So the seventh Chief Executive of the unitary IW Council - only in existence since 1995 - left last week. I was trying to recall the other six - Hetherington, Kay, Jagger, Quoroll, Fisher and one other that I can't recall, and it seems to me that only two of the seven will be remembered much past their brief tenure.
Bernard Quoroll was the man who managed to organise the vote counting in the 2001 general election that was almost as late as the traditionally late Northern Ireland results - and they don't start counting until the Friday morning. I was there as Labour agent and I recall the sheer folly of the count arrangements.
And now Joe Duckworth. The man who apparently cost Islanders £1.2 million in two years for little tangible benefit that many can see. However, I'm not one of those who blames local government officers for the mistakes, failures and omissions of their political masters and I am not about to start that now. If there are few tangible benefits the blame lies at the feet of his Tory masters. And the blame for the cost also lies at their feet.
The sad thing is that they will probably repeat the same profligacy this summer........
10 comments:
It only cost £1,300 a day Geoff. Your Labour government could waste this sum in minutes, at least they tried?
The Liberals record on the island is more shocking, the Tories have only had the little fella, give em a break! I agree he didn't seem to achieve much, but then who does? Not Gordon Brown that's for sure.
My guess is we're heading quickly down the road to global depression, as in Great Depression. Unemployment will soar as will reposessions and family breakdown. It's a bleak future we all face and what are the unions saying? 'Our members need bigger pay increases' yeah right. They should think themselves lucky they're working in the public sector. It really is turning nasty for everyone, your members have only to worry about higher fuel and food costs. As 25% of our taxes are going to pay for your members pensions it's us in the private sector who have a right to be unhappy eh?
Is this a private game of tennis?
I quite agree anonymous, there are plenty of people in the private sector who are poorly paid, have less perks and job security, yet still have no decent pension than those in the public sector. Of course we all know one of the reasons for it (ask Gordon Brown if you don't know the answer).
And while you're about it ask him for an accurate figure of how much of our taxes Labour has wasted over the last 11 years. The Island Tories could still learn a lesson or two from him, despite the amount of waste they are responsible for themselves.LOL.
From your list, Alan Kaye filled the post of acting CX for a fixed term of 1 year having been an exceptionally good Director of Education on the Island for 5 years. He is well remembered for his service to the Island's pupils and schools.
Tennis ? I don't generally engage with people whose opinions are so well formed that they have to hide behind anonymity.
Alan Kay(e) was included in my list and I suggested nothing detrimental about his tenure, other than its brevity.
Who was the 7th ?
John Pulsford
Not John Pulsford, he was finance director but John Lawson was acting CX until Vera came
John Pulsford was Head of Paid Service (de facto Chief Executive) until his retirement. He slotted in between Alan Kaye and Mike Fisher.
It's true
What a terrible waste of money. It's the pensions that kill us.
financially? Public servants live longer and cost more in retirement, maybe because many of the fattest cats work less hard than they do in the private sector.
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