Saturday 15 June 2013

Labour council "the worst thing to have happened to Cardiff" - Updated

It remains to be seen whether the compromise reached on the pay of senior council executives between the Welsh Government and the opposition in Cardiff Bay will do anything to curb excesses. Probably not in truth, but events in Cardiff show why Rhodri Glyn Thomas was right to try to bring about change.

The chief executive of Cardiff City Council is jumping ship to join PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and now the WLGA is offering to pay for the services of a former aide to Boris Johnson to come in on a part-time, temporary basis to run the council.

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Update

Thanks to Caebrwyn for reminding us that the WLGA describes PwC on its website (here) as sponsors.

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The unions are aghast, with one GMB official saying that "to have a Labour council back is the worst thing to have happened to Cardiff".

The Welsh Local Government Association was very quick to criticise plans to rein in council executive pay, and its intervention in Cardiff should make more people sit up and question the role of this undemocratic body which is beginning to look more and more like a gigantic job creation scam for Labour apparatchiks.

The WLGA has 68 members representing Welsh councils, and 70% of those are Labour. The second largest group on the WLGA with 14 members are our old friends the "Independents", including Pam Palmer and Mair Stephens from Carmarthenshire (in coalition with Labour). Plaid and the Tories have just 7 seats between them.

Caerphilly, Carmarthenshire and Cardiff have more than the letter 'C' in common.

10 comments:

KLS said...

Not sure if you have this quite right. The WLGA is a representative body of 22 local authorities in Wales pals NPAs. Delegations to the WLGA are based on size of LA and the political complexion of each. If there is a low level of representation from one political grouping then this reflects the situation across Wales. The same situation applied pre-2012.

Anonymous said...

Yada yada. The fact of the matter is the Cardiff Council is in a complete mess after the economic failure of the previous Lib Dem/Plaid coalition.

Just look at the facts - a complete failure to attract inward investment, a slowdown in the regeneration of the bay (with the only real development being the BBC studios) and major infrastructure projects on hold.

Labour have a tough time over the last year putting these things right and everybody jumps on the critical bandwagon. Give them some time.

The situation hardly compares with Carmarthenshire where Labour have been in power since time immemorial (or since 2003 I think).

If your upset about Plaid not being in power help them win some elections instead of moaning about it all the damn time.

Anonymous said...

Not to mention the disaster that is the (Plaid sister party) Green administration in Brighton.

Cneifiwr said...

Thanks KLS. I was being a little lazy there, and you are correct.

Of course, there are no direct elections to the WLGA, and its membership is drawn from the governing groups which run the 22 local authorities, with weighting for population size.

What that produces is a membership which is 90% Labour/Independent, something which never in a million years reflects how people actually voted.

That's what I meant by undemocratic.

caebrwyn said...

What I don't understand is why the WLGA are footing the bill.
The Cardiff Council CEO is off to join PricewaterHouseCoopers, who are business partners with the WLGA. Is there an imaginary revolving door somewhere?

Anonymous said...

Plenty of those doors in Wales!!!

You mean there's more??? said...

This has to be the most brain disengaged comment for a while.

Poor Labour are struggling because of Liberal Plaids legacy?

Oh really?

Isn't that what Osbourne gives as an excuse for his incompetence?

Who was in charge when Childrens Services went into special measures.

Since Labour took back over there has been another event inside a part of Childrens Services that has yet to go public.

R

Anonymous said...

The Lib Dem Plaid Cymru administration of Cardiff City Council was very successful.It governed the city in a proper manner and did not introduce ruinous council tax increases.
In 2012 Good Wage returned with an old granny as a front. The Lord Mayor was abolished and replaced right on woman who was payed loads of money for chairing one meeting a month.After six months the Lord Mayor was restored as New Labour's dopey actions were found to be out of order.
Then Goodwage set the budget and threatened to close down all non statutory activities.
The latest from these incompetent wasters is to employ half dozen overpaid executives and today to higher Boris Johnstons special Tory advisor on loads of money.
Half of the Labour Party hate Goodwage and tied to overthrow his granny stooge with blowin from the Scottish higlands and originally from south east England.
Compared to these New Labour Red Tory careerists tne Lib Dem administration perfection.

Anonymous said...

You can't deny that the Lib Dem/Plaid administration was an economic disaster where growth in Wales' leading economy slowed.

Unknown said...

Lol plaid are the biggest crooks around. Devious manipulating thugs and I'm not joking these are facts.. They are also involved in below the belt fights.. Dirty politics is what they play. I know a few councilars who are best described as thugs who rob their own community! They are involved in foreign businesses that are robbing people. One is also into foreign trafficking from Asia to Europe.. Aparently he isn't breaking British law so it's ok lol