council officials are normally proud of their political impartiality.

This is now more in question in York than at any time since the late Rod Hills appointed two former Labour Councillors to Chief Officer posts when he had control of the Council.

Many residents may feel that the May 7^th poll can’t come soon enough.

MP candidate line up completed

As we predicted 6 weeks ago, Labour have parachuted a London based Trades Union official into the York Central constituency to be their MP candidate in place of Hugh Bayley.

Their decision completes the candidate line up with both Tories and Labour now offering only London based candidates to electors.

Of the major parties, only the Liberal Democrat Nick Love has genuine local credentials, having lived in York since 1985 when he came to study at University of St John.

Labour Councillor misled residents on Local Plan housing demand

Call to end Cabinet system “dictatorship”

Stories in the media today confirm what many have suspected for some time.

Labour’s “Big City” Local Plan exaggerated the demand for new housing in York.

In publishing a consultation document last year, they claimed that 850 additional home per year were justified by central government population growth estimates.

It turns out that the figure was known to be 750, with the prospect that it will be scaled down further as more recent trends are confirmed.

The lower figures make a major difference to the amount of land required for development, and taken with the surge in brownfield planning applications over the last 2 years (on sites that were not identified for housing in the draft Local Plan), it means that there is even less justification for building on Green Belt sites.

The only realistic plan which preserves the character, scale and setting of the City was that published in February 2011. Liberal Democrats had previously identified brownfield sites on which over 12,000 new homes could be built in York

Mystery over commercial web site deepens

With a web address only registered in January ( http://www.loveyorkletsplan.co.uk/ ), the new site slavishly promotes out of date figures (and thinking). It claims to be independent but the funding for the organisation is unclear. Some commentators have suggested that it is simply a front for commercial developers – particularly those with an interest in the 4000 home development planned for Rawcliffe/Skelton.

Debate is healthy but any site which promotes a particular political view should be transparent. The names of the sponsors would be clear, particularly in the run up to elections when partisan comments are subject to legal controls.

The web site makes the mistake of implying that “at least 850” additional homes need to be built each year. It also claims incorrectly that only 5000 brownfield housing sites are available in York. Neither is true (see above)

End cabinet member dictatorship

The latest revelation, that figures were misrepresented by a Cabinet member, has renewed calls for the present decision taking system to be scrapped. Labour enjoyed the support of only 40% of those voting in the 2011 Council elections, yet were able to form a Cabinet which exercised widespread delegated powers. Inexperience and the elixir of power quickly turned the Council into a dictatorship with many local residents views being publicly reviled.

We have seen how absolute power corrupts with examples in both Rotherham and Redcar this week. Labour in York may be on the same slippery slope. Only defections and a by elections defeat have recently forced them to show some humility.

There can be no way back for the Executive/Cabinet system, irrespective of whom wins the Council elections in May.

The tried and trusted committee system – jettisoned by the York Council in 1997 – needs to be brought back albeit with some refinements.

The traditional system involves all members of the Council – irrespective of party – in decision taking. It promotes debate before decisions are taken. Modern technology can be used to inject some timely public participation into York’s decision taking process.

Hopefully a new national government will allow Councils to use a system of proportional presentation in local elections, where residents want it. Such a system guarantees that all parties (and viewpoints) are represented on a local Council…… and that would be healthy for democracy and may prompt a higher turnout in local elections.

Labour members rile against MP selection process

One Labour member has lifted the veil on how the UNITE trades union is trying to parachute its preferred candidate into the York Central constituency candidate vacancy. As we have said before, this is a matter for the dwindling number of Labour supporters to sort out. Electors will, however, be expecting to select from a list where serious candidates can demonstrate a real interest in the City over an extended period of time.

The controversy does, however, reinforce how institutions like trades unions do seek to impose their sectional views on political parties and, through them, local residents.

Many Labour Councillors in York admit trades union sponsorship in their declarations of interests?

According to a response to a recent Freedom of Information request, of the 6255 staff employed by the York Council, 1780 are members of trades unions.

There are 5 staff who spend at least half their time of trade’s union activities.

The total cost to York Council Taxpayer of trades union activates is £138, 401 pa.

£33,000 is spent on office costs

Fraser sacked from York Council Urgency committee

Labour Councillor Sandy Fraser has today been sacked from the York Council’s Urgency committee.

At the committees last meeting, Cllr. Fraser had voiced a number of allegations about the personal behavior of a Conservative Councillor. At the time, he was backed up by committee chair Cllr. Tracey Simpson Laing (who we understand has now left the country).

The bad tempered meeting, which can still be viewed on YouTube, had degenerated as counter allegations were then made about Council Leader Williams’ behavior.

It is Cllr. Williams who has now desperately tried to reassert some authority by sacking Cllr. Fraser.

Cllr. Williams himself hopes to fill the vacancy. It appears though that, because he is still only working part time on his Council commitments, the times that meetings start may have to be changed to accommodate him!

Cllr. Fraser has already announced that he will be stepping down from the Council in May

Councillor Bleep in line for planning role in York

Following the black farce which unwrapped the last time the York Councils “Urgency” committee met, there seems to be some hope that the forces of darkness will be defeated at the resumed meeting now scheduled for the 19th January.

Officials are suggesting that committee membership should be reflect the proportion of seats held by each group represented on the Council.

Hardly a radical suggestion as proportionality has been a guiding principal for the York Council for the last 25 years.

It means that the much maligned Cllr Healey will become a member of the Local Plan Working group in place of Cllr Watt (who has apparently joined the Mordor tree preservation Group)

Cllr “bleep” deleted from York Council webcast

Yesterdays webcast of the Council Urgency committee meeting has now reappeared on line (click).

Usually we associated early 20th century Soviet Union regimes with air brushing dissidents from photos.

Now, in a bizarre twist, any mention of Councillors allegedly under investigation for misbehaviour, have been “bleeped” out of the video.

In theory it means that only those present at the meeting and those viewing the original transmission know who Labour Councillors sought to publicly vilify and who was mentioned in the Tory response (about 10 minutes into the meeting).

Comrade Williams airbrushed from history

Of course. though, even a casual glance at the agenda papers will reveal who was being talked about.

It is an awkward shambles with no one publicly yet taking responsibility for the censorship. much less the original ill judged comments.

York Labour to go for London based candidate?

It looks like Hugh Bayley’s replacement, as a Labour candidate to be the City’s MP, will be a Trades Union official who is based in London.

Speculation had mounted, that an outsider would be parachuted into the York Central constituency, when Labour decided to impose an “all woman” shortlist on its members.

Amongst those vying for support is understood to be a senior UNITE trades union official with a specialist interest in the health services.

Labour is heavily dependant on Unions like UNITE for its funding.

The Tories have already selected a London based man to be their candidate.

This leaves LibDem Nick Love @NickLovesYork as the only York resident selected as a candidate for the contest by any of the major parties.

More pushing and jumping on York Labour ship – now Bayley quits

Helicopter for Bayley

Today’s announcement that local York Central MP Hugh Bayley is to quit at next Mays General Election has taken many by surprise.

He has become something of a “fixture” on the York political scene over the last 20 years. As recently as last summer he said that he would seek another term of office.

Coming so soon after the resignation of the Labour Council Leader, it is inevitable that residents will put two and two together. The extent of the turmoil within the local Labour party is becoming increasingly obvious.

Ironically those in the local Labour party who had positioned themselves to be Bayleys successor have recently been side-lined.

Scott left the Labour Council Group, Alexander is on his way to London under a cloud, Williams has just taken on the Council’s Leadership while others have the odium of failure sitting on their shoulders following four tempestuous years on the York Council.

It is to be hoped that Labour do not try to parachute an outsider into the City.

As the Westfield by election showed, electors do not like to be taken for granted and they are increasingly flexible in their voting choices.

Hugh Bayley became a generally respected figure in the City. He did the routine MP jobs well but chose to locate himself predominantly in London. In later years he was increasingly slipping out of the York scene. He did not entirely evade the kind of criticism handed out to many MPs over issues like the expense claims. He was forced to make an apology over the Union Terrace sale issue and was not shy at accepting hospitality as he drifted into the celebrity circuit in later years.

He will be remembered though as a straight forward kind of person and has done enough for the City to deserve a positive niche in Yorks political history

NB. The York Central Liberal Democrats will be selecting a parliamentary candidate at a meeting being held 15th December. The party is expected to select a York resident to be its candidate in May.

Former Plymouth Councillor is new York Labour Leader

As we forecast a week or so ago Cllr Dafydd Williams has been elected Leader of the York Council Labour Group.

The decision is only of significance if it means that he also becomes Leader of the York Council when it meets on 11th December. As it is a convention that the Leader of the largest group on the Council becomes its Leader, there must be a good chance that, for about 4 months, he will have an opportunity to remedy some of the mistakes made by the Council over the last 3 years.

Williams leaflet in September forgot to mention that Labour had scrapped grants to local community centres. Plea for “volunteer helpers” was a smokescreen

Cllr Williams has been an increasingly unpopular figure in the Westfield Ward where he was first elected in 2011. He had moved to the City from Plymouth where he had been a Councillor for 5 years.

Living on the other side of the river was a major handicap, but this seemed to be exacerbated by his decision to try to hold down an outside job (as head of Public Relations for Yorkshire Water) as well as a Cabinet post. The result was that he was rarely seen in the Westfield area.

Although invited, he failed to attend many residents’ association meetings.

Following Labour’s Westfield by election defeat in October, Williams announced that he was abandoning the ward altogether and he will apparently now seek a seat in the Heworth ward (where he lives) in the May polls.

At a City level, he has had a low profile role although a failure to address customer service issues at the new West Offices together with an apparent lack of willingness to publish meaningful performance management data, means that he will start off with several questions marks about his priorities.

Labour say they will stop this kind of attack

Labour now say they will stop this kind of attack

More worryingly, he was also heavily implicated in the plot to hound a respected charity worker out of his job earlier in the year.

In today’s Press, Williams makes a point of praising the work of James Alexander. So perhaps little has really changed?

He also admits, though, some of Labour’s mistakes,

“Too often our politics has been done by attacking individuals and negative campaigning, which leaves residents cold” !!!

LibDem Council Group Leader Keith Aspden has commented on the Labour decision

“I welcome Dafydd to his new role. Since 2011 the problems in the Labour Cabinet have gone deeper than the leader. Dafydd Williams has been part of this Cabinet since day one and was directly responsible for the unpopular decision to ignore the views of 2,500 local residents and close Beckfield Lane Tip in 2012.

“I hope that we will see meaningful change in his group’s policies. Key issues such as plans to close Yearsley Pool should be re-examined and the council must start listening and engaging with residents again.

“The new leader must also begin to repair the damage done by the botched Lendal Bridge trial and I urge him to support a Liberal Democrat motion to repay all the fines at December’s Full Council meeting. This will be his first test as leader and will show whether things have really changed in the Labour Group.”

Cllr Williams will need to work 24/7 now to make up for lost time. A decision to break his links with Yorkshire Water – where there could be a conflict of interest – would be a good step.

Labour Leadership contest

The new Leader of the Labour group on the York Council is also likely to become the new Leader of the City, albeit only for about 4 months.

The York electorate will have had no say in the making of this appointment. Hopefully Labour Councillors will belatedly offer some transparency in the process.

It would, therefore, be good to see potential candidates tell York residents what they think that they could bring to the job of Council Leader?

The Leadership of the City is important and under new regulations it is the Leader who makes all the Cabinet appointments.

The Council needs a Leader with experience. To hit the ground running you probably need to have been a member of the Council for 10 years, with another 10 years having been spent in business, education or administration. This should provide the minimum necessary range of knowledge and skills.

The Press have given their view on the runners and riders.

Several of the Councillors listed have less than 4 years service on the Council – meaning they have only ever won one election. Even the late incumbent, whose inexperience led to his eventual downfall, had served for over 4 years when he took up the post.

So you should rule out Levene, Cunningham Cross and Barnes as serious contenders.

Williams likewise but he may claim five years on the Plymouth Council gives him an edge, or at least some geographical flexibility. He is less tainted than many by the Alexander years having currently a low profile portfolio role on finance and internal management. Poor transparency, inadequate management information and sometimes chaotic customer service interfaces suggest that he has made little positive impact at West Offices. He does however have some work experience and indeed tries to juggle working in PR while drawing a Cabinet members salary. Has recently announced that he is leaving the Westfield Ward in search of a safer seat on the east of fhe City.

Some others have failed even more spectacularly with their portfolios.

TSL presided over indecision on Social Care resulting in projects like the Lowfields care village running 3 years behind schedule and with an auditors report published which criticised a huge budget deficit in care services. The number of affordable housing units built actually fell during her tenure. Her only recent “proper” job was running a coffee stall on the market albeit she now has a lot of experience on the Council. Likely to be more popular with the party activists than the City generally.
Dave Merrett, although more able than some would give credit for, failed as the Council Leader in 2002/3, suffering a heavy election defeat in May 2003 and is now tainted by the Lendal bridge scandal and the dogmatic, unnecessary and costly introduction of 20 mph zones. Many other transport projects ran behind schedule during the days of his regime. Has held an engineering job in the rail industry for many years and is the most experienced of the likely contenders.
Sonia Crisp is credited with putting the word vanity in “vanity projects”. Self publicity is no substitute for competence and she has still to explain the “Grand Departy” debacle. No relevant work experience.
Which leaves Julie Gunnell, last years Lord Mayor? Some might say that she jumped ship from the Alexander Cabinet in 2012 because she could see the way things were going. She remained publicly loyal to the old regime even when her father (Ken King) resigned from the Labour Group and became Leader of a rival “Independent Labour Group”. Julie Gunnell does have some administrative experience, has better interpersonal skills than most Councillors but is not the world’s most convincing public speaker. Still she improved during her year as Lord Mayor and may be someone who could calm a warring Council chamber for a few months. No doubt being named as dark horse on this web site will scupper her chances. Shame as one family holding the leaderships of two Groups on the Council would be another first for the City.

Odds

Williams evens

Gunnell 2/1

TSL 3/1

Cunningham Cross & Levene 5/1

Merrett 25/1

Barnes 50/1

Crisp 100/1

Others 250/1