Thanet and Northumberland?

 

First two found out, Government need to urgently look into 'bullygate' with as much vigour as 'partygate'

For a number of years rumours have abounded regarding Tory figures in local
government being entwined in a nationwide network of bullying and intimidation using ratepayers cash to rid their staff rostas of those officers who may lean towards professionalism and honesty ensuring they get what they want delivered where they want it not where it is needed.

Of course this type of rough governance can only go on for so long before it comes to a head. In Northumberland's case they lost their deputy leader the very experienced Councillor Wayne Daley through his being sickened by the mobsters among his party who famously bullied a number of female Councillors and officers in order that they 'knew their place'.

Thanet a Council allegedly linked to Northumberland by both the 'tentacles of hatred' and a brought in by the Tories section 151 officer (That's the person who controls how a council links legally with financial law), Thanet Council were forced into a 'bullygate review' aka a culture and governance procedural review after wasting public cash on compensating officers they had bullied out of their jobs.

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2021/06/01/thanet-council-looking-at-whopping-733k-legal-costs-for-on-going-disciplinary-and-grievance-cases-with-247k-already-paid-out/

Although Thanet had in place a Grievance procedure which lined up with the Joint National Committee arrangements they still managed to breach their agreements and courts found them guilty on a number of occasions.

The wild-bunch of Councillors in Northumberland of course haven't got the protection of a grievance procedure in place and are now scrabbling around in the dirt to see whom they can blame for the £millions they have paid out to Council and Arch/Advance Northumberland officers they have professionally bullied for the last five years. They wrote the Council's safeguards out of their Constitution, the council's lead document in 2017.

Northumberland needs to undertake a 'bullygate' review ASAP to clear those Councillors innocent of any involvement in the acts of bullying officers and fellow Councillors and name and shame those who have fuelled the fires of hatred and fear among professionals simply doing their job.

The Government and the Local government Trade Unions then need to investigate how widespread this practise is in Tory Councils and who is involved and how far the 'octopussy' tentacles reach across the Country as it appears to involve a major misuse of public funds, their members wages!

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2019/09/04/gmb-union-call-for-thanet-council-to-overhaul-way-of-dealing-with-bullying-complaints-against-top-officers/

This cost the Council a six figure sum:

https://theisleofthanetnews.com/2019/09/04/gmb-union-call-for-thanet-council-to-overhaul-way-of-dealing-with-bullying-complaints-against-top-officers/

And as late as last week Councillor Oliver of Corbridge, a former finance portfolio holder, asked at a Council meeting about compensation of £435,000 being paid to a different officer? 

*Section 151 of the Local Government Act 1972 requires local authorities to make arrangements for the proper administration of their financial affairs and appoint a S151 Officer, also known as a Chief Financial Officer (CFO), to have responsibility for those arrangements