Friday, June 22, 2012

Kentwatch - Auditors to investigate Conservative Fat Cat payouts?

It seems that our Conservative run Kent council is once more, facing an inquiry, in to what, most of us would recognise as another fat cat payout, the latest scandal, if that is the right word and in my opinion* it is, revolves around the dismissal or redundancy of Katherine Kerswell, paid a whopping £420,000.00 the sort of money which would take some residents of Kent slightly longer to earn than the eighteen months the Chief Executive(MD) of Kent Council was in post.

Anyway what's to do, well not surprisingly it's not just hard working people, that are sickened by Kent Conservative's loose grip on public money, it seems that council opposition groups are considering a proper investigation, in to the matter, by the auditors.


For myself, I have never believed that Katherine Kerswell, was made redundant, as part of an orderly cost cutting process, for this reason, had that been the case, why did Cllr Paul Carter, Leader of Kent Conservatives, allow what must surely be considered, a misleading press statement, to be made, after Katherine Kerswell had apparently "left the building", Kent Council public relations department put out this gem "We would like to make it clear that Katherine Kerswell is and remains the Managing Director of Kent County Council. It is completely untrue to suggest that she has been dismissed or put on garden leave. That was 16th November 2011 , it all goes quiet and then a few weeks later  December 8th 2011 and er.. whoops!...sorry all change  "Blah blah blah .....Katherine will therefore be leaving the council by the end of the calendar year to pursue these new interests.....blah blah blah.


One aspect that appears to have gone below the radar, is Katherine Kerswell's own version of events, however as I understand it**, Kent's Conservative run council have probably used our money on very effective stealth technology by which I mean a legally binding confidentially or "gagging" order preventing informed judgement, on events prior to the seemingly retrospective decision that the MD had been made redundant.


Further details available here from KM's Paul Francis


*I'm not infallible
** I've just emailed Geof Wild KCC Senior legal bod/officer for clarification 

13 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. The KM also reported a payment of £172,000 to the former finance director Lynda McMullan who left the authority in September 2011 and now works for the National Audit Office.
    Back in November 2010 she was "away from her desk" with KCC saying nothing and with her deputy taking up the post which still exists today. So she was never made redundant and to get a senior government job there can be no stain on her record. So is this another expensive fall out with Cater or what is the story?

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  3. Sorry 3 42 your comment is off topic, perhaps if it was not anon I could leave it but it isn't. hence it shall be deleted.

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  4. same scandal at TDC with fake salary increases and payoffs

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  5. tony 10pm comment removed

    it was only a poem and was on topic with reference to gagging orders imposed by KCC who have gagged families from speaking out about their atrocities and who have no choice but to remain anonymous or be imprisoned

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  6. How dare you say KCC is not transparent in its dealings.

    They even invite you in to inspect where they spend OUR money.

    Councillors' Expenses
    http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/councillors_expenses_11#incoming-290255

    "You also very welcome to make an
    appointment to come into County Hall to inspect the claim forms and obtain the information required, we will do all we can to assist with any specific queries."

    ...just make sure you dont eat or drink anything and wear a bullet proof vest just in case they call the police and wear some garlic to keep all those freemasons away....and everything will be just fine

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    Replies
    1. It is quite easy, example one, KCC children's services put children at risk, an inquiry was offered and then withdrawn, over time Conservatives closed ranks, for reasons we can well imagine.

      In each recent case, in which tens of thousands of pounds have been paid out to senior officers, confidentiality has been quoted.

      Paul Carter is on record, objecting to journalist daring to reveal past excessive payouts.

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    2. they simply refuse civil servant salaries, expenses and pensions. Although the civil servants are happy to release councillor costs - a tiny fraction of civil servants costs. And the councillors go along with it.

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    3. They go along with it because they are ALL complicit in fraud & corruption otherwise all would have been revealed a long time ago.

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  7. KCC seems to make a habbit of paying a fortune to get rid of someone, if the employ people with these ridiculous clauses in their contract they best start writing down to earth contracts. I think it annother case of the Public sector thinking they are exempt of real world conditions/pay and are above common sense

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  8. No one forced her to accept their offer its says alot about the sort of people they employ. So we are paying for both officers silence and paying to gag families from speaking out about their children being stolen.

    No wonder they are desperate to keep their dirty little secrets hidden.

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  9. Mean while remember that TDC has been at it as well as you previously reported, Tony. TDC still has a chief exec but the previous one was given a leaving/redundancy payment in excess of £100k together with an enhanced pension. Just before he left his grade was lifted by 2 steps thus increasing his pension. Not bad when a few months later he would have retired anyway.
    Maybe the audit commission should look at this one as well as the tax payer has been robbed.
    You cant pin this one on Clive though.

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  10. And the year before leaving Samuel and White had the 0% payrise fraud

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