| From: Cllr Mark Pengelly
- 25th April 2003 - Councillors Expenses > |
| Note, Some councillors who do work hard ,who do not miss meetings and do use phone on regular basis because they are sometimes out of town at work claimed £0. My own personal view was it was not right to claim while some services were being cut. I was going to claim and give the money to Day Centre and Gathering but believed it would be difficult to justify this. Regards Mark Pengelly |
| FreeCorby Comment |
| Point taken Cllr Pengelly. However, as you can see there are some glaring anomalies................ The other worrying aspect of these expense claims is the simple fact that Corby Borough Council originally refused to publish these figures as they are required to by law. They were threatened with publicity if they did not publish. Then, what did they do? Publish half the list - nothing about the additional expenses were listed in the local paper. As one of our contributors stated to us .......................... 'getting information out of CBC - it's like pulling teeth' and what about the missing information? The un-elected Mayors expenses .................................. The cost of the Leaders mobile phone ........................... The cost of the Deputy Leader's mobile phone .............. The costs of the 'Democratic Core' have increased by HALF A MILLION POUNDS in one year, what else are we not told about? For example, how much of this money is spent on allowances for the Heads of Services, Corporate Director, Deputy Chief Exec. and Chief Exec. - in relocation allowances, in accommodation, etc. etc.? These questions are being asked and will be asked again ................. Especially when, by law, the books are open and the District Auditor is available to the general public. It may be too late for this election but politicians should remember, there are other elections - County Council and ultimately General elections - the actions of a previous labour administration cost labour this seat for many years - the actions of THIS administration could ccost Phil Hope MP HIS seat. However, locally .............. You may be surprised, but we at FreeCorby are NOT against councillors claiming expenses, or even against the amounts they claim IF (and its a BIG IF) they do their job properly. They take the training, they answer their letters, etc. Put simply - they provide the service they commit themselves to provide by putting themselves forward for election. IF they CAN'T or WILL NOT they should get out. Better to have no councillor than the waste of space some, NOT ALL (and, seemingly, certainly not yourself), are!!! (note - thanks to JWC for passing on the expenses info to our contributor - thanks to RR for additional info) |
| From: Cllr Mark Pengelly
- 6th April 2003 |
| To free Corby. I believed Free Corby was an independent ,non political party based information guide for the people of Corby to see what is happening politically in the town not a propaganda machine for the Liberal Democrats. What you should be asking for is a political debate between the three main party leaders so the good people of this town can see what choices there are. The conservative party leaflets are full of lies and in the liberal democrat leaflet that I have seen they have not even priced up the cost of wheelie bins correctly - what would happen if they were in charge of a multi million pound budget is very worrying. I myself have been in touch with the press to challenge the two conservative councillors who are standing against me to a public debate due to the major inaccuracies in their leaflets. What are the conservative and lib dem views on PFI-selling off council homes, privatising services. Where will the money come for the extra 40 police officers that the conservative party promised- what will be cut. Who are the main spokespersons for these two parties, their party leaders. What was Mr. Roddens view of the fire fighters dispute- does he support it or like conservative HQ does he believe that fire fighters strikes post or even after war should be outlawed. I believe you will agree the good people of this town should be told and debates should be held around the town so all candidates including myself can be scrutinized. Regards Mark |
| FreeCorby Comment |
| Thanks for the letter Cllr. Pengelly. Contrary to
your comments FreeCorby is NOT an arm of the Liberal Democrats in Corby.
However, After 8 years of mis-rule by the local Labour Group any credible
opposition is welcome. We at FreeCorby believe that you are one of the better Labour councillors, someone who, on the face of it, truly represents your community (BTW - this is not an endorsement, just an observation). It must be said though that your continued defence of, quite frankly, the indefensible does you no good whatsoever. Last March, one labour councillor was telephoned and asked to oppose the cuts in leisure services. This was ONE WEEK before the full council meeting. His reply? What cuts? (step forward Cllr Beeby) Another was telephoned, a four letter word was the reply. (step forward Cllr Fawcett). The meeting itself was a mismanaged shambles with even the previous leader John Murray unsure and lost Since then we have had the lies of Cllr Hearne's public promise to the Epiphany Day Centre - we have been informed that you were there - how do you feel about this very public lie? Also the massaging of the Audit Commission's last report. How do you feel about some services 'were worse' (not our words). We can understand your continued support for your Labour colleagues. However, now is not the time for tribal loyalty. Corby is at a crossroad's - we go forward into the 21st century or we stagnate in the political mire we have now. We sincerely hope that good councillors, of whatever party, are elected. A bad councillor is still a bad councillor - labour - tory - libdems - others....... We will continue to expose hypocrisy from whatever source - Labour, Tory, LibDems, whoever. One last comment - re: the fire strike. Whatever prospective Cllr Rodden's personal view of the strike we at FreeCorby believe that it ill behoves Cllr Pengelly to bring this matter into an election. Fire-fighters do a very dangerous job - for some to strike shows just how far they have been pushed - We also know that some fire-fighters choose not to strike - not because they do not support their colleagues - but because they felt they could not. A matter of conscience and integrity. We hope that Cllr Pengelly will not try to score 'tribal points' on behalf of the Labour Party on this matter. Some things should be above the political arena |
| From: Don Maguire -
6th April 2003 |
| Hi friends For anyone in the Labour party to ask for a political debate , between all the Main Political Parties is the ultimate hypocrisy. Why should we the Liberal Democrats, share a platform with the unelected Leader of the Labour Party. The very same Labour Leader that made a public promise to fund the Epiphany Centre and has reneged . John Wood Cowling , Kelvin Glendenning - both challenged ,Rob Hearne, unelected Labour Leader, to public debate, and what happened, he adorned the mantle of the Coward. Don Maguire |
| FreeCorby comment |
| Cllr Hearne stated that the debate would take place
within a month - it never did. Another lie from this discredited leader of the local labour Party |