Sefton Council's most expensive committee has become a total farce, say the Liberal Democrats.



The latest meeting of this body held in Bootle Town Hall on the 21st July lasted an amazing 48 seconds and included no discussion about any decision despite both the £2.9 Million Southport Town Centre Heritage Lottery bid, and the Sefton Borough Sports Field Strategy being on the agenda.

Opposition party councillors are allowed to attend meetings of the Cabinet Committee as are members of the public

however neither can play any part in the Cabinet's deliberations.

Councillor Nigel Ashton, who attended the meeting said:

"I was absolutely shocked. You blinked and it was over. It was farcical. I had been told that the meetings were becoming shorter and shorter but did not believe it. So I took my stopwatch. This 'meeting' lasted all of forty-eight seconds."

Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Sue McGuire said:

"When there are such serious pressures on council spending, so much so that important services are being cut, every hour that is spent by senior councillors and officers of the council needs to be productive and worthwhile. This Cabinet Meeting costs the Council Tax payers thousands of pounds per minute - and for what?

Councillor Sue McGuire added

“These Cabinet meetings clearly only rubber-stamps decisions already made elsewhere. Meetings like this are not open or transparent and its clear that any discussion on agenda items are undertaken elsewhere away from public scrutiny.”

Would the Lib Dems have preferred the £2.9million lottery bid for Southport not to have been rubber stamped?

Ridiculous!

How much did this meeting cost in 'attendance fees' and possibly 'refreshments' and 'travel expenses?'

Whilst the Councillors from the Soviet Socialist Republic of Bootle might well justify the need for the meeting to take place, perhaps they should be reminded that we are in the twenty first century. The meeting could have taken place through Skype or by way of a webinar. That could have saved travel costs. Oh, I forgot they all live in Bootle anyway. And as for Attendance fees, would anyone be hard faced enough to claim fees for a 48 second webinar? Probably.

Originally Posted by Blue4ever

Whilst the Councillors from the Soviet Socialist Republic of Bootle might well justify the need for the meeting to take place, perhaps they should be reminded that we are in the twenty first century. The meeting could have taken place through Skype or by way of a webinar. That could have saved travel costs. Oh, I forgot they all live in Bootle anyway. And as for Attendance fees, would anyone be hard faced enough to claim fees for a 48 second webinar? Probably.

Thing is, being the council, they'd probably end up paying Short-Lived Solutions Delivery & Tender-Winners Ltd £650,000 to set it up, then another £250k a year later when half the gear becomes incompatible thanks to vendor lock-in, and then the year after they'd just sack it off due to the network not being up the job.

Every councilor is issued with a top of the range lap top upon being elected. Sefton has its own closed web site as well, BUT they (Councilors) still get many of their papers delivered by an internal postal service in the evening, with the drivers on overtime, while it can all be sent at the push of a button. Each councilor attending the meeting will receive his full attendance allowance including travel and subsistence. In my day, they would also get a full three course meal, but I believe that was stopped. The last full council meetings I attended before being made redundant, lasted minutes. Indeed it took me longer to get the mayor in and out of his robes then process up and down the council chamber than it took to rubber stamp everything. Nice to know nothing has changed. Again, when the meetings lasted longer, as well as the three course meals, they (The councilors) would receive a break half way through, and trays of sandwiches would be placed in either (Depending on which town hall) the Birkdale room, or Number One. It was not unusual to see councilors pulling out plastic boxes and stuffing them full of the sandwiches. One councilor would turn up for the dinner, and bring his whole family (About eight children) with him, and insist that they too were fed. He, strangely enough, was one of those councilors who refused to pay his poll tax.