THE GEORGE BUSH `READ MY LIPS' AWARD
Goes to...
Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart
The Salford Mayor is the deserving recipient of this award for two outstanding pieces of piffle...
Firstly, back in October last year, when former Council Chief Executive, Barbara Spicer, left her £175,000 post Mayor Ian Stewart, boasted of how "Getting rid of the Chief Executive post and appointing a Council Manager will save Salford's taxpayers more than £1million..."
...But, by January 2014, he declared that he was going to appoint a `Head of Paid Service' (less fancy title than Chief Exec) on £150,000 a year...a `massive' saving of £25,000 a year. In our calculations, it would take the Council 44 years to `save Salford's taxpayers `more than £1million'!
And, to add to the costs, Babs Spicer got a £93,000 pay off and the Council paid £6,109 to consultants Publicola Ltd for advice on the Fat Cat revolving door arrangements (see previous Salford Star article - click here)...
Meanwhile, in spring, Stewart publicly promised that his Spirit of Salford event in the summer would cost the city's council tax payers "not a penny". This statement came back to haunt him, after the Salford Star revealed in July that a Freedom of Information (FOI) response showed it had actually made a loss of £17,161.
The evening concert, which saw Salford singer Ren Harvieu headlining, sold only around 200 tickets out of around 500 that were on sale, while public money was spent on fireworks and bottles of champagne for bands (see previous Salford Star article click here).
On top of this there were more costs as Salford resident, Anthony Dowd, submitted another FOI to Salford Council, including a request for the number of Council staff who worked on the event and their total wages. The reply came back from the Council "21 and none of them were paid".
However, after an `internal review' of the Council's response, it was revealed that staff were given time off in lieu...adding to the costs of the loss making event that would cost the city's council tax payers "not a penny"...
So, that's £1million saved on Fat Cats and a free Spirit of Salford event? In yer dreams!
Ladies and gentlemen, talk the talk but don't walk the walk for the winner of the Salford Star Mary Burns George Bush `Read My Lips' Award'...
Salford City Mayor, Ian Stewart!
If Ian Stewart would like to make an acceptance speech please use the comments box below...
The eighth annual Salford Star Mary Burns Awards ceremony will run throughout the festive season
The 2014 Salford Star Mary Burns Awards...
The Our Friends In The North Memorial Prize Sigma Capital Group click here
The Daft As A Brush Panto Award Salford City Council click here
The China In Your Eyes Award Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart - click here
The Ben Hur Award For Services To Hollywood - Salford City Council - click here
The Bridge Over Troubled Water Award - Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart - click here
The Downhill Slalom Gold Medal For Collapsing Fracking Share Prices IGas Energy click here
The Feed The Rich With £6Million Award (Part 1) Peel Holdings click here
The Feed The Rich With £6Million Award (Part 2) Scarborough Development Group click here
The In The Thick Of It Award Matt Finnegan click here
The Palm d'Or Award Hazel Blears click here
The Salford Red Devils `Paperwork Error' Award Salford City Mayor, Ian Stewart click here
The One Rule For The Mayor And One For Everyone Else Award Salford City Mayor Ian Stewart click here
The Disgraceful Disgusting Urban Splash Award Urban Splash click here
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