Friday, August 03, 2007

Councillor Warren Bradley "in the dark"

Liberal Democrat Leader of Liverpool City Councillor, currently on holiday abroad, has told the Liverpool Echo and the Liverpool Daily Post that he didnt know anything about the axing of the Mathew Street Festival until the day before it got in the paper. He also said he has no intention of resigning.

It transpires that the select committee met on Monday night and nobody mentioned it there either.

Jason Harborow, Cheif man at the Culture Company (really an extension of the Council but with a wee bit of autonomy) has said he is relaxed about his decision to axe the festival and has no intention of resigning.

We have just seen the worst PR disaster in Liverpool in a very long time.

Yet neither of them feel that their failures, either to be aware of such serious decisions being made on one hand or cocking up the whole management of the event on the other hand, merit them taking any personal responsibility.

Well my message to Cllr Bradley (and I know you read my blog) is this. You are meant to be in charge, that is the essence of leadership. Your vision and strategic planning should be directing your officers. You have let Jason Harborow become too important, you have let him lead, you have let him be in charge. You have let him make decisions that he is "relaxed about" while every other citizen of this city is horrified, embarassed and angry with that decision.

I don't think there is anything wrong with you going on holiday, in fact I totally support your right to do that, as I support Government Ministers having a break too (although I cannot count the amount of times the LibDems have criticised them for so doing) but you ought to have checked that everything was on schedule before you left.

I am sorry to say this really, because even though you are the leader for the other side and I believe Joe Anderson would be much more effective, I still respect your democratic right to be the leader. But you have failed the city by allowing officers to make such hugely significant decisions without even bringing you into the picture. I am sure you are also angry and embarassed and I am sure you are blaming them for keeping you in the dark, but you have allowed this by your failure to have a real grip on events.

I wonder if now is the time for you to consider the practicalities of having a job as a fire-fighter while also trying to run one of the biggest and best cities in the country.

What would you think I wonder if Gordon Brown was doubling up his Prime Ministerial role with being a fire-fighter? Would you wonder if he could manage two such important jobs at the same time? How would you react if you found out that he went on holiday four weeks before the UK Olympics in 2012 without bothering to check that all was in hand, that no-one was going to cancel it at the last minute? I think we know the answer to those questions.

Unfortunately we do not have the capacity in local government to call snap elections, we have to stick with the LibDem leadership of the city until next May, so I suggest that in the meantime, if you really are refusing to resign, you get yourself back into your office and you take control, it is what Government is all about.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Decided to contact the OED and ask to introduce a new word

Harborrow: to harborrow, to make a complete mess of something with out having any understanding of the consequence of the actions, to destroy a whole city's image,e.g. I've jsut done a harborrow, or I think may have dropped a harborrow, I think I may have to harborrow the festival

noun a Harborrow someone who harborrows, has a brass neck, thick skinned, useless. to be paid a Harborrow's ransom, to be paid far too much with regards to your natural and latent talent, to be over paid, e.g he's a bit of Harborrow he is,

Anonymous said...

I'm not surprised Jason is 'relaxed' and 'comfortable' on three grand a week.

Steve, what does the OED say about throwing a Bradley?

Anonymous said...

I;ve just checked and a "bradley" was used by NY fireman when they would turn up at a fire and find there was no pressure in the hose, so the said firemen would then have to "go through the motions" of actually putting the fire out, inevitably the building would be destroyed but to passers by it would seem they were doing a good job, a "warren", can be best summed as "Your'e havin' a warren" as in your pulling my leg, or having a laugh or "taking the warren".
Great book that OED, well my copy is. I'm checking ladbrokes for odds on CC sackings or resignations.