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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe – Council Leader’s fantasy land?
Date published: 05/02/2009
Due to his ongoing illness, Council Leader, Councillor Alan Taylor was for the third time unable to attend the full council meeting and present his report to the council, a statistic that prompted questions about the payment of his £20,000 leaders’ allowance. Councillor Robert Clegg, backed by councillors on both Conservative and Labour benches suggested Councillor Taylor should set an example by not taking the allowance for the time he has been absent – since July 2008, to groans of dismay on the Lib Dem benches.
Commenting on Councillor Taylor’s written report to the council, Conservative Leader Councillor Ashley Dearnley likened the report to a novel he read in his childhood, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, in which children entered a fantasy land through the wardrobe. He compared this to Councillor Taylor being in fantasy land and completely out of touch with the reality of council business and yet still presenting the leaders’ written report rather than entrusting the job to the person who has been deputising for him, Councillor Irene Davidson.
Councillor Dearnley was particularly scathing of the fact that Councillor Taylor had not mentioned the highly controversial Pay and Grading Review in his report and this proved he was “out of touch”. He also said that reports ought to be honest and, for example, acknowledge the impact on jobs the current economic climate was having in the borough, “instead of suggesting jobs are being created when in fact they are being lost”.
Have Your Say
Its certaninly true they are out of touch with whats happening or just simply turning a blind eye. When myself and collegues approached Lib Deb councillors in person about the pay and grading they claimed that they knew nothing about the process. I think thats disgusting when so many people living and working in Rochdale are badly affected.
Some may wonder why we don't express an awful lot of compassion for Mr Taylor at present, well - as much as I would not wish him ill, he certainly hasn't shown any compassion to myself & colleagues who are losing pay & conditions. His leaders payment should be questioned and reviewed under Best Value Money. We would all be on half pay by now !
What are Labour party Members doing voting to have the Council Leaders Allowance stopped, or removed when he is off due to a serious illness. It has taken Years to get ordinary manual worker to be paid wages while they are off work sick.
That is something a real conservative may have wanted. But surelly not real labour.
As an observer at the recent cabinet meeting which Cllr Taylor attended, i can agree with the comments that he is 'out of touch'. The comments he made to people being 'silly' because they are upset about losing life-altering chunks of their salary.... He may be able to ignore P&G but I, and thousands of other RMBC residents and employees simply can't... nice to know they care.....
By Cheated @ 05/02/2009 08:33:58
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