I find it rather shocking that Conservative Leader of Kent Paul Carter, is so upset about a report referred, to on this blog Wednesday, which focused on an astonishing pay deal, done with Peter Gilroy Kent Chief executive.
Indeed so upset is he, that he has sent an open letter, to the Kent Messenger which I understand is reproduced on KCC’s website (taxpayer funded) as well as that of the KM group. His open letter starts thus “I feel very strongly and I am extremely upset by the way the Kent Messenger has orchestrated their story regarding KCC Chief Executive Peter Gilroy’s contract renewal that was agreed in November 2006.
As one, who is only too aware of Kent Councils attitude to freedom of speech, finding it necessary to insist KCC’s legal department confirm my rights to freely express myself having been pressured after writing about a Kent council project.
Its quite clear to me that Paul Francis (multi award winning journalist) and the KM Group have done absolutely nothing wrong in a free society, the public have a right to open government and being made aware how their hard earned cash(tax) is spent, which if Paul Carter’s Kent Council made the right decision in deciding to offer Peter Gilroy chief executive a whopping retirement bonus of £200,000 and feel it justified, where the beef, Cllr Carter?
KM group have published Paul Carters letter on their website with a reply which mentions that the paper had contacted KCC’s press office several times “The KM Group approached the county council well in advance of the publication of our story. We did this through the council's press office as we judged this to be the appropriate channel.
“The council press office was contacted on several occasions before publication, reminding it of our deadlines.
Just to give some context I, as a responsible blogger also contacted KCC’s media department, this week query one was on Monday asking how KCC spent £300,000 on the new pointless Health Watch project to handle just 500 enquiries, one phone call two emails (in case KCC media bods either had a memory problem and or no pen to take notes) little surprise that they never got back also Tuesday one of the media wallahs confidently confirmed he would ring within the hour, with the name of someone I could contact re KCC extra staff holiday (he didn’t either).
I suggest two things if Paul Carter cannot bare to have open government and prefers a cosy world of secrecy then he should just put up with honest reporting, if as it seems he finds it “too hot in the Kitchen” then find the door, secondly maybe he could give KCC’s press department a kick up the backside (metaphorically) then we would not have these silly misunderstandings would we Cllr Carter.
I just hope that this matter is reported more widely in Kent’s Media although I have strong doubts particularly BBC Radio Kent, who seem to me to have a cosy, unquestioning relationship with KCC’s establishment or have no interest in reporting the local democratic process (which I wrote on in this long winded blog last year but still has relevance).
A bit of a PR disaster for Carter and KCC. KM and Paul Francis come out of this in good light, they did nothing wrong.
ReplyDeleteClearly somebody at KCC thought that the public should know about this cosy arrangement. How right they were.
Carter could have come clean and said we have given him the extra £200K because that is what we do for all of our top earners when they leave! He tried to say that this payment had a neutral effect on kents taxpayers. Clearly this was nonsense as he should have told Mr Gilroy that he had been paid well for his time at KCC and if Mr Gilroy wanted to stay longer it was up to him, but KCC would not be making additional payments because of the new limits imposed by government on pensions.
It also worries me that this payment was agreeed by an all party committee at KCC, what were they thinking or was some trade-off being done?
Instead of bleating about the press and trying to restrict them Kent tories should examine the way they waste our money
ReplyDeleteWot? You mean like national government wasting billions on quangos, civil servants and lazy gits who don't want to get out of bed in the morning? Don't make me larf.
ReplyDeleteProperty developer Paul Carter takes us all for mugs
ReplyDeleteDavid Cameron is sexy!
ReplyDeleteOf course Peter gilroy should have a back-hander of £200,000 on top of his obscene salary, after all he is responsible along with ALL the councillors for the massive amount of children being stolen in Kent for forced adoption.
ReplyDeleteyoutube 'child stealing by the state' Brian Gerrish common purpose
Children are the new currency of trade, creating massive amount of industry, all carried out behind closed doors in secret of course.
Mr Carter couldn't care less about policy or procedure , far too busy threatening and lying to ensure a complete cover-up.
Yes, all councillors are aware but all work together to protect their own backsides.
Maybe Cameron should rethink who he holds company with , and ask himself why he allows Paul Carter & co to turn a blind eye to common purpose graduates running the show, spending £125,000 of rate payers money can not be considered value for money - who are these people
ReplyDeletewwww.whatdotheyknow.com
http://nbyslog.blogspot.com/
NEW CARE SYSTEM ABUSE SENSATION: HOW EXACTLY WOULD VETTING & BARRING HAVE CAUGHT THIS MAN, MR BALLS?
The Slog has argued for over a year now that Britain's Care System is compromised by paedophiles already in it. Over that time, Liverpool, Staffordshire and Plymouth have been identified as areas where it is felt to be rife.
While the madness of 12 million citizens being vetted and barred continues, a new case in Liverpool suggests yet again that dangerous predators are already in the system.
Matthew Byrne faces 32 charges of rape, assault by penetration and false imprisonment.
He is accused of sex attacks on seven different women, and in some cases is alleged to have beaten the women with a cane, gagged, and throttled them for sexual pleasure - says the Liverpool Echo.
Byrne ran the Young Person’s Advisory Service, working with children as young as 10, and was an area organizer for the shadowy organization Common Purpose. CP hastily removed Mr Byrne’s name from their list of area organizers once the charges were announced.
Byrne is another potential case of a senior care-system position being used to indulge in various perverted practices. He is also a classic case in having high connections:
Heseltine and Cameron (above) with Big Cheese
This is how it happens, Ed Balls. Secretive Courts, secretive organisations, gagging orders and cover-ups. Please, please close down your Twitter account, get off your ample bottom - and do something. A lot less V & B security blankets, and a lot more real police work, if you please.
The Slog has devoted many articles over time to this problem. While some conspiracy theories in this area are lunatic fringe to say the least, the history of false imprisonment and trumped up charges against parents is a long one.
#1 Build wall
ReplyDelete#2 Get politician
#3 Prop politician against wall
#4 Get gun
#5 Do what comes naturally!