|
|
 |
| |
Cllr Andrew Cornwell |
‘Cut pensioners’ council tax by £100’
Lib Dem calls for spending cuts to help elderly two weeks after quitting top finance role
FORMER Town Hall finance chief Andrew Cornwell is calling on his party to cut pensioners’ council tax by £100 by reducing wasteful spending on consultants, refreshments and by freezing councillors’ allowances.
Relations between Lib Dem leader James Kempton and his former finance chief Mr Cornwell continued to deteriorate this week with the renegade councillor publishing his own budget proposals.
Cllr Cornwell remains a Lib Dem but is no longer in charge of the Town Hall finances.
He also wants to create debt relief packages and find ways to cut the cost of school meals and uniforms to help families cope with the financial crisis.
In another move to undermine his own party, Cllr Cornwell this week emailed copies of this month’s financial report to all councillors.
The report would have been discussed at last night’s (Thursday) executive meeting, but it was cancelled by Cllr Kempton due to “lack of business” – a move which Cllr Cornwell has openly criticised.
Privately, Town Hall sources have told the Tribune they believe Cllr Cornwell is trying to claim the glory for ideas the Lib Dems have been planning for some time.
In a letter to the Tribune this week, Cllr Cornwell accused his own party leader of fuelling “speculation by silly talk of a ‘nuclear option’ and ‘holding the party to ransom’.” He added: “I have no wish to do that.”
Cllr Kempton declined to respond to his colleague’s comments but said of Cllr Cornwell’s budget plans: “Andrew needs 25 votes to get this through and we’re interested in everybody’s ideas on how to tackle these issues and we’ll consider his contribution to the debate.”
He added: “We’ve run the council now for nine years and I’m putting all of my energies into running the best possible council we can get and I’ll work with anybody interested in helping make Islington a better place.”
Cllr Cornwell resigned from the executive two weeks ago after claiming it was impossible to work with the leadership.
In his resignation letter, he accused his own party of not supporting him in trying to curb wasteful spending and said the gulf between him and Mr Kempton over environmental and transport policies had grown.
He wrote: “I have become increasingly concerned with the leadership style of this administration.”
He signed off by warning that if his concerns are not properly addressed, “not only will the Liberal Democrats not be re-elected to run Islington, they will not deserve to be”.
In the past year, the council spent £164,000 on refreshments and £83,000 on transport outside of London. The Town Hall employs 122 managers earning more than £50,000, with a total bill of £8.2million – an average of £67,000 per person. In the past two years 12 senior managers, either directors or assistant directors, have left the council. In total, they have walked away with just over £1m in redundancy and compensation payments.
It is understood that Cllr Cornwell’s new position as a backbencher has spurred opposition Labour councillors into action, and they have increased their campaigning in St George’s ward, which the former finance chief represents.
Insiders suggest they may be gearing up for a possible by-election, if Cllr Cornwell quits his job as a councillor.
The Tories have also written to Cllr Cornwell to invite him to consider joining their party, which currently has no councillors in Islington.
• Cllr Cornwell’s departure has caused a reshuffle in the executive. Labour chief whip Cllr Paula Belford will join the executive to take over the children and young persons role, and Cllr Ursula Woolley will move over to adult social services, freeing up Cllr John Gilbert to take on the finance portfolio. Cllr Barbara Smith will become chief whip. |
 |
|
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
