DOCSLIB.ORG

Public Hearing

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Public Hearing ACCOUNTS COMMISSION FOR SCOTLAND WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL BEST VALUE AUDIT REPORT PUBLIC HEARING held at Clydebank Town Hall, 49 Dumbarton Road Clydebank, G81 1TX on Wednesday, 29th November 2006 and Thursday, 30th November 2006 - - - - - - - - - - - Before: MR ALASTAIR MacNISH (in the Chair) PROFESSOR JOHN BAILLIE MS JEAN COUPER MR KEITH GEDDES MR IAIN ROBERTSON In attendance: MR BILL MAGEE - Secretary to the Accounts Commission - - - - - - - - - - - Transcribed by Ubiqus/Harry Counsell Cliffords Inn, Fetter Lane, London EC4A 1LD Telephone 0207 269 0370 - - - - - - - - - - - COMPLETE PROCEEDINGS - - - - - - - - - - - 1 1 Wednesday, 29th November 2006 2 3 MORNING SESSION 4 5 THE CHAIRMAN: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am 6 Alastair MacNish and I am Chair of the Accounts 7 Commission. I would like to begin by going through the 8 procedure which will be followed today. Just before I 9 do, could I ask everyone to turn off any mobile phones 10 that they have. Also, there will be no fire drills this 11 morning, so if the fire alarm goes off it is for real; 12 the fire exits are at the back, so women and children 13 first; I do not know if there is another way out for 14 us, but it is through that back door there if the fire 15 alarm goes off. 16 This is a formal meeting of the Accounts Commission 17 for Scotland under section 103 of the Local Government 18 (Scotland) Act 1973. This is a hearing in respect of a 19 report by the Controller of Audit on the audit of best 20 value and community planning in West Dunbartonshire 21 Council. Copies of that report have been available on 22 Audit Scotland's website and there are copies available 23 for the public here today. 24 When the Accounts Commission receives a report by 25 the Controller of Audit it can do all or any of the 26 following or none of them: (i) direct the Controller 27 of Audit to carry out further investigations; (ii) hold 28 a hearing; or (iii) state its findings. The purpose of 29 this hearing is to allow the Commission to give 30 consideration to the Controller of Audit's report with a 31 view to making findings. Those findings may include 32 recommendations for action and may be directed to the 33 council or to Scottish ministers. If recommendations 34 are made to ministers they may include a recommendation 35 that a ministerial order be made requiring the council 36 to take any action specified in the order. We are 37 therefore here to listen to representations which will 38 be made and to ask questions that will help us reach our 39 findings. We are not here to operate as a court of law 40 and I will attempt to keep proceedings as informal and 2 1 as relaxed as is appropriate consistent with the 2 objective of allowing those who wish to express their 3 views to do so and to allow the Commission to obtain a 4 clear understanding of the issues. 5 Can I now introduce the members of the Commission, 6 and because they are facing away from me I might get 7 this wrong. On my extreme right is Iain Robertson; on 8 the left of Iain Robertson is Jean Couper; on my 9 extreme left is Keith Geddes, and on his right is John 10 Baillie. Bill Magee is Secretary to the Commission and 11 we may refer to him for advice during the hearing. A 12 note of the procedure which we will follow has been made 13 available to witnesses and copies are available in the 14 hall, and I notice quite a few have taken copies. 15 We intend to hear in the first instance from the 16 Controller of Audit and where appropriate the audit 17 team. We will then ask representatives of the council 18 to give evidence. In addition we have received a number 19 of requests from individuals to make representations 20 today. We have agreed to hear representations from the 21 following: 22 Caroline Gardner, Controller of Audit 23 Nikki Bridle, Assistant Director, Audit Scotland 24 Lesley McGiffen, Best Value Manager, Audit Scotland 25 David Pia, Director, Audit Scotland 26 Councillor Andrew White, Leader of West 27 Dunbartonshire Council 28 David McMillan, Chief Executive of West 29 Dunbartonshire Council 30 Tim Huntingford, ex Chief Executive of West 31 Dunbartonshire Council 32 Mike O'Donnell 33 We also have today: 34 Councillor Craig McLaughlin 35 Councillor Jim Bollan 36 Councillor Geoff Calvert 37 Councillor Dennis Brogan 38 Councillor Jim McCallum 3 1 John McFall MP 2 Jackie Baillie MSP 3 We intend to have those witnesses today. Tomorrow we 4 will hear from: 5 Duncan Borland, GMB Union 6 Tom Morrison, UNISON Union 7 Charlie McDonald, TGWU 8 Archie Thomson MBE 9 George McFarlane, Nancy Garvie and Edith Miller 10 from Rosshead Tenants and Residents Association 11 Rose Harvie, Silverton & Overtoun Community Council 12 We received a number of applications to be heard 13 from other individuals, some of them asking to give 14 evidence in private. We applied the following criteria: 15 relevance to the audit report; relevance to the 16 Commission's particular areas of interest in the report; 17 contribution to assisting the Commission in considering 18 the report; and representative, not individual. We 19 therefore declined to invite a number of people to give 20 evidence. Each witness or group of witnesses will be 21 given the opportunity to make an opening statement and 22 we have asked them to confine this to a maximum of 15 23 minutes. Members of the Commission will then ask 24 questions of the witness. At the conclusion of each 25 witness's evidence I will give them the opportunity to 26 say anything which they wish us to take into account. 27 We have been asked to take evidence under oath. 28 Although the Commission has the power to do this we do 29 not consider it necessary at this hearing as a 30 generality. We reserve the discretion to require 31 evidence on oath in the case of any particular witness 32 if we consider that necessary. We have also been asked 33 to take evidence in private. Our preference is to hear 34 evidence in public but the legislation does give us the 35 discretion to go into private session. We will listen 36 to any requests from witnesses in this connection and 37 give them consideration in the light of the reasons 38 which they offer. 4 1 The controller's report covers a wide variety of 2 issues. I must stress that the purpose of this hearing 3 is to allow the Commission to make findings on that 4 report. I intend to restrict all questions and evidence 5 to the matters raised in the report and I will not allow 6 the hearing to be drawn into other irrelevant areas. I 7 intend that this first session of the hearing will last 8 until 1 pm. We will reconvene after lunch and it is 9 likely that the hearing will be adjourned and reconvened 10 tomorrow morning at 10 am. At the conclusion of all the 11 proceedings I shall adjourn the hearing so that the 12 Commission can consider the controller of audit's report 13 in the light of what it has heard and make its findings 14 as expeditiously as possible. If it is necessary for 15 the hearing to be reconvened I shall do so, although I 16 most certainly obviously hope that this will not be 17 necessary. 18 I will now ask the first witness to come forward, 19 Caroline Gardner, controller of audit, to make her 20 statement; if I could ask you to introduce the rest of 21 your team as well. 22 MS GARDNER: Good morning, and thank you for the 23 opportunity to make an opening statement this morning. 24 I would like to start by introducing the team. First of 25 all, I am Caroline Gardner, and as the controller of 26 audit I have overall responsibility for the report that 27 you have in front of you. On my left is David Pia, who 28 is director of public reporting for local government; 29 Nikki Bridle on my right is the assistant director who 30 leads all of our best value work; and Lesley McGiffen 31 is the audit manager who led the audit of West 32 Dunbartonshire Council. Between us we hope we will be 33 able to answer any questions you may have. 34 You have got my report in front of you so I would 35 like to use this statement to focus on four things: the 36 aims of the audit process, the process that we have been 37 through with West Dunbartonshire Council to reach this 38 stage this morning, the areas of the report which are 5 1 disputed by the council, and the main judgments that the 2 team and I made about the council together with the 3 reasons for those judgments. 4 The purpose of the audit, first of all, is to assess 5 how well councils are meeting their statutory duty to 6 secure best value and to make available to the public na 7 overall judgment on how each council is managing its 8 business. I have now produced best value reports on 16 9 councils across Scotland which aim to produce a 10 comprehensive and balanced assessment based on judgments 11 in four key areas.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • • £10-An-Hour Living Wage • Tax the Rich • Scrap Trident • Fight the Cuts
    Radical voices: Jonathon Shafi, Alan Bissett, Colin Fox, Isobel Lindsay, John McAllion, Paul Holleran & more • see inside £1 • issue 448 • 21st November – 4th December 2014 scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com SCOTLAND DEMANDS CHANGE • £10-an-hour living wage • Tax the rich • Scrap Trident • Fight the cuts • Protect benefits • Axe the Council Tax • Dump anti-union laws ScottishSocialistVoice.wordpress.com /ScottishSocialistVoice @ssv_voice EDITORIAL by Ken Ferguson AT THE heart of the broad vibrant Yes campaign, which A people before profit Scotland culminated with a massive 45 per cent vote in September’s independence referendum, is the spearhead of change PHOTO: John Lanigan was the clear belief that independence could open the road to a socially just and sustainable Scotland, putting people before profit. Astonished unionists have looked on aghast as the Yes campaign, fuelled by this key vision, not only failed to melt away but—in all its aspects— mushroomed in size and activity. Now the supposed victors of Better Together particularly the sham socialists of the once all conquering Labour Party are staring down the barrel of a political defeat of immense proportions as the reality of the No vote is revealed. SOCIALISTS SAY NO TO NATO: pro-Yes parties differ on issues such as corporation tax, monarchy and NATO Chilling reality The polls predicting a The key question facing the live issue with the proposal For example, it has been Labour meltdown underline left in this situation is how to for a Yes alliance targeting Scottish Socialist
    [Show full text]
  • West Dunbartonshire Council Assurance and Improvement Plan 2014–17
    WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL At the Meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council held in the Council Chambers, Council Offices, Garshake Road, Dumbarton on Wednesday, 18 December 2013 at 2.05 p.m. Present: Provost Douglas McAllister and Councillors Denis Agnew, George Black, Gail Casey, Jim Finn, David McBride, Jonathan McColl, Michelle McGinty, Patrick McGlinchey, Marie McNair, John Millar, John Mooney, Ian Murray, Lawrence O’Neill, Tommy Rainey, Gail Robertson, Martin Rooney, Kath Ryall and Hazel Sorrell. Attending: Joyce White, Chief Executive; Angela Wilson, Executive Director of Corporate Services; Richard Cairns, Executive Director of Infrastructure and Regeneration, Terry Lanagan, Executive Director of Educational Services; Keith Redpath, Director – West Dunbartonshire Community Health & Care Partnership; Peter Hessett, Head of Legal, Democratic & Regulatory Services; Jackie Irvine, Chief Social Work Officer; Stephen West, Head of Finance & Resources; Gillian McNeilly, Finance Manager; Joe Reilly, Finance Business Partner and Christine McCaffary, Senior Democratic Services Officer. Also Attending: Elaine Boyd, Senior Audit Manager, Audit Scotland. Apologies: Apologies for absence were intimated on behalf of Councillors Jim Bollan, Jim Brown and William Hendrie. Provost Douglas McAllister in the Chair MINUTE OF SILENCE Having heard Provost McAllister, Chair, the Council observed a minute of silence as a mark of respect for those killed in the helicopter crash at The Clutha bar in Glasgow on 29 November 2013; the passing of a great world statesman, Nelson Mandela on 7 December 2013 and also to mark the 6th anniversary on 19 December of the sinking of the Flying Phantom tug boat on the River Clyde and the loss of 3 of her crew. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST It was noted that there were no declarations of interest in any of the items of business on the agenda at this point in the meeting.
    [Show full text]
  • Scottish Socialist Voice
    The Dundee Timex strike - 20 years on: Sam Lee: singer mostly female workforce’s heroic fight challenges folk electrified workers across the globe preconceptions • see pages 6&7 • see page 8 £1 • issue 410 • 25th January - 7th February 2013 www.scottishsocialistvoice.net IAN DAVIDSON JOHANN LAMONT ANAS SARWAR A PARCEL by Alan Bissett Scotland what Shakespeare Scots Labour politicians brand is to England and Dylan is to Holyrood ‘undemocratic’, oppose IF there is a single figure America: a bard whose who could symbolise complexity, linguistic genius Bannockburn commemoration, Scotland it is Robert Burns. and poetic sensitivity can but support Tories’ cuts and £50m Regarded around the world articulate the soul of an entire O’ ROGas one of the gUreatest poets Enation. S marking of WW1 slaughter... who ever lived, he is to • Continued on page 9 facebook.com/ScottishSocialistVoice @ssv_voice INDEPENDENCE Challenges facing SSP P H O T Many in this movement be - by Colin Fox O : and Yes camp in 2C liev0e it is on1ly by 3 persuading our r a i THE 600 people who crammed g fellow Scots of the material ad - M into the Yes Glasgow launch a vantages they can expect from c l e meeting last week took the final a independence that we can win tally attending these inaugural n the vote in 2014. events to around 4000 - that’s Not everyone in favour of in - 4000 activists eager to play their dependence is a socialist of part in maximising the Yes vote course. But it is also true there in their area in the 2014 Inde - are hundreds of pro-indepen - pendence Referendum.
    [Show full text]
  • West Dunbartonshire Council Elections
    APPENDIX WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL ELECTION - 3 MAY 2012- RESULTS WARD 1 – LOMOND NO OF COUNCILLORS TO BE ELECTED - 3 Electorate Turnout % Total Valid Votes Quota 8,958 42.13 3695 924 Candidates Party Status Total votes prior to election or exclusion Jonathan McColl Scottish National Party (SNP) Elected Stage 7 1342 Ronald McColl Scottish National Party (SNP) Excluded Stage 6 647 George Rice Independent Excluded Stage 3 238 Louise Robertson Scottish Socialist Party Excluded Stage 2 167 Martin Rooney Scottish Labour Party Elected Stage 1 1243 Hazel Sorrell Scottish Labour Party Elected Stage 5 998 Brian McKenzie Walker Scottish Conservative and Unionist Excluded Stage 4 416 Elected to serve for the Lomond Ward: Jonathan McColl, Martin Rooney and Hazel Sorrell APPENDIX WARD 2 – LEVEN NO OF COUNCILLORS TO BE ELECTED - 4 Electorate Turnout % Total Valid Votes Quota 13,186 39.44 5,101 1,021 Candidates Party Status Total votes prior to election or exclusion Jim Bollan Scottish Socialist Party Elected Stage 1 1073 David Jardine Scottish Conservative and Unionist Excluded Stage 4 248 John Millar Scottish Labour Party Elected Stage 1 1622 Gail Robertson Scottish National Party (SNP) Elected Stage 1 1036 May Smillie Scottish National Party (SNP) Excluded Stage 6 549 Michelle Stewart Scottish Labour Party Elected Stage 7 1128 Archie Thomson Independent Excluded Stage 5 459 Elected to serve for the Leven Ward: Jim Bollan, John Millar, Gail Robertson and Michelle Stewart APPENDIX WARD 3 – DUMBARTON NO OF COUNCILLORS TO BE ELECTED - 4 Electorate
    [Show full text]
  • • NO EVICTIONS • VOTE YES to MAKE the TORIES HISTORY Facebook.Com/Scottishsocialistvoice @Ssv Voice NEWS Playing Party Games
    BEDROOM TAX SPECIAL: As the ConDems try to make April Fools of us all, the people take to the streets to fight back • see pages 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11 £1 • issue 414 • 29th March - 11th April 2013 www.scottishsocialistvoice.net AXE THE BEDROOM As 105,000 Scots face the Bedroom Tax attacks, the ConDems award millionaires an eTxtra £A107,000X a year in tax cuts... • NO EVICTIONS • VOTE YES TO MAKE THE TORIES HISTORY facebook.com/ScottishSocialistVoice @ssv_voice NEWS Playing party games bwy Richiei Vetnton h pdespeerately juoggling thpe bills tlo ethat inev’itasbly follo w lwhein pevo - slaeshed bacs k council meetings to survive, as they have to choose ple on rock-bottom incomes are just four a year! THE Tory onslaught on the between heating, or eating, or expected to cough up from £10 In contrast to this stance, the poorest to pay for the million - keeping a roof over their head. to £22 a week. opposition Labour councillors in aires’ tax cuts and bankers’ From the outset, the Scottish North Ayrshire proposed a Mo - bailouts has put both Labour and Socialist Party has been up-front SSP Motion tion very similar to Jim Bollan’s, the SNP to the test. in calling for abolition of the The first such motion raised including the call for no evic - And behind their headline- Bedroom Tax. anywhere by a councillor was tions by the council. The SNP grabbing statements lurks a lot But whilst helping to build a put by the Scottish Socialist delayed a decision, seeking legal of fudge, party political manoeu - movement to bring about it’s Party councillor in West Dun - advice - and their leader told me vring and outright cynicism and downfall, we have also cam - bartonshire, Jim Bollan.
    [Show full text]
  • INDEPENDENT SOCIALISTS AFTER the DECEMBER 12TH GENERAL ELECTION from Illusions in a Lexit Brexit to a Disillusioned Lexit from Brexit Politics
    INDEPENDENT SOCIALISTS AFTER THE DECEMBER 12TH GENERAL ELECTION From Illusions in a Lexit Brexit to a Disillusioned Lexit from Brexit PolitiCs ______________________ Sunday Telegraph backs Lexit with ‘revolution’ and a ‘people’s Brexit ’ Contents a) The 2015 general election provided a warning b) After 2015 - an increasingly floundering Left c) Northern Ireland – a different pattern d) Reactionary unionism and Europhobic opposition to the EU e) The largest independent Socialist parties walk into the Brexit trap f) The official Remain and Leave campaigns – two wings of the British ruling class g) The Lexiters’ false arguments h) The political options open in the run-up to the 2016 EU referendum i) From 23rd May 2016 to 8th June 2017 – A victory for the Left or the Right? j) ‘Independent’ Socialists and ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn’! 1 k) Corbyn and the ‘independent’ Socialists unwittingly help Boris Johnson to victory l) Independent socialists after the December 12th general election m) Independent socialists in Scotland and Northern Ireland/Ireland n) Conclusion a) The 2015 general election provided a warning The centrality of constitutional issues in the current political situation has wrong-footed Socialist organisations both in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) and Ireland (the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland). Far happier addressing ‘bread and butter’ issues, the largest independent Socialist organisations, particularly the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) of Great Britain and the Socialist Workers Party (Ireland) - SWP(I), and the Socialist Party of England and Wales – SP(E&W) (with its autonomous section, the Socialist Party of Scotland – SPS) and the Socialist Party (Ireland) - SP(I), have largely left the constitutional nature of the states they operate in to the ruling class, or political representatives of would-be ruling classes.
    [Show full text]
  • Scottish Local Election
    Local authority elections in Scotland Report 3 May 2007 and Analysis The illustration on the cover of this report represents the town hall in Lerwick, Shetland, a building whose imposing features reflect the important role of local councils and local democracy. Its foundations were laid in 1884, the year that the Electoral Reform Society was established. Local authority elections in Scotland Report and 3 May 2007 Analysis Local authority elections in Scotland 3 May 2007 5 Contents Acknowledgements 7 Introduction 9 Summary 11 17 Part 1: What happened in the elections? Chapter 1: The results of 3 May 2007 17 Chapter 2: The political parties and the local elections 29 Chapter 3: Candidate strategy in multi-member wards 51 Chapter 4: Representation of women, young people and minorities 57 65 Part 2: The voters’ experience Chapter 5: More choice for voters 65 Chapter 6: Transferable voting 69 Chapter 7: Did people record valid votes? 83 91 Part 3: Election issues Chapter 8: Ballot design 91 Chapter 9: Multi-member wards 97 107 Part 4: Looking ahead Chapter 10: Looking forward 107 111 Appendix Scotland’s 32 new councils 111 Local authority elections in Scotland 3 May 2007 7 Acknowledgements and Dedication A project of this size is never a one-person job and I would like to thank Ken Ritchie, Amy Rodger and Martin Steven in particular for their constant help, guidance and support. Alasdair Stuart contributed magnificently to the sections on the results council-by-council and equalities. Other colleagues have assisted with the text and gathering data, including Christine McCartney, Gertrud Malmersjo and Hywel Nelson.
    [Show full text]
  • West Dunbartonshire Council: the Audit of Best Value and Community
    West Dunbartonshire Council The Audit of Best Value and Community Planning Prepared for the Accounts Commission February 2007 Audit Scotland is a statutory body set up in April 2000 under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. It provides services to the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission. Together they ensure that the Scottish Executive and public sector bodies in Scotland are held to account for the proper, efficient and effective use of public funds. Managing information and Contents communication technology 43 Procuring goods and services 44 Commission findings 2 Competitiveness and continuous The Audit of Best Value 7 improvement 45 Overall conclusions 9 Efficient Government 46 Performance management 47 Part 1: Does the council have clear strategic Customer focus and direction? 14 responsiveness 50 Introduction 14 Sustainable development 52 Context 15 Equal opportunities 52 Vision 19 Part 3: How are services performing? 54 Culture 22 Statutory performance indicators 54 Responding to the needs of the community 24 Council services 56 Community planning and joint Education and cultural services 57 working 26 Social work services 60 Corporate and service planning 32 Housing and technical services 63 Scrutiny 33 Development and environmental Accountability and openness 33 services 67 Part 2: Is the council Part 4: What needs to organised to deliver better improve? 70 services? 37 Developing an improvement culture 70 Making good use of resources 37 Improvement agenda for West Managing people 39 Dunbartonshire Council 72 Managing assets 42 Managing risk 42 1 Commission findings Introduction 1. The Controller of Audit made a report on the audit of Best Value and Community Planning in West Dunbartonshire on 3 October 2006.
    [Show full text]
  • Manifesto Part One About the Scottish Socialist Party “Work As If You Live in the Early Days of a Better Nation” Alasdair Gray
    manifesto part one About the Scottish Socialist Party “Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation” Alasdair Gray e are the Scottish Socialists of life’, across the world people are and we fight in hope. We cut already dying as a result of climate against the grain of the politi- change caused by that same way of life. W cal consensus, refusing to We have only a very short time left to accept that ‘in the real world’, millions stop the Earth from burning because of must live in poverty for a few to live in the destructive waste of capitalism. unimaginable wealth, that weapons of Since the last Scottish Parliamentary mass destruction must be moored in the election in 2003, a brutal war has been Clyde to keep us safe from weapons of raging in Iraq, courtesy of the British mass destruction, that wars mean peace, and American governments. and that a diminishing democracy deliv- Hundreds of thousands of civilians ers us greater security. have lost their lives, and their society has We believe we can make a better been pounded to dust. nation, where every state school child FIGHTING FOR A eats a nutritious, free lunch every day of FUTURE: for a the working week; where pensioners world without receive a decent income with access to poverty, war and well-funded, free public services; where environmental families are housed in warm, secure destruction, for a homes near green spaces and schools world of peace, equality and justice and shops; where refugees are welcomed and given the right to work and make a new life here, to the benefit of us all; PHOTO: where war is an ugly memory; where Craig Maclean energy is sustainable and nationalised; BACK PAGE where we protect instead of destroy our PHOTO: Eddie Truman environment; and where expanded, fare- free and publicly-owned train, bus and ferry services link every community in Scotland, from the heart of Glasgow to the shores of the Outer Hebrides.
    [Show full text]
  • Ssv Voice EDITORIAL by Ken Ferguson
    Election 2015: meet the International Women’s Day: SSP candidates who we look at the daily struggles are fighting for workers of women across the globe • see pages 8, 9 & 10 • see page 12 £1 • issue 453 • 27th February – 12th March 2015 scottishsocialistvoice.wordpress.com SIR MALCOLM RIFKIND JACK STRAW LOW PAID WORKER £1,619/hour £5,000/day £6.50/hour AUSTERITY HYPOCRITES ALL Rifkind: ‘unrealistic’ Low paid workers forI MNPs toI liTve ‘sTimpOly GErecTeivHe 20Ep ‘Rboost’ on £60,000 a year’ to minimum wage ScottishSocialistVoice.wordpress.com /ScottishSocialistVoice @ssv_voice EDITORIAL by Ken Ferguson ONCE AGAIN the harsh spotlight of publicity has lit up the two faced money grasping hypocrisy behind Westminster’s pro-austerity politicians. Two of the supposed Mother of Parliament’s “honourable gentlemen”— both ex-foreign secretaries Tory Sir Malcolm Rifkind and Labour’s Jack Straw—were caught offering their services for hire to what they thought was a Chinese firm but turned out to be a journalistic sting. Rifkind, a failed Edinburgh MP moved to upmarket Chelsea, explained that it was “quite unrealistic” for MPs to live “simply on £60,000 a year”. Research by the Daily Telegraph and Channel 4 WESTMINSTER GRANDEES’ GREED revealed that the going rate for Sir Malcolm’s services was £1,619 an hour. sEuppXortPer oOf waSr anEd S AUplaSyerTs inE theR deIfeTnceY of i t, HYpoPliticOs whCich Rcan IhaSrneY ss This from a man who was mayhem and a key figure in the Labour Party, is about to them to meet the needs of Secretary of State in the long running New Labour pay the price for their Better people and planet.
    [Show full text]
  • Standing up for Scotland's Working Class Majority
    s 2015 General Election manifesto FOR AN INDEPENDENT SOCIALIST SCOTLAND: STANDING UP FOR SCOTLAND’S WORKING CLASS MAJORITY 201 5 General Election manifesto FOR AN INDEPENDENT SOCIALIST SCOTLAND: STANDING UP F OR SC OTLAN D’S WORKI NG CL ASS M AJORITY CONTEN TS Introduction 5 Independence deferred 7 More powers for Holyrood 7 Standing up for Scotland’s working class majority 8 How is this programme to be paid for? 21 Building Scotland’s Socialist Party 21 ISBN 978-0-9571986-7-8 Design and layout by @revolbiscuit Promoted by Colin Fox, 81/5 Clerk Street, Edinburgh EH8 9JG. Printed by Events Armoury, 9 West Richmond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9EF www.ScottishSocialistParty.org INTRODUCTION ransom will continue to call the shots through the politicians they keep in their pockets. The outcome of this General Election hangs in In stark contrast to the inconclusive outcome the balance. Labour and the Tories are running expected at Westminster however May’s neck and neck in the polls. Neither has General Election in Scotland, the first test of sufficient support to form a government. public opinion since the independence Neither enjoys the confidence of a majority of referendum, looks set to produce a dramatic voters. Each may try to govern as a minority or reversal for Labour. They currently hold most more likely form a coalition with the much- Scottish seats. But the polls suggest Labour reduced and much-despised Lib Dems. could lose two thirds of them as its chronic David Cameron’s plea to be given a second political decline, a process the Scottish term rests on the premise that the Tories have Socialist Party first identified 16 years ago, steered Britain out of a recession and out of the reaches a dramatic climax.
    [Show full text]
  • Meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council
    Agenda Meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council Date: Monday, 5 March 2018 ___________________________________________________________________ Time: 14:00 ___________________________________________________________________ Venue: Council Chamber, Clydebank Town Hall, Dumbarton Road, Clydebank ___________________________________________________________________ Contact: Christine McCaffary Tel: 01389 737186 – [email protected] Dear Member Please attend a meeting of West Dunbartonshire Council as detailed above. The business is shown on the attached agenda. Yours faithfully JOYCE WHITE Chief Executive Page 1 Distribution:- Provost William Hendrie Bailie Denis Agnew Councillor Jim Bollan Councillor Jim Brown Councillor Gail Casey Councillor Karen Conaghan Councillor Ian Dickson Councillor Diane Docherty Councillor Jim Finn Councillor Daniel Lennie Councillor Caroline McAllister Councillor Douglas McAllister Councillor David McBride Councillor Jonathan McColl Councillor Iain McLaren Councillor Marie McNair Councillor John Millar Councillor John Mooney Councillor Lawrence O’Neill Councillor Sally Page Councillor Martin Rooney Councillor Brian Walker Chief Executive Strategic Director of Transformation & Public Service Reform Strategic Director of Regeneration, Environment & Growth Chief Officer of West Dunbartonshire Health & Social Care Partnership Date of issue: 20 February 2018 Page 2 WEST DUNBARTONSHIRE COUNCIL MONDAY, 5 MARCH 2018 AGENDA 1 APOLOGIES 2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Members are invited to declare if they
    [Show full text]