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SALFORD MAYOR SCANDAL WHITEWASH OVER SALFORD CITY REDS REPORT
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Star date: 27th August 2014 OUTRAGE, DISMAY AND DISAPPOINTMENT AS LABOUR COUNCILLORS RESCUE MAYOR "It's a very dark day for Salford City Council and for those people who rely on the services that are being taken away from them" Steven North UNISON Six Labour councillors rescued Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart today as they blocked any attempts to hold an Independent Inquiry into Salford Council's secret subsidising of Salford City Reds/Salford Red Devils up to a cost of £164,000. The Salford Council Audit Committee comprised nine people, six Labour councillors, who voted to accept an internal report, and Conservative councillor, Robin Garrido, and two independent residents who voted against accepting what is seen as a whitewash. Before the meeting there was a lively anti-cuts demonstration, and the Salford Star made history by staging the first ever live broadcast from a Salford Council meeting. Full details here...
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Both Tories and Salford City UNISON trade union were today united in condemnation of the whitewashing of the circumstances that led to secret Salford Council subsidies of up to £164,000 for Salford City Reds - now Salford Red Devils - while cutting services for the city's vulnerable people.. ...And the circumstances leading up to the Council's former Strategic Director, Martin Vickers, getting a job with the rugby club weeks after leaving the Council and leading favourable negotiations for that club (for a full background see previous Salford Star article click here). After an internal Audit Report produced by Salford Council which recommended merely tightening up procedures in the future, the Audit Committee met to discuss its findings. Salford City Mayor, Ian Stewart, didn't show up at the meeting. The Salford Star predicted yesterday that it would end in a whitewash (see here) and so it proved, with six Labour councillors (Councillors Jim Dawson, David Jolley, Joe Murphy, John Walsh, Stephen Hesling and Assistant Mayor, Roger Jones) who might well have been dustbins sat around the table, they asked so little. Any probing was left to Conservative councillor, Robin Garrido, and the two independent residents' representatives, Tony Bannister and Rabbi Simon Grant, who merely got stock answers from Monitoring Officer Ben Dolan, despite their best efforts. When consistently asked how up to £164,000 match day subsidies for the Reds could have gone unrecorded, he kept insisting that the City Mayor made the decision within his remit and there was a `human error' in not recording that decision... "This is more a mistake than a conspiracy to hide things" Dolan emphasised at one point, to gasps of disbelief in the public gallery. Meanwhile, it emerged under questioning that Martin Vickers was still negotiating favourable financial terms with new Salford City Reds owner, Marwan Koukash, while working his notice with Salford City Council. Weeks later, Vickers got a job with Koukash, firstly as a consultant, and later as a full time Chief Executive. When asked about the controversial car loan taken out by Vickers with Salford City Council which wasn't deducted from his final pay-off, as would seem normal - Dolan refused to divulge anything, saying it was a "private arrangement" and he was "not in a position to comment". At the end of the seventy minute meeting, Chair, Robin Garrido offered a number of courses of action open to the Audit Committee, including acceptance of the internal report or an Independent Inquiry. Assistant Mayor, Roger Jones, moved to accept the report, while Robin Garrido argued that he couldn't accept it because it needed "further investigation" and that "no suitable sanctions were considered"... ...The six Labour councillors voted to accept the report, while Robin Garrido and the two residents' reps, Rabbi Simon Grant and Tony Bannister, voted against accepting it. After the meeting both Conservatives and trade unionists were scornful of the process and the result. "The rest of us all know what's going on, so why did those six Labour councillors not see it?" asked Karen Garrido, leader of the Conservative opposition "The Mayor was asked to come and he was advised not to come. But, at the end of the day he's the one who has to stand up and answer these questions. And, as you and I know, he will blame everybody else but himself. He's going to blame Barbara Spicer and Martin Vickers because they can't fight back. "He needs to stand up tell us why he did it" she added "Tell us why you did it Mr Mayor because I don't know why you did it for your friends. Can you tell me why you did it? "I've reported it to Eric Pickles and I'm waiting for a reply but this will not go away" she explained "My course of action is to take him to standards - but I'm not prepared to do it when the people who are looking at it are the same people who did this report. I will wait until we get a new Standards Officer and we will then take it to be investigated. "We can't get the Mayor to resign, but we need for him to apologise to the people of Salford" she concluded "That Reds team is already into us for £1.5million and this [Koukash] is a multi-millionaire who can't find £75,000? He paid more than that for one of his players. He wouldn't expect to run his horses in a race without paying; you can't run a dog in a dog race without paying for it to run round the track." Before the meeting took place, there was a demonstration outside the Civic Centre, complete with people holding envelopes stashed with money and No Corruption In Salford signs. The protest was organised by families and supporters of those facing the harshest cuts including the withdrawal of transport for adults with severe disabilities and the slashing of Salford Council's Welfare Rights and Debt Advice Service. The demo was supported by Salford Council employees' trade union, Salford City UNISON, and branch secretary Steven North explained that, while he wants an Independent Inquiry, he doesn't want the Government to get involved in investigating Salford Mayor Ian Stewart... "I don't support the calls from the opposition councillors for Government intervention because I don't want to see the Government have any further control over Salford Council finances, with over £100million already stolen from the city" he said "We have to remember that it was the Tories who advocated this system of elected mayors, giving this amount of power to one individual in the first place. But it does need to be looked at further... "It's a very dark day for Salford City Council and for those people who live in the city and who rely on the services that are being taken away from them" he added "That's what people have to remember, that this £164,000 is money that could have been spent on services such as adult passenger transport." Having watched and listened to the meeting, he insisted that, "given the very unusual number of coincidences it's dismaying that this hasn't been referred for further investigation independently of the City Council" His concerns were echoed by Paul Gerrard of Salford Against the Cuts, who was also at the meeting, having been at the earlier demo to support those campaigning to retain transport services for disabled adults... "Having heard the report I am flabbergasted at the generosity of the Mayor towards Salford Reds, contrasted with the mean spirited decisions that the Council is making in relation to vulnerable people" he said "I think it's outrageous that so many questions are left unanswered by this report. We are apparently unable to interview Barbara Spicer or Martin Vickers to get to the bottom of this, there's a veil of confidentiality been thrown over it, and a lot of questions need to be answered. "This shows how undemocratic the directly elected mayoral system is, because it's not subject to scrutiny in the way that it should be" he added "According to the Labour councillors at the meeting, the decision by the Mayor could not have been overturned anyway which is an absolute disgrace." Meanwhile, Committee Chair, Robin Garrido, declared himself "disappointed"... "I think the tax payers of Salford would have had far more confidence in a report that was carried out independently" he said "However much respect I have for Ben Dolan, I don't think that he can considered to be independent by people out there. I will certainly be looking at requesting a meeting with the City Director to ask that he now considers setting up an Independent Inquiry, and I'm sure he has the authority to do that." Don't hold your breath...
The Salford Star made a bit of history today with the first ever live broadcast direct from a Salford Council meeting. Over four hundred people have tuned in to see the Audit Committee inaction and the two videos are still available for viewing at http://bambuser.com/channel/salfordstar The Star would like to thank 14 year old Mikey K for filming the first of many broadcasts from Salford City Council meetings. We'd also like to thank Salford Council's Democratic Services staff who helped to facilitate the broadcast.
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Bernard Brough wrote
at 06:06:30 on 16 September 2014 |
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| Just as I though Davey boy, you haven't got a clue. All the rants, all the abuse in a vain attempt to cover your ignorance. I pity you really. |
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David cameron wrote
at 16:42:15 on 15 September 2014 |
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| Told you before Bernard, socialism means hypocrisy, this is what socialists are. Do as I say, not as I do. |
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Bernard Brough wrote
at 13:49:32 on 13 September 2014 |
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| Dave, every post you make proves how ignorant you really are. Do you know what socialism is? I doubt that you do. I'd be interested what socialism means in Dave's world. I get the impression you think that the London Underground is a political movement and that the central message of Buddhism is every man for himself. Please give me one example of the modern Labour Party's socialism. |
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David Cameron wrote
at 07:08:35 on 13 September 2014 |
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| You'll find the vast majority of people in this city agree with me and this bares out at election time as socialist parties and groups struggle to get out of double figures and the fact you keep trying to say labour aren't socialist anymore, which is bunkem, just go's to show socialists can be just as currupt as a capitalist. |
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Bernard Brough wrote
at 14:33:01 on 12 September 2014 |
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| Still waiting for any argument worth the name from you Dave, but as usual you just fall into hurling abuse. No either come up with an argument or shut up you are merely embarrassing yourself. |
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David cameron wrote
at 09:23:29 on 12 September 2014 |
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| Bernard you must not talk on subjects straight after you've been drinking from the toilet, because you only talk crap. But once again it's been nice shooting down your socialist arguments. Keep popping the happy pills |
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Bernard Brough wrote
at 16:14:35 on 11 September 2014 |
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| Dave, ukpublicspending.co.uk/uk_national_debt
There is the source. It is also a matter of record that historically the Conservatives leave the country in more debt than Labour have. These figures are available on the internet if you wish to find them. Though you can keep taking your data from newspapers if you like. Rape is rape, whether a non muslim is raped by a muslim or vice versa. I'm not going to get into anymore exchanges with you, it is a futile exercise and I have far better and m ore interesting things to do. |
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David cameron wrote
at 21:14:26 on 10 September 2014 |
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| Funny Bernard how the national press put the national debt in 2008 at a conservative £1.5 trillion when labour were kick out, and this figure has been stated since 2008 even by the BBC so your £0.53 trillion is wishfull thinking, its the reason why the IMF didn't hit this country as hard as it hit France, now the cost of borrowng on the international market is much dearer for France . On racially raped, means exactly that , these girls were racially profiled as white trash by Asian Muslims, none of the girls who were raped were Muslim, meaning they viewed girls from there culture more valued than white girls. |
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Bernard Brough wrote
at 19:57:38 on 08 September 2014 |
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| For the last time, the modern Labour Party are as socialist as Ronald Reagan was. There is very little point in trying to communicate with those who will just not listen. Dave, have a look at the government's borrowing figures for next year. Gross national debt will be £1.36 trillion that is up from £0.53 trillion in 2008. And you're telling me the Tories spend less? Living standards are dropping dramatically, UK wages have declined more than nearly every other European country including France. Unemployment figures are being fiddled with those whose benefits are sanctioned being removed from the unemployment count. Yeah what a marvelous country to live in. Bill what does "racially raped" mean? Rape is rape whether race is involved or not. Why not just be open about if if you view the world through racist eyes just say so, at least we all know where we stand. |
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David Cameron wrote
at 15:58:27 on 08 September 2014 |
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| Bernard, an economic plan that has failed, you'll find this country is actually growing economically. Now if you want to talk about a failing economic country you should look at France, are yes France run by socialists did't messier holland just sack his cabinet tried the labour parties spend spend spend philosophy and now there broke broke broke, are't you just glad that labour did't get back in. the French are in such direstraites there talking about selling the Mona Lisa. Like I say socialism, backward looking and a race to the bottom ideology, an ideology that is thankfully dying out. |
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Bill smith wrote
at 10:52:43 on 08 September 2014 |
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| Bernard. I was a socialist just like you, but now I've woken up to what it really is, it's a ideology that keeps people down, it tells them your a victim, it imprisons people in a downward spiral of, other people are to blame for your problems. The Labour Party and socialist have used the above to keep themselves in power and in the money. You only have to look at the education system in this city and indeed the country when you allow the left to run it, the left and the Labour Party have destroyed the education in this country because uneducated people by large vote labour, this is why teachers up and down the country cheered the removal of Michael gove, because these bad teachers are going to be allowed to churn out uneducated kids year in year out, which suits the Labour Party down to the ground. On Rotherham, this just shows the evil that is inside the Labour Party and socialism when 1400 white school girls are racially raped on the altar of political correctness, remember this was 1400 white school girls in Rotherham alone, this has been happening up and down the country and the Labour Party and socialists have been keeping it quiet for decades, the Labour Party and socialists have treated these girls with utter contempt, they was worthless trash when it came to the feelings of the Muslim community and you have to ask yourself are the Labour Party and socialist movement fit to hold power when they put the Muslim vote above the rape of white school girls. at what point did the Labour Party in Rotherham think there was a problem with Asian Muslim paedophile grooming gangs, was it the first school girl to be raped, the second, the hundredth, the thousandth or the fourteen hundredth, now we know the truth, these girls were sacrificed for the feeling of the Muslim community and there vote. Bernard, if these girls were Muslims that had been raped on this scale and the perpetrators were white what do you think the outcome would have been, it would have been stopped at the first girl and would have seen thousands of Muslims rioting and marching on our streets and the Labour Party falling over themselves trying to appease them and this my friend is why UKIP are not going away, the people of this country have had enough. |
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Bernard Brough wrote
at 22:09:48 on 07 September 2014 |
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| So Bill, tell me what the events in Rotherham have to do with anything I have posted. And yes I believe in everything I write. I do not latch onto the latest passing fad political party. When people realise that UKIP are just another bunch of over privileged rich people hungry for power they will fade into oblivion. Of course I realise that their only true appeal is to blame immigrants for all this country's ills and this is why every UKIP apologist rails against those they see as immigrants. Talk about the real problems facing us, political parties who refuse to represent the interests of the people of this country over the interests of business, an economic model that has failed in the past and is failing spectacularly again. Or you could just fall for the trick well used in Germany in the 1930s. |
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Bill smith. wrote
at 10:20:34 on 07 September 2014 |
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| Bernard brough, do you actually believe the rubbish you write or are you just a wind up merchant. Not a brain dead, you put into words how 98% of this country feels, the country needs more patriots like you, people who are prepared to tell it like it is. Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of soft touch Britain, a beginning of a Britain that has pride in its self and it's history. Ex labour member and voter, now UKIP. |
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Bernard Brough wrote
at 22:12:15 on 03 September 2014 |
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| What has the situation in Rotherham got to do with the Tories hammering the poorest people in the country? Your rant merely proves to me that when confronted with an argument you merely go off on a tangent and bring race into it. What happened in Rotherham is wrong, but it will emerge that it goes on all over the country in towns and cities irrespective of whether they are Labour, Tory Lib Dem or UKIP run. |
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Kevin Hodges wrote
at 18:47:27 on 03 September 2014 |
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| @Not a brain dead labour voter, what you have said is bang on the mark. Bernard you need to give your head a wobble and get out a bit more, everybody I speak to in Salford at work or at home agrees with what 'Not a brain dead' has written. Time for change lets cut the c-rap and stop bowing down to those that are shitting on our (once) decent society. |
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Not a brain dead labour voter wrote
at 14:54:43 on 03 September 2014 |
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| Not abrain dead labour voter.
Bernard. Who's this nasty party you keep going on about, not the Labour Party by any chance led by that great socialist ed the red, mmm nasty, as in labour turning a blind eye to 1400 school girls, in Rotherham some as young as 11 years old being racially raped by Asian Muslims, one 11 year old girl raped 5 times in one day by Asian Muslims who were in their 30s and 40s, when she tried to report it to the police, the police filed it as consensual sex, tell me Bernard how can an 11 your old consent to sex with grown men, in law it's called statutory rape, minors can't consent to sex with grown men, it's there to protect kids and that is what these were "kids". If you had read the daily mail a prominent ex labour MP was quoted as saying, he and many other labour MPs and the Labour Party knew that Asian Muslim paedophile grooming gangs were raping young white school girls on an industrial scale, but the Labour Party told MPs councillors, law enforcement and welfare agencies to ignore these children's abuse incase it upset the Asian Muslim communities and hit the labour vote. So there you have it Bernard, the Labour Party gave more of a damn about the labour vote than it did about white school girls. And another thing this ex labour MP said is one of the biggest reasons these girls were failed was the socialist left used the word racist to stop any investigation into these Asian Muslim paedophile gangs, remind you of anyone Bernard. One of the sickest parts of the story was when two fathers tried to save their daughters from these noncies, from the houses they was taken to, and both fathers were arrested for interfering with these Asian Muslim paedophiles while they raped their daughters. Welcome to the PC world of the socialist labour left. And this is why UKIP are on the rise, the people of this country have had enough of this leftwing socialist PC crap that has destroyed this once great country of ours. Time to put the GREAT back in to Great Britain, instead of being the dumping ground for the rest of the worlds shit. |
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Bernard Brough wrote
at 13:38:19 on 02 September 2014 |
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| Vote UKIP for more of the same, just another nasty party. The fact remains that an evil government are hitting the poorest hardest. As a report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation recently highlighted poorer areas of England and Scotland were hit with cut £100 per head more than better off areas. Yes those down at the fun house are as much use as a blow lamp to a penguin, but do not underestimate how evil Dave and Gideon are. |
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Bob wrote
at 22:49:50 on 01 September 2014 |
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| I'm told on good authority that Ben Dolan strongly advised Ian Stewart not to appear before the audit committee. Quelle surprise, eh? Dolan told him it was his report and he would answer the questions. Stewart agreed and watched the TV proceedings from his office! The worlds gone mad. |
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Not a brain dead labour voter wrote
at 15:46:21 on 31 August 2014 |
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@steve North. Councils up and down the country are dealing with cut backs, but they are choosing to cut waste and grand projects such as building new stadia and giving millions to corporations such as peel holdings. If this labour council chose to cut items such as above, then we would't have to cut vital services as we are doing know, it's called managing your finances, you don't spend what you haven't got, but this concept is completely alien to this labour council, they are financially incompetent. Ps on you asking your members if they would take strike action for the people on the buses, I've asked a few that I know who are in unison in the council and they have no knowledge of ever been asked and they have said they would strike for them, more so than striking for money .------ vote ukip for change in 2015 |
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Salford Star wrote
at 23:01:19 on 28 August 2014 |
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| See Salford Boy's comment below... Just a point - it wasn't a Grant Thornton report that was discussed at the Audit Committee, it was an internal Council report done by its internal auditor and officers. That's the main reason it wasn't `independent' |
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Salford boy wrote
at 22:57:26 on 28 August 2014 |
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| Re Unison Steve North
Please do your homework before you write an ill informed response.
The Tories alerted the district auditor grant thornton to the payment and requestd an investigation. It was his report which was discussed at the audit.
Salford star quite rightly put this in the public domain.
So without an audit, no story for the star and you Mr a North would continue to be in the dark about what is happening in your own backyard.
Rather than ranting about national politics focus on your local members and what their direct employers are up to.
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Steven North wrote
at 17:17:58 on 28 August 2014 |
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| I don't normally argue with people who don't have the guts to use their real names, but given the complete nonsense "Salford boy" and "Not a brain dead Labour voter" are talking I thought I might as well.
First of all, "Salford boy" says:
"Let's also be clear that but for the Tories insistence on bringing in the District Auditors, you and your members Mr North would be none the wiser as to the skulduggery of Vickers and the Mayor. Whilst you may not be comfortable with the Tories having the upper hand in this Mr North, please do not bite tha hand which has fed you!"
This is easy to deal with. I didn't find out about this from the Tories. I found out about it from The Salford Star and I don't mind admitting as much. The district auditors haven't been near this yet, so how could we have all found out that way??
Secondly, "Not a brain dead vlabour voter says":
"Steve North talking his usual left wing, militant crap again, it's the governments fault, yeh right. This labour council complains it's got no money because of government cut backs, so where did the money come from to build the salford reds stadium £22 million, fountain £13 million, peel holdings £13 million, bridge competitions, pea growing, the list goes on and on."
The Council might say it has no money - I've never said any such thing. If I thought it had no money then why would I and my union spend so much time arguing for it to spend money on services for vulnerable people? Of course it has money and of course it doesn't spend that money properly. I've been saying that for years - and used my real name while doing it so you can probably use google to find that out. However, none of that obscures the fact that the Government has taken over £100m from the settlement Salford receives. That means the Council, while stil having more money available for services than it likes to let on, does have less money because of the decisions of this Government.
"Is this the same Steve North who is taking his union members out on strike for 5% wage increase on oct 14th but won't strike to save the jobs of the people on the buses at the council"
UNISON members voted in a national ballot to strike over pay and I'm glad they did. Their pay is down 18% on what it was four years ago and at a time when MPs feel they can award themselves over 10% they've got a right to try and get some of that back. If it bothers you so much when they go on strike then maybe insist that the Government pays them properly to keep them in work and respect the work they do. That is unless you don't value care workers and teaching assistants and believe that they should need to rely on benefits to bring them up to a decent standard of living. Is that the case?
With regards to the buses, we asked members if the wanted to be balloted for strike action and they didn't. I can't force people to go on strike. If I did you'd be having a go at me for that. It's called democracy. What those drivers (and their union) has done though is attend virtually every protest called by those campaigning for that service and worked hard to try and get the Council to change its mind. Presumably you were sat behind your keyboard slagging people off while that was happening ;)
"but is it not this labour council and the trade unions using these job losses for political reasons of, these people are losing there jobs because of Tory cuts, when the real reason for these job cuts is this labour councils inability to spend tax payers money in the right manner ie salford reds."
Even if the Councuil hadn't spent a penny on Salford Reds, the Government would still be expecting it to make cuts. The Tories had their chance to draw up a budget with no money for Salford Reds and they did - earlier this year. Do you know what? It still meant loads of cuts in services for vulnerable people. So while I agree that the Labour Council are misspending money, let's not pretend that the Tories would be protecting the most vulnerable. It's laughable...and oh yeah...wasn't it their idea in Government to have elected Mayors with all this power in the first place?
"it's also a disgrace that the unions don't hold this labour council to account, the unions need to stop putting money into the Labour Party and instead need to look after it's members interests first."
Our union branch has been involved in every campaign and spent a lot of members money to fight this Labour Council. I have no idea whether you have been because I've no idea who you are. I wish unions would stop funding Labour but that's a decision I don't have the power to make. Hopefully one day it will stop.
"Steve it was the labour government in 2008 that bankrupted this country and is the Labour Party that has bankrupted this council."
Both parties - Labour and Tory - have bankrupted this country. Thatcher sold off our manufacturing base and made our economy reliant on a square mile of finance capital in London. Labour did nothing to change that. When it collapsed they both agreed with a bank bailout that put the country into massive deficit and they both want ordinary people to pay for it. They're both responsible. That's why we need a new party that will do something different. TUSC. |
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wrote
at 17:17:43 on 28 August 2014 |
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| Cllr Merry has tweeted that the Stadium is repaying these loans and he simply cant understand why people don't believe it. Perhaps he could supply the Salford Star with all the figures. Somehow I doubt the Salford taxpayer is ever going to make any profit on this venture. |
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Mae wrote
at 08:34:22 on 28 August 2014 |
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| MR Ben Dolan, king of white wash. This is the second time his actions have been questioned in a matter of months, he is not fit to hold the position he has.
I say to Steve North, that your members know whats going on and they can see the effect its having on the poor of salford, so why has no one blown the whistle. Your just as guilty if you see this and do nothing about it. |
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joe oneill wrote
at 08:34:17 on 28 August 2014 |
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| Capital budget Revenue budget does it really matter what part of the budget stream Mr Stewart found is cash? the facts are simply the council is there to run the city using government grants and money taken each year from us, if we fail to supply we are threatened with court action, that funding stream is that serious without it the city would grind to a halt. So should we not have the right to ask for transparency in it's use Mr Stewart is arrogant and brash why because we have put him in a position of power that in reality can't be touched. People must see yesterday that the Labour members where whipped in fear of their jobs. When May comes the people who come on this site and thousands of others should throw off the shackles of apathy and in the words of the bard vote the bastards out. |
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wrote
at 07:31:26 on 28 August 2014 |
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| If as Mr Stewart stated, the £164k funding in question could only be used on a capital project surely there should have been some sort of paper trail to evidence that the decision to fund Salford Reds was subject to scrutiny. If their is no evidence how can we know that all projects were given the same consideration, this type of decision must be seen to be judged equally and impartially scored on their merit |
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noreen wrote
at 07:31:21 on 28 August 2014 |
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| I can not believe I just saw ian stewart addressing his public on tv and he had to bare face cheek to say even though he has had to make the cuts to the most vulnerable he is still happy to carry on giving money to Salford reds what a disgrace and also to say as an elected mayor he can do this well how do you top that one we are fighting for our sons and daughters rights when all of the time he just gives what he wants to those that have a wealth that we will never see why cant we shame the reds in to telling this man that our most vulnerable have to come first please tell me where to write and I certainly will this has left me feeling really down we have 2 days and then our special transport wil be taken off my my mr stuart what have you done |
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Scott wrote
at 07:31:16 on 28 August 2014 |
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| Where are the council getting some of this money from....Council tax, so that's me and you...I propose that all Salford residents withhold paying and lets see how they get by without our money to waste on private corporations...A group on Facebook explains how to challenge the Council when they send demanding letters for non payment "beat the banks and bailiffs"
If everyone stops paying next April what will the council do...they have cut the staffing levels so they will be bogged down with paperwork!sc |
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TheNose wrote
at 07:31:09 on 28 August 2014 |
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| Scandalous. This is being spun as necessary to 'save' the club and therefore the council's investment, but it happened a good six months after the 'multi millionaire' Koukash had taken over.
This was Vickers feathering his own nest. Cutting the deal was effectively his job interview. To make things worse they paid him off so he could open a flower shop, a few days later he's in the rugby club offices earning a salary.
Black and white case of corruption. |
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Not a brain dead labour voter wrote
at 07:30:16 on 28 August 2014 |
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| Steve North talking his usual left wing, militant crap again, it's the governments fault, yeh right. This labour council complains it's got no money because of government cut backs, so where did the money come from to build the salford reds stadium £22 million, fountain £13 million, peel holdings £13 million, bridge competitions, pea growing, the list goes on and on. Is this the same Steve North who is taking his union members out on strike for 5% wage increase on oct 14th but won't strike to save the jobs of the people on the buses at the council, but is it not this labour council and the trade unions using these job losses for political reasons of, these people are losing there jobs because of Tory cuts, when the real reason for these job cuts is this labour councils inability to spend tax payers money in the right manner ie salford reds. it's also a disgrace that the unions don't hold this labour council to account, the unions need to stop putting money into the Labour Party and instead need to look after it's members interests first. So Steve stop the crap about Tory cut backs and let's talk about the miss management in this labour council, remember Steve it was the labour government in 2008 that bankrupted this country and is the Labour Party that has bankrupted this council. |
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Salford boy wrote
at 07:28:10 on 28 August 2014 |
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| Re Steve North comment
Let's also be clear that but for the Tories insistence on bringing in the District Auditors, you and your members Mr North would be none the wiser as to the skulduggery of Vickers and the Mayor. Whilst you may not be comfortable with the Tories having the upper hand in this Mr North, please do not bite tha hand which has fed you!
As forWrotes comment, car jones has already failed to be elected in the past, let's hope the voters of Irlam cane the political snob in the next election. |
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Reg Howard wrote
at 07:27:48 on 28 August 2014 |
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| Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely,
whoever said it, was right. |
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Cbp wrote
at 17:55:36 on 27 August 2014 |
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| The problem with situations like these is that the council controlling group have an absolute influence and authority over the council staff. Not only that, but the leader of the Council group (in this case the Mayor) has complete influence and authority over the other councillors within the leading group (all of whom have personal council / party ambitions. This system always leads to woefully inadequate internal investigations, especially if the ultimate responsibility of wrongdoing lies with a small group of senior councillors or staff.
However, it only takes one person that is privy to the details to blow the whistle for the house of cards to come tumbling down. Do the right thing! |
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Steven North wrote
at 17:55:18 on 27 August 2014 |
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| We should all be clear that the Tories are trying to use this for their own gain. We don't need Eric Pickles or George Osbourne's greedy mits on any more of Salford's money.
However, given that this decision - the only key decision not to be recorded since it has been the Council's duty to do so - just so happens to be a politically sensitive decision made with the direct involvement of a person who ended up working for Salford Reds, you can understand why many of us feel an independent inquiry might be justified.
The Mayor wants to make this about whether the stadium loans and payments are good for Salford. We are all entitled to our opinion on that, him included. However, before those opinions can be turned into decisions a democratic process must be followed to allow us to have our say. That did not happen here and that is the key point to remember.
Councillor Garrido has his own reasons to have a go at the mayor. Some would argue I do too. What should be borne in mind is that the only two people on that panel who were politically neutral chose to call for a further investigation. His Labour councillors may have saved him, but that alone should worry the Mayor.
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Salford boy wrote
at 17:55:10 on 27 August 2014 |
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| Congratulations on an excellent broadcast.
A shameful display by so called Socialist Councillors on this panel. Party politics over ruled common sends and decency. Every time the paid assistant mayor Roger Jones spoke I felt like vomiting. His patronising condescending style added to the claptrap espoused by Dolan.
Simply put, this was covered up by resorting to a tale of human error! So seemingly the council have been overpaying incompetent staff who can waste our money under the guise of a mistake?
What utter crap.
The mayor doesn't give a toss about this City (why should he after al he is a Glaswegian) and after the scandal broke he was still costing up to Vickers along with the other tosser Lancaster watching the match.
The Reds are a failing company,
They are an albatross round the next of the Councils city treasurer!
Thank goodness for the Garridos! |
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wrote
at 17:52:23 on 27 August 2014 |
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| Salford star should be going after Walsh and Jones, Walsh is a governor at Irlam and Cadishead college, ask him and Mr slimy bastard Jones about the gcse results. They opposed the Academy change and will now have no choice on the matter. Come on lets se an article about the problems they create in Irlam and Cadishead |
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Ex Lib Dem wrote
at 17:52:08 on 27 August 2014 |
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| Lose £1.5 million or loan a further £165k hmm I know what I would rather have for Salford considering it would have been illegal to spend the £165k on any of the services that have been cut. Sensationalism at its finest. |
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