Good news for Council taxpayers this afternoon - as I flagged up earlier today, the Strategy & Regeneration Scrutiny Committee voted overwhelmingly to reject the Leader’s decision to massively increase spending on the Council’s in-house magazine LIFE In Salford.
Documents made available during the call-in process also revealed that the total proposed cost of the expanded magazine will not be £174804 as reported by the Council but actually far higher - the published costs did not include any provision for staffing. Presumably Councillor Merry thinks that the magazine articles commission and write themselves!
I’m really pleased that the Scrutiny Committee has taken the decision to refer this bad decision back to the Leader for him to reconsider. If he is not prepared to change his mind then the matter is likely to be debated at Full Council.
Today i witnessed a man struggling for ideas and answers. The fact Labour members voted for the decision to be looked at said everything . And i think they deserve some praise to not follow like sheep.The idea of putting so much money into a rag that ends up in most peoples bins was shamefull. I felt your case could have been stronger but you gained the result and thats all that matters.Could this be the first seeds of the end of the present leadership. Both Liberal democrats and Conservatives raised the issues over the obsene amounts spent on publicity perhaps sense will know rear it’s head in the labour ranks. Iain how could such a serious issue like to days call in be forced through with limited time for people to forward there cases and ask questions. Is this something elese that needs answering, scrutiny needs to be looked at. I await with baited breath council,let battle commence.
I attended the scrutiny committee as a spectator. The committee made the right decision. The question now is will John Merry see sense or will he use his majority in full council to have it his own way regardless - in the face of all sound reason?