Council hides behind ‘commercial sensitivity’

Date published: 17 March 2010

Rochdale Borough Council, in partnership with the local NHS, paid thousands of pounds of tax payers money to two ‘celebrities’ to attract just two hundred more people to an event than Bury Council managed to attract to a lower key event without squandering tax payers money on celebrities.

Lib Dem Council Leader, Councillor Irene Davidson has tried to justify the fees by suggesting they represent value for money because the payment of the celebrities attracted 800 people to the event, however, the fallacy of this argument has been pointed out by a Heywood priest.

Father Paul Daly highlighted a recent event held by Bury Council, aimed at only the over 50s rather than all ages, so a very much smaller lower key event, were 600 attended without the payment of thousands of pounds to celebrities. The Bury event was opened by the Mayor of Bury.

• www.askbury.co.uk/news-features/29/health-news/37787/over50s-are-feeling-good-for-life

Lib Dem Councillor Liz Thirsk tried to deny the Council had even part funded the event and hence the celebrity fees, but her position was undermined by her party leader, Councillor Davidson, who admitted in a reply to Father Daly that the event had been funded by the Health and Well-being Partnership. Investigations have uncovered that, in the convoluted world of local public sector organisations, the Health and Well-being Partnership is part of the Pride Partnership and the lead partner of Pride Partnership is… Rochdale Borough Council.

Father Daly asked Councillor Davidson: “How can we tax payers know whether it is value for money if you refuse to divulge the amount of our money that is being spent?

“I am therefore requesting that details of the fee that Ricky is being paid be made public. I presume that you believe that it would be very wrong to hide from the public, of whom councillors are supposed to be servants not masters, information as to how our money is being spent? I would hope that, as Leader of the Council, you will personally ask for this information.”

Despite a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, Rochdale Borough Council refuses to divulge the exact amount of the fees paid to Ricky Tomlinson and Bev Callard for their appearances. An appeal against the FOI refusal has been lodged.