Interview with Mark Wallace: 1st March 2010

Andy Gall interviewing Mark Wallace Campaign Director of the Taxpayers’ Alliance on BBC Radio Peterborough at 08:10 am 1st March 2010 icw a legal challenge to the release of details of payments made by Peterborough City Council to consultants.

Andy Gall interviewing Mark Wallace Campaign Director of the Taxpayers’ Alliance on BBC Radio Peterborough at 08:10 am 1st March 2010 icw a legal challenge to the release of details of payments made by Peterborough City Council to consultants.

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AG: Now in the past hour we’ve heard that Peterborough City Council is still spending millions of pounds a year on employing consultants. And we’re not likely to find out what they’re being used for, as the consultancy firm is threatening legal action preventing information from being disclosed. Cllr. Mike Fletcher Chairman of the Sustaianble Growth Scrutiny Committee says the taxpayer has a right to know where their money is being spent. Here’s how he found out about the threatened legal action:

(Cllr Mike Fletcher TAPE: On Monday 22nd February, I received an email in the evening, and was going to have an Interim Meeting the next day, but it was received without any prior consultation whatsoever, which had been issued by the Solicitors to the Council.
AG: Right.
MF: And it states: “on the instructions of the Solicitors to the Council, the Informal Meeting of the Sustainable Growth Scrutiny Committee tomorrow is required to be cancelled” The reason being, the Council is being threatened with legal action, over the release of information, and she needs to fully consider what we propose to release, with the lawyers acting for the consultants concerned. She has requested ten working days to sort out this issue. I find that to be somewhat astounding.)

AG: Now Mark Wallace is Campaign Director at Taxpayers’ Alliance and joins us now. Good morning Mark.
MW: Good morning.
AG: Thank you for joining us. Now councils .. do councils normally spend this sort of money on consultants?
MW: It’s actually been an area that so far has been very secretive. Not really in the past because firms have threatened to sue in this disgraceful way, but actually because councils have found it very difficult to put a figure specifically on how much they spend on consultants. That’s partially because obviously you have things like engineering and road development consultants, IT consultants, and management consultants. there’s always been a bit of debate. But it does seem clear that most councils spend at least a few million pounds on this. And I think most people will be shocked to learn that it’s that high.
AG: Where’s the culture gone of being open and honest though, and transparent? That seems to have disappeared when it comes to this little area of consultancy.
Continue reading “Interview with Mark Wallace: 1st March 2010”

Interview with Mike Fletcher: 1st March 2010

Andy Gall interviewing Peterborough City Cllr. Mike Fletcher on BBC Radio Peterborough at 07:10 am 1st March 2010 icw a legal challenge to the release of details of payments made by Peterborough City Council to consultants.

Andy Gall interviewing Peterborough City Cllr. Mike Fletcher on BBC Radio Peterborough at 07:10 am 1st March 2010 icw a legal challenge to the release of details of payments made by Peterborough City Council to consultants.

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AG: It has emerged that Peterborough City Council, it’s rumoured that it’s spending nine million pounds a year on expert consultants. The figure has gone up. Last year it was revealed that the local authority spent eight million pounds on consultants and temporary staff between July 2007 and June 2008. At the time it said that employing consultants actually saves the council money. And Councillor Mike Fletcher is Chairman of the Sustainable Growth Scrutiny Committee.and joins us now. Good morning Mike.
MF: Good morning to you.
AG: Thank you, well we’ll play this with a straight bat. So you were told the figure by the City Council’s Head of Finance weren’t you.
MF: Finance, that’s right, and er if I could tell you the background to this, like many other councillors, I share a serious concern over the council’s use of, and reliance upon consultants. At a Scrutiny Co-ordination meeting, held on the 27th. January, I was told by the Head of Finance that last year the Council paid consultants a total of £9 million pounds. And work that out, that is £750,000 per month, or the equivalent of 90 senior managers on £100,000 a year. neither is this a one-off payment. Similar amounts have been paid, year after year.
AG: So why is there a culture of this, then? What do you put it down to?
MF: Well, I er I don’t know. And that’s why I’ve asked these questions. I want some answers, so that we all know. There may be a very good reason for consultants to be employed. But if we don’t know, then it seems, it remains a mystery, doesn’t it?
AG: We’ve been told that the consultancy firm in question is threatening legal action, if the Council reveals what it’s being used for.
Continue reading “Interview with Mike Fletcher: 1st March 2010”

BBC Peterborough 1st March 2010

Presenter: Andy Gall
Producer: Ben Stevenson

Topics: Consultants bid to block details of cash received from Peterborough City Council. Predicted Government cuts prompt council to put services out to tender. Winter Olympics roundup. Unspent council cash reprise. YOUGOV poll: Tory lead narrows. Local edition of “Come Dine With Me” filmed. Chilean earthquake update.

Interviewees: Mike Fletcher Peterborough City Cllr. and Chairman Sustainable Growth Scrutiny Committee. Kate Mallord Metrosnow. Mike Heath Peterborough City Services. Parveen Ashraf Amaani Spicebox and Cook. Mark Wallace Taxpayers’ Alliance. Bill Bilsby Unison Rep. Peterborough City Services. Toby Earle TV Easy Magazine.

Brands Mentioned:  Westcombe Engineering. Volksworld. Metrosnow. Amaani Spicebox.
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BBC Peterborough 26th February 2010

Presenter: Paul Stainton
Producer: Ben Stevenson

Topics: Community Leadership Fund cash goes unspent in wards. The health risk associated with energy drinks. Sexualisation of children by media a cause for concern. Local dyslexic woman overcomes her difficulties and wants to help others. Peterborough Festival: big names wanted. Lloyds Bank Group reports losses. Dragon Boats go on display. Local pub offers 3-D TV.

Interviewees: John Fox Peterborough City Cllr. Diane O’Carroll Naked Scientists. Dave King Peterborough Festival. Linda Papodopolis Author. Robert Talbot Royal London Asset Management. Marco Cereste Peterborough City Council Leader. Simon Baker Sports Lounge Pub Landlord. Michelle Douglas Dyslexic. Darren Fox Rugby Player. Kevin Lumb Gildenburgh Printing Company.

Brands Mentioned:  Sports Lounge. Cadburys. Red Bull. Showcase Cinema. Lloyds Banking Group. Royal London Asset Management. Gildenburgh Printing Company. Gable Events.
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Interview with Marco Cereste: 25th February 2010

Paul Stainton interviewing Marco Cereste on BBC Radio Peterborough at 08:10 am on February 25th 2010, icw the controversial budget passed by Council on February 24th 2010.

Paul Stainton interviewing Marco Cereste on BBC Radio Peterborough at 08:10 am on February 25th 2010, icw the controversial budget passed by Council on February 24th 2010.

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PS:  Well Council Leader Marco Cereste is with us this morning.  Morning Marco.
MC: Morning Paul, how are you?
PS:  I’m very good. You’re not the most popular man in Peterborough this morning.
MC: Well, there you go,. That’s the problem with being a politician. You can’t please all of the people all of the time.
PS:  Some very difficult choices had to be made this year.
MC: Yeah .. very .. well, you know I’m not so sure that that is exactly right. I mean, to be fair everybody’s prot… or the youngsters are protesting about the buses, and to be, to be completely honest there won’t be a single person in this city who, when they need a bus, can’t catch a bus. And, you know, I’ve gone through this with a tooth comb, my Cabinet members have gone through this with a  tooth comb, in fact in many places in our city the bus service will be enhanced because there’ll be bus services where there weren’t before. So, I understand that nobody likes change, but the reality of it is, even Cllr Sandford said last night, in council, that if you wanted to catch a bus at ten o’clock at night, from Walton to the Showcase cinema, you might not get one. But as far as I know, that may be the only bus service that has been affected.
PS:  Yeah, but but but how do you square ..
Continue reading “Interview with Marco Cereste: 25th February 2010”

BBC Peterborough 25th February 2010

Presenter: Paul Stainton
Producer: Ben Stevenson

Topics: Tory Council budget row rumbles on. School meal subsidy cuts. Anglian Water invests £100 million in new facilities. Toyota vehicles given the all-clear by local dealer. Parking issues for city centre church. Local NHS continues to publish wrong number. Unacceptable salt levels in shop and cafe soups. Book talk.

Interviewees: Darren Fower Peterborough City Cllr. Prof. Graham McGregor Consensus Action on Salt and Health. Tom Trevarthen Peterborough Youth Council. Mary Foreman Head Dogsthorpe Junior School. Father David Jennings St Peter and All Souls Church. Marco Cereste Peterborough City Council Leader. Richard Chard Motorpoint Ltd. Andrew Mackintosh Anglian Water. Anne Elmore Waterstones Bookshop.

Brands Mentioned:  Anglian Water. Toyota. Eat Cafe. Pret a Manger. Sainsburys. Primark. Waterstones.
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BBC_Peterborough-20100224_0700

Presenter: Paul Stainton
Producer: Steve Titman

Topics: Council budget. Bus Cuts. Local youth football team raise cash for Algarve trip. Promo: BBC programme about immigrants and gangmasters in Wisbech. Peterborough Cathedral Choir live on BBC radio 3. Waste plant locals offered sweeteners. NHS Peterborough communication issues. Natural cures for shingles and eczema.

Interviewees: Steven Goldspink Peterborough City Cllr. Salamao Silva Gunthorpe Harriers. Evan Davis Dragons Den. Tom Trevarthen Peterborough Youth Council. Paul Phillipson Peterborough City Council. Andrew Reid Director of Music Peterborough Cathedral Choir. David Seaton Peterborough City Cllr. Dan Rogerson LibDem MP. Jackie Hanratty NHS Peterborough. Michael Van Straten Health Guru.

Brands Mentioned:  PREL. Stella. Playstation.
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BBC_Peterborough-20100223_0700

Presenter: Paul Stainton
Producer: Steve Titman

Topics: Proposed bus cuts. Downing Street bullying allegations. Carbon monoxide poisoning charity effort. Peterborough Male Voice Choir newbie anniversary concert plan. The cost of childrearing. NHS walk-in centre lines of communication questioned. New comedy night at Radius/Solstice.

Interviewees: Phil Green Bus Driver and Unite Rep. Mike Sockett O.U. lecturer. Vicki Courtman bereaved by carbon monoxide. Will Prideaux Peterborough Male Voice Choir. Tom Trevarthen Peterborough Youth Council. Chris Moncrieff ex-Press Association. Nigel Dumbrell Gas Safety Trust. Joe Thorpe NHS Walk-In Centre client. Johnny Mills comedy night organiser.

Companies Mentioned:  Stagecoach. Axiom Housing.
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