An article appeared in today’s Wirral Globe, a local newspaper (currently up for a prestigious National award) and which has long been exposing scandal at Wirral Council.

The paper has spent the last few years reporting to the local public in detail on protracted abuse of disabled people (proven); bullying of staff (proven); abuse of power (proven); contracts riddled with impropriety (proven but covered up).  It has given a voice to Martin Morton, Andy Campbell and others following scandalous goings on in both the Department of Adult Social Services and the Department of Technical Services.

The above list is by no means exhaustive.  It goes on… and on… and on.  The ‘proven’s also go on and on.  But I’m not going to trot it all out and go through all the scandals and fiascos again here.  Please browse the rest of the blog to fill in on the sordid details.

This post is dedicated to a very specific council meeting which I’m led to believe took place on 16th July 2012.  I assume it was a KEY meeting of an Employment & Appointments committee (or possibly sub-committee) – regarding the appointment of the current Chief Executive Officer and former NALGO (now UNISON) national officer, Graham Burgess.

But I can’t find any mention of it on the www.wirral.gov.uk website.  I may have missed it.  Did I get the date wrong?  Possibly.

But while the search goes on, let’s bring everybody up to date on the latest developments.  Here is a link to the Wirral Globe article:

http://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/10052989.EXCLUSIVE___Secret_deal__claim_over_Wirral_Council_trade_union_cash/?cmpid=cmt

There may be some substance to Jeff Green’s claims.  I wouldn’t deny it at all, given UNISON’s woeful track record on defending its members on Wirral – particularly those (including me) who’ve blown the whistle, only to find they’ve been treated as troublemakers or have suddenly become ‘problematic’, with their positions apparently not worth defending.

A union exists to address whistleblowing matters correctly (which go right to the very top of the organisation), and to get to grips with them, doing ‘what it says on the tin’ and representing its paying members when they get into difficulties.

But it seems doing this could invite unwanted attention.  Which would all be highly inconvenient or even threatening – especially if you’ve spent decades getting up to no good, making contacts you perhaps shouldn’t have done…. and perhaps even double dealing and approaching the point of becoming ‘compromised’ in your work….

But look at this…. the associated problem that the Wirral public have is another item of news which came our way via the excellent satirical / factual website Wirral Leaks.  Here’s the information in full:

http://wirralleaks.tumblr.com/post/35835007976/wirral-tapped-up

Checking down Jeff Green’s list of gifts & hospitality, it appears that the Tory leader and long-time Everton fan accepted gifts or hospitality from Graham Burgess, B&DC CEO and long-time Everton fan, which do not appear on his publicised list of registered interests;  in the form of a ticket, meal and drinks at the football game, Blackburn v Everton, on 27th August 2012.  Result: Blackburn 0 Everton 1.

There may be at least a partial explanation for this.  Gifts / hospitality are not strictly ‘interests’.  Examples of interests are clearly listed on the council website as follows:

• Details of any employment or business carried out by them

• The name of their employer

• Details of any Directorships

• Contracts between themselves/their firm and the Council

• Interests in land in the Borough

However, within the Members Code of Conduct, to which all (currently 64) councillors must adhere, the following section is telling:

6. (a) [you] must not use or attempt to use your position as a member improperly to confer on or secure for yourself or any other person, an advantage …

Here also is the advice that the Council refers to in the area of gifts and hospitality:

http://democracy.wirral.gov.uk/documents/s50007819/Appendix%201.pdf

Excerpt:

I would say this directly calls into question Jeff Green’s acceptance of hospitality from Graham Burgess.

Mr Burgess has in the past spent public money on what others might term ‘jollies’, but on this occasion, rather than the Blackburn public’s money being deployed to forge contacts or to seek to gain influence, and a better deal for the people of Blackburn & Darwen, the ultimate prize seemed to be to his own personal benefit – a new position for him as Chief Executive of Wirral Council.

That’s how it must look to watching members of the public.

And so it came to pass, a few weeks later, on the day that Councillor Jeff Green sat on the very Employment and Appointments Committee that was called to consider Mr Burgess’ job application, he was signed up and taken on as the new leader, although he didn’t take up an employment contract and begin to fulfil the duties attached until many weeks later.

The question is: As Leader of the Council at the time, did Jeff Green act improperly, and secure a later advantage for Graham Burgess?

Another question would be: In the absence of the suspended Director of Law Bill Norman, why did his stand-in, Surjit Tour, not examine Jeff Green’s list of declared gifts and hospitality, see the potential for trouble and prevent him from sitting on the committee?

Now I need to find details for this actual committee in order to lay out all the facts, and confirm whether Jeff Green did declare any prior affiliation, association, meeting or interest that was connected to the job applicant on the day…

Back soon…