THE FUTURE OF COLIN HILTON AND PHIL HALSALL HANGS IN THE BALANCE.....

WILL COLIN HILTON AND PHIL HALSALL SURVIVE THE LATEST INVESTIGATION?

HOW MUCH IS IT GOING TO COST THE PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL IN PAY OFFS?

WHEN IS ALL THIS NEGATIVE NEWS GOING TO END?

WHEN WILL SOMEONE PUT A STOP TO IT ALL AND SERVE THE PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL, AS ELECTED TO DO SO?

As usual all credit goes to the Daily Post for the story.

Future in the balance for senior council officials

Jul 25 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

THE two most senior officials at Liverpool City Council will today come under pressure as the future of their jobs is discussed by a powerful panel.

Chief executive Colin Hilton faces a call for his suspension from Labour leader Joe Anderson over alleged failings.

While finance and legal executive director Phil Halsall faces the deletion of his post and therefore possible redundancy.

Both matters will be presented to the council’s appointments and disciplinary panel this morning.

The proposal to delete the executive director for finance and legal position forms part of a restructure of the council’s executive management team by the chief executive.

The Daily Post understands Mr Hilton is also proposing to cancel the post of executive director of culture, media, and sport which fell vacant in January with the departure of Jason Harborow, who also had the dual role of chief executive of Liverpool Culture Company.

The plan, as described to the Daily Post, would see Mr Hilton take on some of Mr Halsall’s financial responsibilities, with a more junior member of staff taking up other duties.

Mr Hilton’s proposal to scrap Mr Halsall’s position came out of a review following the council being labelled the worst in the country, and is designed to give the chief executive greater management responsibility over financial affairs.

However, the idea to get rid of the post, which has its roots in the historic role of city treasurer, has caused some disquiet among sections of the council.
Last night, a senior source said: “I am surprised at the proposals which would consolidate enormous power in one person.

“It would make the chief executive more powerful than the leader of the council, and even a directly elected mayor.

“I would question the logic of getting rid of this position at one of the most trying times for the council in financial terms.”

Mr Halsall, who joined the council in 2000 from South Ribble which cov- ers Leyland and central Lancashire, last night declined to comment.

The Daily Post understands that any decision made today would have to be ratified by the full council before taking effect.

Meanwhile, the panel will make a decision on whether to sanction further investigation into Cllr Anderson’s complaints about Mr Hilton.

The complaints relate to an alleged failure to take action over two internal investigations.

The first was into the leaking of information to the Liverpool Evil Cabal blogsite, and the second was into the leaking of the medical condition of Mr Harborow.

A third complaint relates to the monitoring of Cllr Anderson’s telephone records, which he claims was authorised by Mr Hilton.

davidbartlett

HOW MANY ELDERLY DEMENTIA SUFFERERS COULD £63,000.00 FUND????

EVERYWHERE WE LOOK IN LIVERPOOL, THERE SEEMS TO BE A COMMUNITY SERVICE CLOSING OR CRITERIA CHANGING, THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR SOCIETY.

LIVERPOOL COUNCIL TAX PAYERS ARE OFTEN LEFT WANTING WHEN THEY TRY TO ACCESS THE SERVICES THEY SO BADLY NEED. THIS IS USUALLY BECAUSE LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL HAS CUT THE FUNDING FOR THE SERVICE THEY REQUIRE.

THE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CONTROLLED ADMINISTRATION OF LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL, HAVE VOTED TO CLOSE DOWN THE HIGHLY ESTEEMED , MUCH NEEDED HOMES FOR THE ELDERLY AND THOSE WITH DEMENTIA, LEYTON DENE AND BOALER STREET.

NADIA STEWART SET THIS DECISION IN STONE WHEN SHE CROSSED THE FLOOR MAY 1ST 2008 TO BECOME A MUCH LOATHED,(That's what she used to think), LIBERAL DEMOCRAT.

THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS AND ESPECIALLY IT WOULD SEEM, WARREN BRADLEY, HAVE ALSO IGNORED WATCH DOG RECOMMENDATIONS AND INSISTED THE CITY COUNCIL TAX PAYERS ARE GOING TO PAY £63,000, TO SO CALLED "ASSISTANTS" OF THE 10 EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERS.

WHAT THESE "ASSISTANTS" ACTUALLY DO FOR THEIR MONEY IS VERY UNCLEAR AS THEY DO NOT HAVE A JOB DESCRIPTION, INDEED THEIR ROLES ARE NOT CONSTITUTIONALLY RECOGNISED.


SO THEREFORE IT FOLLOWS IN A MODERN DEMOCRACY, SURELY, THAT THEY SHOULD NOT EXIST?.

WARREN BRADLEY HAS CLEARLY FORGOTTEN WHAT DEMOCRACY ACTUALLY MEANS.

IT WOULD SEEM THAT WHATEVER WARREN WANTS, WARREN GETS?

WARREN WANTS HIS FELLOW BACK SCRATCHES , TO BE PAID FOR ASSISTING IN A ROLE THEY ARE ALREADY PAID FOR AS THEY ARE ELECTED COUNCILLORS.

WARREN DOES NOT WANT TO SAVE THE LIVES OF NUMEROUS ELDERLY, INFIRM AND DEMENTIA SUFFERERS, WARREN DOES NOT WANT TO SAVE 80+ LOCAL JOBS.

READ BELOW FOR DAILY POST REPORT.

BUT THINK ON IF YOUR ABLE,

EVERYBODY NO MATTER HOW GOOD, NO MATTER HOW EVIL,

EVERYBODY GETS OLD!

TORI

Watchdog says NO to £63k of payouts to cllrs, Bradley says

May 19 2008 by Ben Turner, Liverpool Echo

MORE than £63,000 will be given to Liverpool councillors, despite an independent watchdog calling for their roles to be scrapped.

Council Leader Warren Bradley has ordered that 10 executive board assistants continue to receive £6,349 yearly allowances.

The move was today attacked as “a scandalous waste of money” by opposition councillors who said the posts were not constitutionally recognised.

But a defiant Cllr Bradley insisted the staff were worth every penny and played a invaluable role.

To meet government guidelines the council employs an independent panel of officials from the business, voluntary and personnel management sector to scrutinise and advise on the annual levels of allowances for councillors.

The panel spent 18 months scrutinising the council’s assistants attached to 10 executive members whose portfolios range from education and regeneration to the council leader himself.

Their investigation concluded there was “no clear evidence to measure the responsibility which can be assessed to justify the continued payment” of their of £6,349 yearly allowances.

But Cllr Bradley refused to act on the findings and pledged the assistants will continue to be paid.

Today the moved was attacked by Liverpool opposition chiefs.

Labour deputy leader Cllr Paul Brant said: “I think this is a scandalous waste of money on manufactured roles that are not constitutionally recognised. This money should be going elsewhere given all the cuts people are seeing.”

However, Cllr Bradley pointed out that the council had also rejected the independent panel’s advice that council allowances be raised across the board – with allowances frozen this year.

He said: “The assistant executive members do a fantastic job. My own assistant Cllr Tina Gould, for example, does a tremendous amount of work, including deputising for me on occasions when I’m double booked and leading on projects such as our cultural strategy.”

ben.turner@liverpool.com

LIVERPOOL LIBERAL DEMOCRAT HOUSE OF CARDS STARTS TO CRUMBLE

EACH DAY THE NEWS OF ANOTHER LIVERPOOL LIBERAL DEMOCRAT RESIGNING OR BEING DE-SELECTED BRINGS THE HEAT NEARER TO BRADLEY'S DOOR!

SHOULD WARREN BRADLEY NOW RESIGN TO SAVE HIS PARTY?

OR SHOULD HE CARRY ON CLAIMING HE HAS PASSION FOR LIVERPOOL SO HE CAN DO OR SAY AS HE WISHES?

BRADLEY SEEMS TO THINK IT'S ALRIGHT FOR HIM TO SEE A TOP RATED SHOW IN LAS VEGAS AND CHARGE THE COUNCIL TAX PAYERS FOR THE PRIVELAGE!

IN FULL COUNCIL LAST NIGHT HE WAS ASKED TO EXPLAIN HIMSELF ON A NUMBER OF OCCASSIONS, HE TURNED THE QUESTION BACK TO LABOUR WITH INUENDO'S.

WE WANT A YES OR NO BRADLEY, THE FACT YOU WILL NOT GIVE US THE ANSWER OUR COUNCILLORS HAVE REQUESTED OF YOU, GIVES RISE TO CONCERNS OF YOUR ABILITY TO TELL ANY FORM OF TRUTH?

TAKE A LOOK WHAT YOUR OWN PARTY MEMBERS THINK OF YOU BRADLEY.

LONG STANDING COUNCILLOR HAS DECIDED TO QUIT HIS EXECUTIVE ROLE, SADLY NOT THE COUNCILLOR ROLE, TO GIVE A STRONG AND LOUD MESSAGE TO BRADLEY TO GO.

IF YOU ARE A LABOUR SUPPORTER THEN YOU WILL HAVE, LIKE ME, A BIG SMILE ON YOUR FACE!

BELOW IS TODAY'S DAILY POST HEADLINES.

#PLEASE NOTE TONY PARRISH FOLLOWERS BROKE THIS NEWS WEEKS AGO#

Warren Bradley in row over Las Vegas show tickets

Mar 27 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

Warren Bradley Cirque de soliel row

LIVERPOOL council leader Warren Bradley was last night accused of failing to declare his attendance at a Las Vegas show at taxpayers’ expense.

Cllr Bradley privately asked Culture Company chief executive Jason Harborow to buy him tickets for Cirque du Soleil’s Love Show, it was alleged yesterday.

At the full council meeting, Labour group leader Cllr Joe Anderson asked Cllr Bradley to confirm he had sent a text message to Mr Harborow asking him to purchase the tickets while Cllr Bradley was on a private holiday in the American resort. He asked if the Lib-Dem leader had then declared the tickets as hospitality.

Cllr Bradley refused to be drawn on the specific issue, but said he was “meticulous” in declaring hospitality.

In the council chamber, Cllr Ander-son said: “Could you confirm to me that in 2006, while on holiday in Las Vegas, you attended a show called the Love Show and requested the Culture Company pay for tickets and sent the following text message: ‘Jason, can you arrange for the show? If you manage to do it, let me know’.”

Cllr Bradley responded: “I am met-iculous in declaring hospitality that I receive from the council and I have the scruples to do so – unlike some who failed to declare gifts since 2003. Certain members failed to declare certain football matches – both before, during and after.”

Cllr Bradley claimed Cllr Ander-son’s question was based on informa-tion gleaned from a “defamatory and ill-informed” blog site.

The Labour opposition has called for an internal council investigation into the matter.

The controversy comes as Stand-ards Board for England investigators are in the city interviewing protagon-ists in an investigation into allega-tions that Cllr Bradley conspired to remove Mr Harborow from his post.

Mr Harborow officially left the employment of the city in January with a £230,000 pay-off.

His complaint to the Standards Board about the way he was treated in a bitter falling-out with Cllr Bradley is subject of a separate investigation.

It is understood the Culture Com-pany and executives from Cirque Du Soleil were in discussions two years ago about bringing the Love Show to Liverpool in 2008, but the talks stalled when it was discovered it would have been too expensive to remove the show from its home in the Mirage.

Earlier this week, Cirque du Soleil brought its Delirium show to the Echo Arena but it is understood this was not a result of previous negotiations over the Love Show.

Unlike Love, Delirium is specifically designed to tour and is run by a different arm of the international company.

Prior to last night’s meeting, Cllr Bradley said: “On the advice of the Culture Company, I took time out from a private holiday to view the Cirque du Soleil show in my official role as vice chairman of the Liverpool Culture Company and leader of the city council.

“Tickets were arranged because at the time we were negotiating with the Cirque production company to bring the show to Liverpool as part of our European Capital of Culture celebrations.”

Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson last night said he had raised the issue with council chief executive Colin Hilton and requested an internal audit investigation into the matter.

davidbartlett

Liverpool Council's education chief quits

Mar 27 2008 Liverpool Daily Post

Councillor Paul Clein _320

LIVERPOOL city councillor Paul Clein has resigned as executive member for children’s services in the wake of the row about the deselection of a Liberal Democrat colleague.

Cllr Clein, who had been on the executive board for ten years, said he had been "unhappy with the leadership of the council for a while".

He is not resigning as a councillor.

He said: "The deselection of my friend and colleague Cllr Kevin Firth was basically the last straw.

"It seems to me there is a strong perception by all and sundry that Kevin was deselected because of his attempts to hold the leadership to account over the Mathew Street business.

"I just felt no-one else was going to stand up and say that is wrong, so I am."

Cllr Clein sent a letter of resignation to the city council leader effective as of today.

WONDER IF THEY WILL NOW DE-SELECT CLEIN FOR SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE POWER CRAZY LEADER OF LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL?

BULLYBOY BRADLEY ! THE ICE CREAM MAN COMETH!

WARREN BRADLEY HAS BEEN INDIVIDUALLY NAMED AND NOW SHAMED BY FORMER LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL EMPLOYEE, JASON HARBOROW AS A BULLY.

NEVER I HEAR YOU CRY.. BUT YES IT IS TRUE FOR THE ICE CREAM MAN SAID IT WAS SO.

AS USUAL I REFER YOU TO ANOTHERS WORDS, FOR I ONLY GUIDE YOU TO THE TRUTH,.

SEE BELOW FOR DAILY POST REPORT

Probe begins into claims of council leader’s bullying of ex-Culture chief

Feb 13 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

AN INVESTIGATION into claims Liverpool council leader Warren Bradley bullied the city’s former Culture Company chief executive was last night getting under way.

It comes as the Standards Board confirmed it will investigate complaints from Jason Harborow against Cllr Bradley.

But the watchdog said it would not be investigating similar allegations against regeneration leader Mike Storey.

Cllr Bradley and Cllr Storey are still being investigated by the board over separate claims they conspired to remove Mr Harborow from his post, after a complaint by Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson.

It comes after the Daily Post exclusively revealed Jason Harborow made an official complaint against both men to the board on January 30.

Last night the 37-year-old declined to comment, describ-ing it as a “private matter”.

But the Standards Board confirmed that potential breaches of the code of conduct which led to the complaint against Cllr Bradley being referred for investigation include:

Not treating others with respect.

Bringing your office or authority into disrepute.

Bullying “any person including other councillors, council officers or members of the public”.

Mr Harborow last week spoke about how he had felt bullied and intimidated during times at the Culture Company.

Cllr Storey told the Daily Post: “I really think the Stand-ards Board is now being used for party political purposes where people can refer any-thing on a whim to try to get a newspaper headline and try to besmirch the character of individuals.”

Last week Mr Harborow spoke about behaviour he had considered “unacceptable”

He said: “My day has gone, but it could be done to some-one else. I want to highlight that type of behaviour some-times takes place, and sometimes in Liverpool.”

Mr Harborow, who resigned last month with a £230,000 pay-off, said he felt sorry for his team after a “blame culture” sprang up over the axed Mathew Street festival.

It is likely the new investi-gation will look at the way he was treated after the cancellation of the outdoor festival.

At the time Cllr Bradley called for Mr Harborow to be “relieved of his duties” in an email to council chief executive Colin Hilton.

The Standards Board said: “We received an allegation relating to Warren Bradley on January 30. Our referrals team assessed the complaint and it was referred for investigation on February 7.”

davidbartlett

THE COST TO LIVERPOOL COUNCIL TAX PAYERS FOR LIBERAL DEMOCRAT SUCKING UP TO THEIR PARTNERS IN CRIME

FOLLOWING ON FROM THE CITY OF THE DEAD EXCLUSIVE THE CAPITAL OF CULTURE GRAVY TRAIN, WE HAVE LOOKED AT EACH PERSON/COMPANY, TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND WHY THE SAME PEOPLE ARE GIVEN COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS TO EVENTS THAT MOST WOULD SELL THEIR GRANNY TO ATTEND.

FIRST UNDER THE MICROSCOPE IS MARTIN JOYCE/ENTERPRISE.

MARTIN JOYCE AND HIS POSSE ARE OFF ON A GOOD FEW WEEKS OF BOOZING, BRAWLING AND MANY OTHER B'S, ALL COURTESEY OF LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL TAX PAYER'S.

What Boxing, Racing, Wirral Football, Musical events and The Lion King has to do with the built environment and housing needs, one can only imagine.
Exactly how many times do you have to wine and dine the same person before they agree to help Liverpool? Martin Joyce needs a lot of attention
it would seem?
LETS GIVE HIM THE ATTENTION HE SO CRAVES.

Martin Joyce - enterprise
15 March 2005
VIP tickets to 4 nations boxing event - 25/3/05
hospitality

Enterprise
16 May 2005
tickets to Tranmere Rovers play off semi-final - 10/5/05
sponsorship benefit


Enterprise
10-12/6/05
3 dbls to Mersey River Festival launch & 10 single invites to swing concert
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
16 & 17th July
20 hospitality lounge passes for HUB
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
30 June 2005
4 x VIP tickets to Summer Pops
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
20 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - England V Canada
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
29 July 2005
6 x tickets boxing - multi-nations
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
20 & 21 Aug 2005
10 tickets - Honda Racing

sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
27 - 29th August 2005
10 tickets - mathew street festival
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
16 September 2005
10 tickets - city of light
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
18 September 2005
16 tickets to start of Clipper
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
27 September 2005
4 x empire tickets for Jungle Book
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
18 October 2005
4 x boxing tickets - world junior finals (plus additional 2)
sponsorship benefit

Enterprise
05 November 2005
20 x tickets for fireworks
sponsorship benefit

HD, UU, RC, Ent, NWDA, ALCB, sayers
27 January 2006
Sports strategy launch
sponsorship benefit

HD, UU, RC, Ent, ALCB
30 January 2006
Liverpool performs launch
sponsorship benefit

IT IS NOT POSSIBLE AT THE MOMENT TO PUT A COST TO THIS HOSPITALITY TO MATIN JOYCE,(former Liverpool City Council Employee, blamed by many for the total decimation of Liverpool City Council's housing maintenance, parks and gardens etc etc etc etc... good friend of Macca ldl).

WHAT IS CLEAR HOWEVER IS MOST PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL COULD NOT AFFORD TO ATTEND SUCH HIGH PROFILE EVENTS, INDEED THE EVENTS ARE ONES THAT WOULD BE WELCOMED BY THE PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL, ONES THEY WOULD LOVE TO ATTEND.
THE PEOPLE OF LIVERPOOL HOWEVER ARE NEVER OFFERED SUCH TREATS, WE JUST PAY FOR IT ALL VIA OUR COUNCIL TAX!

Enquiries: Enterprise, Martin Joyce, Managing Director of Public Sector Services: 01772 819000

http://www.enterprise.plc.uk/News/Pages/Liverpool800thBirthday.aspx

NEXT UNDER THE MICROSCOPE WILL BE HILL DICKINSON SOLICITORS!?

THE ORANGE MAN IS GOING AND THE DYNAMIC DUO FIB DEMS BRADLEY AND STOREYTELLER ARE INVESTIGATED

HAS JASON ORANGE LEFT THE CULTURE CLUB?

According to the Daily Post Jason is in the process of getting a pay off, at the expense of Liverpool tax payers.
Bradley and Storeyteller are under investigation yet again!
LETS HOPE THEY ARE SUSPENDED AND NEVER ALLOWED TO HOLD OFFICE AGAIN.

See below for Daily Post report

Council duo face investigation as culture chief departs.

Dec 19 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

EMBATTLED Liverpool Council leader Warren Bradley is to be investigated by the Standards Board over allegations he asked officers if they had information he could use about Culture Company boss Jason Harborow.

The news comes just hours after the Liverpool Daily Post revealed that Mr Harborow, who has had a difficult relationship with council leader Cllr Bradley, was set to leave the culture company with a £200,000 pay off.

The Standards Board investigation was prompted after the Daily Post revealed that Cllr Bradley held a secret meeting with Leee Forde, the former city events manager who was one of the main people to be blamed for the Mathew Street fiasco.

Previous council leader Mike Storey, who was present at the meeting, will also be investigated. The Standards Bord will be looking to see if they broke the councillor code of conduct and if their actions brought their office into disrepute.

It comes as the departure of Culture Company chief executive Mr Harborow is expected to be ratified today – just 12 days before the start of Capital of Culture year. Council chief executive Colin Hilton will ask an Appointments Panel for permission to broker a deal with Mr Harborow’s lawyers which is likely to cost tax-payers a pay-off of around £200,000.

It is understood Mr Harborow’s legal team have told the council his position was made “untenable” by Cllrs Bradley and Storey.

Cllr Bradley has publicly criticised Mr Harborow in the fall-out from the cancellation of this year’s Mathew Street Festival.

The pair both sit on the panel, but are likely to be barred from the meeting when the deal with Mr Harborow is raised.

It is believed the council’s external solicitor will tell the meeting why it would be in their best interests to reach a deal.

Cllrs Storey and Bradley face being disqualified from office for up to five years if the Standards Board finds they have broken the councillors’ Code of Conduct and refers the matter for adjudication. Last night they declined to comment.

An investigation would be Cllr Storey’s second in the space of three years. A previous case centred on allegations he encouraged former council spin doctor Matt Finnegan “to undermine” then chief executive Sir David Henshaw.

In November, 2005, he was found guilty of bringing his office into disrepute, losing the leadership of the council as a result.

Mr Harborow earns £150,000 for his role at the Culture Company and as executive director of Culture, Media, and Sport at the city council.

It is thought the deal is worth around £200,000, and would see Mr Harborow technically stay in employment for a few more weeks.

Acting chief executive Kris Donaldson, operations director Bernice Law and chairman of the Culture Company board Bryan Gray are likely to assume Mr Harborow’s responsibilities.

Last night, a source said: “The council have taken legal advice and been advised they should make a settlement with Jason Harborow.

“There is a meeting tomorrow and the chief executive will ask for per-mission to enter into negotiations with Jason Harborow’s legal team.”

Mr Harborow returned to work at Millennium House on December 4, after eight weeks off sick, but has not been back since, although he has still been carrying out work.

The problems between him and senior councillors became known after the high-profile cancellation of the Mathew Street Festival.

In August, Cllr Bradley demanded, in an email to Mr Hilton, that Mr Harborow be relieved of his duties.

In November, after the release of the Mathew Street report, which cleared Mr Harborow, Cllr Bradley criticised the culture leader in an interview with the Daily Post.

When asked if Mr Harborow should resign, he said: “There has got to be some responsibility should-ered by senior management.” He also said problems with Mathew Street had arisen because of a lack of communication. Asked if he was referring to Mr Harborow, he said: “Absolutely. If there was a breakdown in communication, the chief executive of the Culture Company should have been aware.”

Last week, Cllr Bradley requested the email requesting Mr Harborow be relieved of his duties be sent out to the council’s 90 elected members.

Last night, Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson said: “I expect the Standards Board to look seriously at my complaint. I believe the only conclusion they can come to is that this sorry saga needs to be investigated. Not just for Liverpool’s reputation, but because it appears it could have financial implications for the city.”

A city council spokesman: “We do not discuss publicly any private and confidential matters concerning individual employees.”

JASON HARBOROW joined the Liverpool Culture Company in February 2004 in the role of tourism director.

The 37-year-old was brought in after his experience as commercial general manager for the Manchester Commonwealth Games.

He quickly rose to become one of the top figures at Liverpool city council.

Last year he was appointed as the Culture Company’s chief executive.

He secured some major events for the Capital of Culture celebrations including the MTV awards and the Liverpool Nativity. But his style did not please all in the city, and many movers and shakers have privately questioned the way he operated.

Originally from Chorley Mr Harborow cut his teeth in local government at Chorley Council and Wigan Council.

davidbartlett

LABOUR PARTY TO THE RESCUE IN CAPITAL OF CULTURE SHORTFALL

LIVERPOOL LABOUR MP'S HAVE JOINED FORCES WITH OUR OWN LEADER OF LIVERPOOL LABOUR PARTY JOE ANDERSON, TO TRY AND GET FUNDING FROM GOVERNMENT TO FILL THE EMPTY WAR CHEST.

below is report from the daily post, the only local paper that reports what is actually going on in the City.

Will our crown jewels be sold to pay for the event?

OR WILL BRADLEY'S CROWN JEWELS BE CRUSHED FOR MAKING SUCH A MESS OF THE WHOLE EVENT?

see below

Labour MPs vow to fight for more culture cash

Dec 15 2007

LIVERPOOL’S Labour MPs have pledged to do all they can to help the city council plug a £20m black hole in next year’s Capital of Culture finances.

It comes after four of the city’s five MPs joined Labour opposition leader Joe Anderson in meeting council leader Warren Bradley yesterday afternoon to discuss how to solve the problem.

The city council now hopes to convince the Government to allow it to raise the required money by selling off land and buildings or allow it to re- mortgage council property –buildings, under a process known as capitalisation.

Cllr Bradley and council chief executive Colin Hilton have met ministers and government officials on numerous occasions to lobby for the right to break current financial rules.

But so far the Government has not agreed to budge.

It is understood the MPs’ support could prove vital in convincing the Government to allow the council to break fiscal rules that do not allow capital sales to be used for ongoing revenue expenses.

Last night, after the meeting, Liverpool Garston MP Maria Eagle said: “It was useful, I think. In the sense that it’s quite clear that Capital of Culture is going ahead full strength.

“They are preparing a great programme, I think Phil Redmond and Bryan Gray are getting to grips that side of things. It’s apparent, and the council have admitted it, that they have some financial difficulties.”

Ms, Eagle, who is justice minister, said the MPs asked detailed questions about the state of the finances.

“We want to make sure Capital of Culture and 2008 is a great success for the city, it needs to be for the city and for the country.”

“We are going to do what we can to help on this problem that they have got themselves into.

She said rules were there for a reason, so careful consideration would have to be given to the matter.

Riverside MP Louise Ellman, Walton MP Peter Kilfoyle, and Wavertree MP Jane Kennedy were also present at the meeting.

Cllr Anderson said: “The MPs and I have committed ourselves to do everything we can. From my point of view I was glad that the council admitted that it had not prepared its funding for 2008.

“We can either cancel 2008, which is not a course of action I suggest we take.

“Therefore, I will be trying to support the council by persuading the Government to get ourselves out of this mess.”

A council spokesman said: “The meeting was a very positive discussion about how the city’s MPs could assist the council in resolving funding issues for the next financial year.

“It was a very fruitful and useful discussion and a further meeting is planned in January.”

Warren Bradley Lies to Daily Post and get's his arse publically kicked

Warren Bradley has been shown in a variety of ways, that he lied about a secret meeting at his home with Lee Forde.

This it is claimed by lee, was an attempt to get him on side to get rid of Jason Harrowboy.

Bradley has well and truley been caught out and has dug a hole of deciet and lies, he has given so many versions of the event that it is hard to establish if he really knows what the truth is?
Below is the Daily Post's comment in responce to Bradley going public in council chambers, where he claimed the Daily Post were the one's telling lies!

The Daily Post to many Liverpool readers is one of the only local newspapers that actually are not in the pockets of Liberal Democrats, they report the news as they find it.

Bradley has, in going public about his complaint, brought out a powerful enemy.
Political bloggers such as myself and Tony Parrish, will have a field day on this one and now have a new ally to assist in getting the truth out to the people of Liverpool.

RIP BRADLEY AND GOOD RDDANCE

Comment: We stand by our version of events

Dec 13 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

Generic Liverpool daily Post logo _320x160

LIVERPOOL council leader Warren Bradley last night chose to make public a very private issue he has raised with the Liverpool Daily Post.

He chose the forum of the council chamber to reveal that he has complained to this newspaper about our coverage of the secret meeting that he held at his home with the city’s former events chief, Lee Forde.

We accept that his words came in response to a written question from the Labour opposition, but he could have dealt with the issue without his overt and unfair criticism of our journalism.

Cllr Bradley has written two private and confidential letters to the Liverpool Daily Post, insisting that he had never denied to our reporter that this meeting took place. He demanded that we publish a retraction, and suggested that he would pursue a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission unless we did so.

He also said that he would no longer take telephone calls from our journalists, and would only provide written quotes at his convenience in the future.

Last night, Cllr Bradley saw fit to take this issue into the public arena, and we are only too happy to respond in kind.

For the record, our reporter spoke to Cllr Bradley at 6pm on the evening of November 29 this year. We have a verbatim shorthand note of that conversation, which would be admissible in any court in the land.

Cllr Bradley was asked by our reporter about his meeting with Mr Forde, and replied: "Which meeting?"

Our reporter then told him that he was referring to a meeting at Cllr Bradley’s home on November 18. Cllr Bradley’s unambiguous response was: "I never had a meeting with him."

We have pointed this out in a private letter to Cllr Bradley in response to his two letters to us.

Cllr Bradley’s recollection of his conversation with our reporter is quite clearly different, but, unlike us, he does not have a verbatim record to rely upon.

Cllr Bradley is under huge political pressure at the moment, and perhaps it is understandable if his recollection of every detail is not all it might be. Followers of the Mathew Street controversy will recall that Cllr Bradley claimed to have told city chief executive Colin Hilton about the meeting with Lee Forde "in the first couple of days after the meeting". Mr Hilton has made it abundantly clear in a letter to council Labour group leader Joe Anderson that he has no recollection of any such conversation.

In the circumstances, however, it is regrettable in the extreme that Cllr Bradley has sought to publicly challenge the Daily Post, in such a high-profile way, on what was a perfectly fair and accurate report of his two interviews with us.

We will not be issuing any retraction of the articles we have published, and nor will we be deterred from continuing to report on this issue of considerable public interest in the future.

MATHEW STREET FESTIVAL CRISIS GETS WORSE

.

Warren Bradley today must be preparing to clear his desk and shred his private documents, each day brings more corruption and lies, each day we are amazed and angry at the events that are taking place in the council, yet we are not seeing any justice!

Who really controls the City Council?

Crisis looms over leader's secret meetings

Dec 3 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

Mathew Street Warren Bradley

THE chief executive of Liverpool City Council last night appeared to question the explanation given by the authority’s leader, Warren Bradley, about a secret meeting with a former council official.

Colin Hilton said he was unaware Cllr Bradley, who denies any wrongdoing, had met at his home with the city’s ex-events manager, Lee Forde, and former council leader Cllr Mike Storey on November 18.

The Daily Post exclusively revealed on Saturday how the meeting took place just two days after the publication of the Mathew Street Report, which in part blamed Mr Forde for its cancellation in August.

On Friday night, Cllr Bradley told the Daily Post he had informed Mr Hilton and senior Culture Company staff in the “first couple of days after the meeting” about some “startling things” that had arisen in the Wavertree rendezvous on Sunday, November 18.

But, in a leaked letter, obtained by the Daily Post, from Mr Hilton to Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson, the chief executive said he was unaware of the meeting.

Mr Hilton said he was also unaware of any of the inform-ation about the meeting that Mr Forde had set out in a dossier, which has now been sent to the Standards Board for England for investigation.

When originally approached last week, Cllr Bradley denied meeting Mr Forde, but on Friday night admitted meeting him at his home. The three sat and drank Peroni lager in a meeting that lasted around two hours.

Cllr Bradley and Mr Forde disagree about who requested the meeting.

Cllr Bradley has strenuously denied any wrongdoing, and said that Mr Forde said he had information, and he felt it was incumbent on him to hear what Mr Forde had to say with a witness present.

Mr Hilton wrote: “I can confirm that I was totally unaware that Lee Forde had met with Cllr Bradley and Cllr Storey, let alone any of the information contained in the account of that meeting set out in the dossier.

“Over the intervening period between the date of that meeting, which I understand Cllr Bradley now accepts did occur, and our discussion on Friday, I only had one enquiry in relation to Lee Forde from the leader, who asked me to establish with legal services whether Mr Forde had made a formal offer to settle his industrial tribunal case.”

Last night, Cllr Anderson said: “It’s amazing that this is the second time that Cllr Bradley’s and Mr Hilton’s version of events has clashed.”

The Mathew Street report highlighted a “difference in recollection” between Mr Hilton and Cllr Bradley over who knew what and when about problems with the festival.

“I think this whole episode really questions whether this council has lost its moral compass,” added Cllr Anderson.

“It leaves serious questions to be asked about whether the Lib-Dems are fit to govern.

“I think we have got a serious credibility issue now with both Cllrs Bradley and Storey.

“Coming so close to Capital of Culture, I think both men have to stand down for the good of the city. I hope the Liberal Democrats move decisively to remove the two men.”

Cllr Bradley did not respond to a request for comment on the matter last night.

davidbartlett

Colin Hilton's letter > > >

Dear Cllr Anderson,

Thank you for your email and attached letter. As you clearly saw for yourself, I was both surprised and shocked by the information thatŠ you gave me after the Liverpool Vision Board meeting on Friday. I can confirm that I was totally unaware that Lee Forde had met with Cllr Bradley and Cllr Storey, let alone any of the information contained in the account of that meeting set out in the dossier.

Over the intervening period between the date of that meeting, which I understand Cllr Bradley now accepts did occur, and our discussion on Friday, I only had one enquiry in relation to Lee Forde from the leader, who asked me to establish with legal services whether Mr Forde had made a formal offer to settle his industrial tribunal case. That information was obtained and conveyed on by email. There was no further reference either to it or to Mr Forde in any other discussion.

I have not been made aware of any discussion between senior officers of the Culture Company and Cllr Bradley about Mr Forde. Naturally, in the light of the comments in the press, I shall now ask Cllr Bradley to whom he is referring, and I will have to ascertain from them what may have been discussed.

To answer your specific points, I am not aware of any official or unofficial approach by officers or members to Lee Forde since the Mathew Street Report (MSF) was published, other than the allegations in the dossier and the official contact through representatives of Mr Forde of officers in legal services dealing with his IT case. I can confirm that the City Solicitor wrote to Cllr Bradley as leader prior to the publication of the MSF report, and prior to Cllr Brant's email that you refer to. In addition, the City Solicitor wrote to Cllrs Bradley and Storey about comments attributed to them in the press following the issuing of the MSF Report, and that the letters made clear the implications of any statements or actions which might be perceived as a thinly-veiled threat against the employment of a senior officer. I understand that you have submitted a formal complaint to the Standards Board and it would help if you could confirm this. In terms of next steps, the City Solicitor will be contacting the Standards Board to seek advice. I am sure that you will agree that nothing must be done to prejudice any fair and independent enquiry which they may decide to initiate.

I have asked the City Solicitor to consider whether any other information in the dossier is of material relevance in respect of the Mathew Street investigation.

Beyond that, I am meeting with the City Solicitor and Section 151 officer to consider the most appropriate way forward at the start of next week in the light of feedback from the Standards Board. Finally, I note that you have repeated your request for sight of the original MSF report. In the light of these circumstances, I am asking the monitoring officer to consider a facilitated reading of that document on a strictly private and confidential basis in his presence and that of the Chair of the Standards Committee.

Yours sincerely,

Colin Hilton

THE man behind a bid to get an elected mayor for Liverpool last night called for council leader Warren Bradley to give answers to some “serious” questions over the secret meeting.

Liam Fogarty, chairman of amayorforliverpool.org, said: “I thought I’d seen it all when it came to council shenanigans in Liverpool.

“But these latest revelations in the Liverpool Daily Post simply beggar belief.

“The official report published on November 16 was supposed to be the council’s definitive version of the Mathew Street debacle, its final word.

“Yet, just hours after unveiling it to a sceptical public, Cllr Bradley effectively disowned the report in his astonishing e-mail overture to event organiser Lee Forde, one of those singled out for blame.”

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This information revealed today in the Daily Post is quite different to Bradley's version of events in the previous days issue of the Post, see below for this report and decide for yourself?

Regardless of a persons political alliance, it is unacceptable that a person proven to be a compulsive liar and utter buffoon, should not be allowed to continue to rule Liverpool!

If we as the people of Liverpool, the people who suffer lack of decent housing, the people who have found local services no longer exist, the people who pay the wages of ALL council employees and Local Councillors, Warren Bradley and his puppeteer Mike Storey, if we accept the corruption and fail to shout out then they will continue to lie to us all and smurk with contempt at the people of Liverpool.

Below is a copy of the actual emails sent to Lee Forde, from Warren Bradley, courtesy of City of the Dead.

The emails clearly show that it was indeed Warren Bradley, who requested the meeting.
Bradley has made claim to various text messages and other emails he claims that Lee Forde sent to him, however, unlike Forde, he cannot provide any evidence for these claims.

The emails:

-----Original Message-----

From: wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk [mailto:wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk]

Sent: 17 November 2007 13:49

To: leeforde

Subject: Re: FW: Capacity issues>

Lee,

Really need to speak to you, to discuss the next steps. I am as pissed off as you, I really do think we need to get together to talk?

Warren

-----Original Message-----

From: wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk [mailto:wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk]

Sent: 17 November 2007 13:50

To: leeforde

Subject: Re: FW: Capacity issues>

Lee,

Really need to speak to you, to discuss the next steps. I am as pissed off as you, I really do think we need to get together to talk?

Warren

-----Original Message-----

From: wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk [mailto:wj.bradley@blueyonder.co.uk]

Sent: 17 November 2007 13:52

To: leeforde

Subject: Re: FW: Capacity issues

Lee,

Really need to talk to you and discuss the next steps. I am as pissed off as you regarding this whole episode, and how the report can finger people and not others?

Warren

WELL JUDGE FOR YOURSELF READERS, WARREN BRADLEY HAS PUBLICLY ACCEPTED THE FINDINGS OF THE DODGY FESTIVAL REPORT, YET HE PRIVATELY DISAGREES WITH THE FINDINGS?

WHICH COMMENT IS THE TRUE ONE?

DOES HE ACCEPT LEE FORDE WAS TO BLAME?

OR DOES HE KNOW QUITE WELL THAT THE REPORT ISSUED TO THE PUBLIC IS NOT A TRUE REFLECTION OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

Liverpool subculture blog spot has hosted a statement from Lee Forde, on his version of events of the Wavertree meeting.

Friday, November 30, 2007

MATHEW ST SENSATION: WORLD EXCLUSIVE: LEE FORDE BLOWS THE WHISTLE ON BRADLEY AND STOREY'S PLOT TO OUST THE HARBARROWBOY

MATHEW ST scapegoat Lee Forde has blown the whistle on a conspiracy by Fireman Bradley and Storeyteller to oust bungling Culture chief Jason Harbarrowboy.

Forde has compiled an astonishingly detailed and shocking dossier which reveals how:

• Bradley emailed Forde a day after the Mathew Street report was published


• After blaming Forde for the Mathew St debacle, a desperate Bradley had the gall to then beg him for a meeting to discuss 'next steps'


• Bradley disowned his council's own offical Mathew Street report - after supporting it publicly


• At a secret meeting on Sunday in Bradley's home in Wavertree, the council leader was joined by partner in crime, former council leader Mike Storey.


• The pair of politicians then begged an astonished Forde to hand over to them confidential documents and emails to help them get rid of the Harbarrowboy!


• A shocked and horrified Forde decided to expose the pathetic pair for their dishonest, unscrupulous and immoral plotting.
  

The Forde dossier - which runs to 15 extremely readable and gripping pages - has now been deposited with the Daily Post and the Liverpool Echo, whose heavily censored versions you will be able to read tomorrow (if you can be arsed, eds).

But the full, glorious text of the dossier is now being reproduced here in yet another World Exclusive for the Liverpool subCulture blog.

And, we can reveal, Labour Leader Joe Anderson has already reported Bradley and Storey to the Standards Board and demanded a full-scale investigation into their plot and their shocking behaviour. We believe the Lib Dem pair have shown, in their disgusting treatment of Forde and their attempt to manipulate him for their own ends, that they are unfit to govern the great city of Liverpool.

Lee Forde, on the other hand, has consistently shown tremendous strength of character, a formidable determination to clear his name and admirable honesty, principle and integrity.

The Harbarrowboy of course, may take temporary comfort from Bradley and Storey being shopped trying to do him in. But, rest assured dear readers, the Harbarrowboy's days are well and truly numbered - and will be over very quickly indeed.

Bradley's 'pissed-off' emails to Forde can be found on a separate post on the aptly-named City of the Dead blog.

Liverpool deserves better - why Lee Forde blew the whistle on Bradley and Storey is on your left.

Part 2 of the 15-page report, which includes new email evidence about Mathew Street, will follow shortly (well, we need a glass or two of bubbly first to celebrate, eds)

So pull up a seat, settle down and read, in Lee Forde's own words, how the city of Liverpool's Lib Dem leadership are a couple of lying, cheating, dishonest bastards....

The Background

“Out of the blue on Sunday afternoon (November 18th), I received five separate e-mails from Councillor Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool city council.
The emails, virtually identical, had all been sent on Saturday in the space of three minutes from his private email address. Each of the emails asked for a meeting with me regarding the Mathew Street report which had been published two days earlier.
I was absolutely stunned by this approach from the Leader of the Council - the last time I had seen him was two days before, as he gave numerous interviews to the press, radio and TV in support of the findings of the city council’s report into Mathew Street. I had not expected to ever hear again from someone who had publicly condemned me so unfairly.
I was still extremely angry both about the publication of the council report and the Leader of the Council’s own comments in support of the report, which had questioned both my professionalism and my integrity. I had been blamed for the cancellation of the Festival – even though I was innocent.
Since Friday, I had been attacked by the full weight of the council machine, which had deployed considerable staff and resources to try and trash my reputation.
Its report was a complete whitewash and a disgraceful cover-up of the true circumstances which had lead to the decision by the Culture Company chief executive, Jason Harborow and city council chief executive Colin Hilton to cancel the Mathew Street festival in early August 2007, almost three months after I had submitted my resignation as Events Manager with the city council.
I had done all within my power over a period of almost a year previously to repeatedly notify my superiors in the Culture Company of the problems in staging the Mathew Street festival in 2007, as a result of the loss of the Pier Head and big cuts in funding.
I knew too that Councillor Bradley had been aware of these difficulties and my strenuous attempts to try and save the Festival. This information was noticeably absent from the council report, which had taken almost three months to produce and which had been drastically amended at the Leader of the Council’s insistence.
As a former employee, I was a convenient scapegoat, while the real culprits escaped.
Once my shock and surprise at seeing the emails had subsided on the Sunday afternoon, I agreed to Councillor Bradley’s invitation to meet, although I informed a number of people in advance. I decided that I had nothing to lose from a meeting - I wanted to find out what ‘next steps’ referred to and what his motive was.
I also intended to use the opportunity to press my case for the council’s report to be retracted and for me to be given a public apology.
Through text messages, I arranged with Councillor Bradley to go to his home on Sunday evening.
Ironically, the first and last time I had been to his home was in early August, when he had asked me to put together a rescue plan for the cancelled Mathew Street Festival, while I was serving my notice.” (See later emails)

The Meeting

Date: Sunday 18th November, 2007 - two days after the publication of the city council’s Mathew Street Report.
Venue: Councillor Warren Bradley’s home in Wavertree.
Present: Lee Forde, former Events manager, Liverpool Culture Company; Councillor Warren Bradley, Leader of Liverpool city council; Councillor Mike Storey, Executive Member for Regeneration and Liverpool’s 800th Birthday celebrations.

“I arrived at Councillor Bradley’s house, slightly later than we had arranged, at about 8.20pm on 18th November. I must have been a bit agitated because I had got lost several times and had to phone him to get directions. I was feeling very nervous – I did not know what to expect, or what I was walking into.
I was greeted at the front door by Councillor Bradley who shook my hand, called me ‘mate’ and ushered me inside. He thanked me for coming and offered me a drink – tea, coffee or a beer. I told him I would feel better with a beer and he fetched me a bottle of Peroni.
When he returned, he told me he had also invited Councillor Storey to attend and asked if I “was alright with that?” I told him I had nothing to hide.
Councillor Bradley explained that his wife Pauline had already gone to fetch Councillor Storey in their car.
At this stage, although outwardly calm, I was confused and completely gob-smacked at the turn of events. I could not fathom Councillor Bradley’s motive for the meeting. Nor did he immediately explain the purpose of the meeting.
While my mind raced, I could not help observe to myself that the Leader of the Council had not yet had the good grace to apologise for his role in the publication of a biased council report which had caused me, my family, my friends and colleagues so much personal upset by trying to damage my professional reputation and integrity.
Councillor Bradley then asked me how I was and mentioned that he had ‘felt sorry’ for me on Friday when, as he was giving interviews to the media at Liverpool Town Hall, he had seen me standing outside.
I had been trying to defend my reputation and integrity to the media after he had helped attack them. Councillor Bradley said he really ‘felt’ for me. This was the closest he ever came to apologising for his conduct and for the council’s report.
Just as Councillor Bradley began to explain how ‘disappointed’ he was with the report’s findings – although he had not expressed this to the media at the time - Councillor Storey arrived.
Councillor Bradley invited Councillor Storey to join us in having a beer and left the room to fetch a bottle. I and other colleagues had been told that the two men had fallen out some months before, but they appeared to be on good terms. While Councillor Bradley was out of the room, Councillor Storey asked me how I was. I told him, with some understatement, that “I have felt better” and how disappointed I had been with the council’s report.
Councillor Bradley returned and explained to Councillor Storey that he had invited me around to discuss the report’s findings, as he was unhappy with them.
Again, I wondered why he had not expressed this unhappiness to the media when he had the opportunity?
Councillor Storey (now in terrified hiding below, eds) volunteered that he had spoken to me recently and understood that I still wanted to be involved in events in Liverpool. I was not sure of the relevance of this observation.
Councillor Storey then observed that it was “ironic” that I had been attacked in the council’s report as “Lee was responsible for transforming Mathew Street from a disorganised event to a national Festival.”
Councillor Bradley immediately agreed and observed that he felt the report identified the wrong people as being responsible for the cancellation of the Festival.
I was very angry. I told him that I felt the council’s report was “full of lies”, fatally flawed and fundamentally wrong. I had been scape-goated even though I had been a loyal servant of the city, had never played any political games and had done everything to the best of my ability.
Councillor Bradley asked me why I thought the event had been cancelled.
I thought this was a bizarre question for the Leader of the Council to suddenly ask - his own council had spent three months investigating what had happened and had just published its findings! To me, it showed he had no confidence in the report and was now effectively dis-owning it. This came too late for me of course - I had been publicly attacked by his council on Friday.
I told him that the Festival had been cancelled because of poor management by senior officers of the Culture Company who had failed to replace me when I had resigned three months earlier. They had never taken Mathew St seriously and didn’t realise the value of the event and how much people in Liverpool felt about it.
I also informed Councillor Bradley that, on at least two previous occasions, Culture Company Operations Director, Chris Green had told me and members of my Events team that he would be pleased if Mathew Street was cancelled as he could use the budget elsewhere.
I told Councillor Bradley that I had been shocked when I first heard Mathew Street had been cancelled. I had not expected it.
I reminded him that at his request in early August, I had tried to put together a rescue plan to get Mathew Street back on track but that the Chief Executive of the city council, Colin Hilton had abruptly refused to allow me to go ahead. I still did not understand why he had done this.
I pointed out the obvious - that far from being responsible for the cancellation of Mathew Street - I was the one who had done all in my power to try and save it.
I told him that I had been placed in ‘an impossible situation’ because of the battle between Culture Company chief exec, Jason Harborow and Councillor Storey over funding.
I was the ‘piggy in the middle’. There had been an attempt to ‘strip the budgets out’ – reduce the funding for Mathew Street - to prevent Councilllor Storey from getting what he wanted.
I also reminded both men that I had been replaced at meetings by Mr Harborow and that the Culture Company Steering Group regularly arranged pre-meetings in order, it seemed to me, to ensure only certain information was passed to Councillor Storey.
I said that during April, while trying to sort out the problems with Mathew St, I had also been producing the major Son et Lumiere event to celebrate Liverpool’s 8ooth birthday. This was a week-long event which Councillors Bradley and Storey had both wanted and which had forced an extremely damaging £100,000 cut in the Mathew St budget. Councillor Bradley asked me how many tickets had been sold for the Son et Lumiere shows. It had been a virtual sell-out - two shows a night for seven days, attracting between 5-6,000 people. Councillor Bradley asked where the proceeds had gone from ticket sales. I was surprised that he apparently did not know the established procedure for Culture Company ticket sales.
I explained that the tickets, which were priced at £2.50 each, had been sold through the 08 Place and Liverpool Direct (LDL). Originally LDL had wanted to charge the Culture Company an administration fee, per ticket, of £2.70. In other words, the cost of admin would have been higher than the ticket price itself.
The Culture Company had therefore agreed that LDL could take all the proceeds from ticket sales as their admin fee. Both Councillor Bradley and Councillor Storey appeared genuinely shocked. I was astonished that they appeared so out of touch and ignorant of what was going on.
Councillor Bradley then asked me if I had any information that would prove senior people in the Culture Company were involved in events leading up to the cancellation of Mathew Street.
He said: “Is there anything you can get us, to get rid of Harborow? To get him out? He must have been involved in it - although the report exonerates him.”
Councillor Bradley also asked if I could access Mr Harborow’s leave records – I assumed that he believed Mr Harborow was taking more holidays than he was entitled to.
I told Councillor Bradley that I had given a huge amount of information - in the form of emails and other documents - to the council’s inquiry, which had been ignored.
I had compiled a dossier as part of my claim for constructive dismissal which was now with my legal advisor. It would come out in public when a hearing took place.
I explained that I was also currently in negotiations with the council, through ACAS. If an out of court settlement was reached, the documents might be made available. I was non-committal about this – I needed to think it through – but told them I would consult my solicitor.
As I sat in Councillor Bradley’s living room sipping my beer, I remember being completely astonished that, two days after the council had tried to destroy my own reputation, the Leader of the Council and the former Leader of the Council were now trying to involve me in a conspiracy to remove the chief executive of the Culture Company.
I was shocked that such underhand dealings could go on. It seemed to be political skulduggery of the worst kind. I have never been involved in anything remotely like this at all before. Something was clearly seriously wrong and I felt extremely uncomfortable. I felt as though my integrity was being compromised and that undue pressure for information was now being placed upon me by people who had already once tried to destroy my reputation.
I did not have an axe to grind with anyone – I had resigned because I did not believe that Mathew Street could be delivered safely for the allocated budget and that the public were being put at risk. Now I was being drawn into something else - a conspiracy. I felt I was being used to try and get rid of someone and that there was a good chance that, if their plan ever went wrong, I would again be hung out to dry as the perpetrator. Neither Councillor Bradley nor Storey had been truthful and honest with me before – after Mathew St was cancelled, Councillor Bradley told me he was going to ensure that the council report would not blame me. He had not kept that promise, even though I had tried to rescue Mathew St.
On reflection now, I believe they must have both thought I was a complete ‘sucker’ and soft touch and that they could drag me into their conspiracy to get rid of Jason Harborow.
But at the time, I was a bit bewildered, totally confused and had extremely mixed emotions - I must have been in a state of profound shock.
Councillor Bradley then questioned me about a number of matters concerning Mr Harborow and Mathew Street and also asked what I knew about a company called Solutions and if Jason Harborow was involved with them.
I told him that Mr Harborow had told me that ‘Solutions’ – a merchandising company - were friends of his and that he had worked with them in the past.
I told the councillors that Solutions were now a preferred supplier to the city council. This meant that we had to use their services, even if we could get the same or similar goods cheaper from elsewhere – there was a general understanding about this within the Culture Company.
Councillor Storey remarked: “It’s just like Liverpool Direct.” I understood him to mean by this that he thought it was a corrupt or suspect arrangement, although I personally do not know of any evidence for this.
I finally agreed that I would look and see if I had any other documentation about Mr Harborow. I left the meeting after almost two hours and we tentatively agreed to meet again.
The following morning, Monday 19th November, I telephoned Councillor Bradley and informed him that I had consulted legal advice and was unable to release any documents to anyone unless and until my case was satisfactorily settled.
I the undersigned, Lee Forde, declare this to be a true and faithful account of my meeting on Sunday November 18th, 2007 with Liverpool Council leader Cllr Warren Bradley and Regeneration leader Cllr Mike Storey.