The recent press report regarding the overpayment of Council officers and the engagement of a Government Commissioner from the Leader of Northumberland County Council is pure spin!
His attempt to cover over the dreadful happenings at the Council since 2017 is a disgrace and he needs reminding how his party acted both under the wing of deposed Leader Peter Jackson and himself as this poorly spun press report is just another ‘secret council’ stunt by him and his mates.
The bullying of council officers and opposition members has been common place and has drove the Tories on the Council to con and lie to both fellow councillors, press and public for the last six years.
One of the worst aspects since 2017 was the conning of the former Chairperson of Audit, Councillor Hill, and hurting her political career by advising her to put false reports through the audit committee written by Councillors and by allowing the Cabinet member for finance Councillor Oliver to sit in on all audit committee meetings and speak against any opposition whose job it was to scrutinise the auditable actions of him as well as the Council deserves a section 114 notice of its own. The Tories in Northumberland also drove an international auditor to end its contract with the Council early as they took no notice of their professional advice.
Secondly Councillor Sanderson’s treatment of the Cramlington Conservatives has been abysmal after they sided with truth over evil in the Jackson affair. Kissing and making up certainly isn’t in his nature.
We here at murky do not expect that the full reports finding from the commissioner will ever be released but let's just take a few short glances back through history at why we have called this latest news report from the Council Leader spin?
Report: The payments were allegedly made without the “proper authorisation” and contravening the council’s pay policy statements. The funding was related to her responsibilities undertaken with Northumbria International Alliance (NIA).The Section 114 report does not “seek to attribute any individual blame or responsibility for actions or omissions that have led to the unlawful expenditure identified in this report and should not be read as such.”
Truth: When in joint administration with the LibDems 2008-2013 Councillors Sanderson, Jackson, Reid and Tebbutt had officers and legal representative hound Officers of the former Wansbeck District Council who had a matter of identical circumstances and had not put changes through the elected Council. Wansbeck District Council like the current County Council had not suffered loss and in fact poured £millions into the new unitary NCC’s coffers. On an equality and equity basis Councillor Sanderson needs to have his decision making Councillors and Officers hounded to the same degree.
Sand: Council Leader Councillor Glen Sanderson said: “When I took office as leader 12 months ago, I called for a thorough review of our governance arrangements
Truth The external auditor together with interim officers at that time threatened the Council with legally calling in the Council’s lack of lawful Governance arrangements and serving notice due to the Tories unlawful alterations to the constitution in 2017/18 and the dodgy legal advice issued during council meetings.
Sand: “When the council meets to consider the contents of this report , together with the corporate governance review we commissioned from Max Caller CBE, I will ensure that the administration takes all appropriate steps to ensure that there is a new culture of openness, trust and accountability, in all that we do.”
Truth: Councillor Sanderson voted to retain Councillor Jackson in Office against advice and the combined force of the opposition groups and Conservatives rebels during 2020 and has had a considerable time in which to make the necessary alterations to get back to being an open Council, he could have introduced a mixed Cabinet, (He didn’t), He could have had the actions of the last administration investigated, he didn’t and he did nothing about the bullying of staff until he was forced to by Council officers and auditors so the term ‘WE’ in his press spin must be the royal one.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-54002128
The Councillor Jackson debacle also brought into the light the happenings at the international department and we need to ask who signed it off as a project? Him of Course! The then, Leader of the Tories on the County Council.
A Denial list or is that a protagonists list was kindly produced by the Hexham Courant
https://www.hexham-courant.co.uk/news/18685292.breaking-northumbe
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