WORLD EXCLUSIVE: McCARTNEY TO PLAY ANFIELD - Macca 1, Harbarrowboy 0

PAUL MCCARTNEY is to play at Anfield during Capital of Culture, 2008.

And the ludicrous scheme to stun fish and drain Salthouse Dock for a concert has finally been abandoned (More on this in subsequent posts....)

The McCartney gig - which is the answer to the Harbarrowboy's prayers - will be announced on September 27th.

(Unless the fact that we have just announced this world exclusive forces some of the papers to suddenly wake up, or that bloke whose name we always forget who is the Culture Company's highly paid Communications Supremo gets his arse into gear quite unexpectedly, eds)

Macca had been due to travel to Liverpool for the special announcement in two weeks time - but now has a prior engagement and sadly won't be attending. Jase will be bitterly disappointed - he was hoping to bathe in Macca's reflected glory.

Incredibly, some terribly po-faced cultural bores were also opposed to the McCartney gig being announced on the 27th, because it would take attention away from the rest of the cultural programme for 2008 which will be revealed at the same time.

But then they are labouring under the misapprehension that the second rate fare they have cobbled together matters more than the city's most famous son turning up in 2008.

Originally it had been hoped that McCartney would headline the ludicrous Liverpool Sound concert at the Salthouse Dock.

But, as we exclusively predicted ages ago, the Culture Company have now been forced to admit that their plan to dredge the dock and stun all the fishy inhabitants, is a non- starter.

It would have cost £6.5million to get the fish out safely and biff them over the head safely before transporting them to a giant tank.

So now attention will switch to Anfield. We doubt, however, that McCartney's arrival will suddenly undo all the damage caused by the incompetence of the Culture Company.

Or help save the necks of the rapidly disappearing Lib Dems...

THE GREAT WHITE HOPE(LESS)

And so the Great White Hope comes riding to the rescue.

Cometh the hour, cometh the man.

Step forward the lugubrious Phil Redmond, self-styled man of the people, multi-millionaire and purveyor of ubiquitous Scouse stereotypes.

Some have greatness thrust upon them, Redmond has thrust his greatness upon us (oooeeer missus, eds)

Redmond is now, apparently, hailed the saviour of Capital of Culture, determined to stop the rot, end the nonsense and finally connect Culture with the people it is meant to serve.

He has been appointed to lead Capital of Culture into the sunlit uplands of 2008, after the second Night of the Long Knives at the Culture Company Board.

First they were 24.

Now they are just six.

We hesitate to say 'we told you so'.

Oh alright then, we don't hesitate at all.

WE TOLD YOU SO!

The Culture Board was a washed-out and washed-up collection of Henshaw's tame yes men and women, who were neither use nor ornament to the great city of Liverpool.

Like the powerless Lib Dems, who sat wringing their hands in despair on the sidelines, the Culture Board betrayed the city of Liverpool and its people.

How so?

They fiddled about while the city burned with indignation.

And Redmond is just as culpable as the rest of a Board which all sat silently on their hands while the Harbarrowboy fucked over Liverpool, good style.

Not one of them raised a voice in complaint (except the principled Joe Anderson of course, eds)

Not one of them dared to have the courage to say enough is enough.

Not one of them tried to stop the Culture Co bollocksing up the city's big chance.

They stayed schtum and silent, when they should have been shouting from the rooftops.

They are all - including Mr Phil Redmond - complicit in this comprehensive failure.

Will we get an apology?

Will we buggery.

And now we are asked to pin our hopes and put our faith in the silent one?

The man who earned his fortune on the backs of Liverpool people by caricaturing the city with ugly Scouse stereotypes?

The man who gives professional Scousers a bad name?

The man who thinks that speaking up for Liverpool means saying nothing?

You must be out of your tiny mind.

We have no confidence in Redmond. We never have had any confidence in him.

He has done fuck all in the last two years and deserves to be fucked off like the rest of them. He has proved our point.

And we particularly lack any confidence in the new Redmond regime, when Deputy Dawg is the Fireman Bradley who demonstrates his powerlessness with each passing second that the Harbarrowboy survives.

The Redmond regime will make the right noises (with the right accent - carefully preserved by a strict diet of honey and roses, eds).

But he will not bring the enduring change for the better that Liverpool needs.

Nor will he seriously consult the staff at the Culture Company who have been working hard to leave a tangible legacy, despite the handicap of the Harbarrowboy's mis-management.

Oh no, instead he will dream up a few typically tabloid schemes to buy off the limp Echo - and then suddenly proclaim 2008 a great success.

Some will be fooled by the fireworks. But we won't. We have had years of Lib Dem spin that everything in the garden is rosy. We know what's what.

Take a trip to Speke, matey. Or Croccy. Or anywhere in north Liverpool.

See if you can spot a rosy garden there.

And who ever gave Redmond the authority to lead the people's Capital of Culture, anyway?

The people certainly did not.

No-one consulted US.

No-one elected him.

No-one can fire him.

And who will hold him to account for 2008?

Deputy Dawg?

Give us a break.

Self-appointed, self-interested, self-selecting.

Self-serving.

Nothing ever changes.

PS While the knife was being wielded on the Culture Company, the Harbarrowboy is away in Spain putting the finishing touches to his retirement home. He will be gone with a huge pay-off inside the next month with some spin about his job being done.

TODAY'S INSPIRATIONAL HEADLINES FROM THE LIVERPOOL ECHO ABOUT CRIME, DEATH, MURDER, DRUGS - NOW EXACTLY WHO IS GIVING THE CITY A BAD NAME?

Visitors robbed in visit to Walton prisonA VISITOR to Walton jail had her car stolen after someone took her keys from a secure locker.more

It should have been Rhys Jones' first day at schoolTWO months ago Rhys Jones was kicking a football around Broad Square primary school playground.more

‘Dog was on top of Ellie . . it wouldn’t let her go’A WOMAN allowed a powerful and dangerous dog into her house where it mauled her five-year-old grand-daughter to death.more

Man cleared of murdering teenager Liam SmithA MAN has been acquitted of murdering Liverpool teenager Liam Smith.more

Please find my Ryan’s killerTHE mother of a Liverpool man gunned down in the street today made a heartfelt plea to catch his killer.more

Jane Tomlinson’s marathon fight for life finally endsCHARITY crusader Jane Tomlinson has lost her long battle against cancer, it was announced today.more

City had a birthday to rememberLIVERPOOL celebrated its 800th birthday in style with hundreds of street parties across the city.more (THIS IS THE ECHO TRYING TO SELL THEIR PICTURES OF THE PARTIES....EDS)

Police evict man from ‘crack den’EVICTEDmore

So - obviously nothing positive happening in Liverpool again, today?

LEE BREAKS HIS SILENCE, THE FIREMAN PLANS TO QUIT, THE HARBARROWBOY TAKES A SIESTA AND COVER UP KEEPS ON TAKING THE MONEY....

CONGRATULATIONS (as Sir Cliff once sang) to Liverpool Confidential for its exclusive story on Lee Forde taking the city council to an industrial tribunal for constructive dismissal.

HERE IT IS if you have been asleep. (and very well done Angie)

Congratulations too to Mr Forde, for whom we have been rooting these last few disastrous weeks.

Good on you mate.

Colin Cover Up from the city council, the Harbarrowboy, and, we daresay, The Fireman, have all conspired to try and shove the blame for the Mathew Street debacle onto your innocent shoulders.

This is the kind of disgusting and disgraceful behaviour we have come to expect from these cowardly bastards.

We will repeat again:

‘if any one of the gang of three had an ounce of integrity in them, they would do the honourable thing and resign now’

We are told that you have enough evidence in your bottom drawer (a la McElhinney) to hang both the Harbarrowboy and The Fireman.

We hope you get the chance to use it.

Although frankly, why you would want your job back with such a fundamentally discredited and corrupt organisation must be beyond the understanding of all reasonable people.

We hope that this is merely a negotiating position and that you will be able to move on to a successful career elsewhere, after the satisfaction of giving this lot a good kicking. (Shades of Matt Finnegan wethinks, eds)

You might also get your legal representatives to examine the Echo's disgraceful 'gardening leave' story and bills which they also posted that day which read 'Culture Chief suspended' (we thought they were talking about Jase at first! eds) You may well find yourself trousering at least five figures from Trinity Mirror.

Whatever, what is abundantly clear - and has been to anyone pausing on the dock road for a second - is that the Mathew Street debacle is not going to go away, is it?

We resisted the temptation to comment on the way the city centre was left a virtual ghost town on Bank Holiday Monday. Has anyone asked how much has this spectacular own goal cost the city in lost revenue?

The Harbarrowboy did himself no favours by his ridiculous and arrogantly self-serving assertion that "it was as good as last year".

Does he really think the people of Liverpool are so stupid? (Obviously, eds)

We do not need to intrude any further into such a public pantomime.

The facts, at least those that have emerged so far, speak for themselves.

So Lee, we continue to be on your side - and at your disposal, should you wish to provide us with copies of any of the incriminating documents said to be in your secure possession.

Give us a call - no names no pack drill.

We should also congratulate you for the Liverpool Confidential story which makes it clear the contempt which you hold for the Culture Company.

Judging by the startling, but extremely welcome, chorus of boos from the crowd on Tuesday at the mention of the Culture Company, your view is shared by the people of Liverpool. (Tony started all this, eds)

So where does this leave us now?

• We await Cover Up's whitewash report.


• Labour's Joe Anderson will get the chance to stick the knife in again at Wednesday's special Council meeting. Ring side seats are available now to watch the Lib Dems try to keep the lid on the simmering rows and rivalries amongst them and justify the Fireman and Cover Up's woefully inadequate council investigation into 'why no-one was at all to blame for the Mathew Street thingymajig, which was really only a slight error of judgement, honest folks and lets forget all about it and move on to another great firework display next year'. It promises to be another great birthday show.


• The Culture Company is going to be wound up before the end of the year when we will all be treated to another great show along the lines of 'what an excellent job we have all done' (Tony was right about that, too, eds)


• The Fireman is today strongly rumoured throughout the city to have decided to quit at the end of September, presumably post another humiliating by-election defeat, but having administered the coup de grace to Bonehead's Blockheads.


• Then the succession battle will start (that's another Storey, eds)


• Redmond may well accept the Echo's poisoned Culture chalice and ride (or slouch) to the rescue and thereby lugubriously position himself for a subsequent shot at being Liverpool's first ever elected Mayor. (Not if Joe comes home in May, he won't, eds)


• The Harbarrowboy will go off for a well-deserved siesta, manana. Strong and persistent rumours have it that Jase and his family have applied some time ago for dual nationality and that the family have already de-camped to Spain to enjoy his burgeoning property portfolio. (Bloody hell, 2008 is obviously going to be so bad this fucker is leaving the country! eds)


• And Cover Up will award himself another Performance Related Pay rise.

FARFROMINDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION: NO-ONE TO BLAME SHOCK FINDINGS, EXCLUSIVE

COLIN COVER UP was told about problems with the Mathew Street festival months before it was scrapped.
The Harbarrowboy regularly gave him updates on the worries over Europe's biggest street festival.
Yet the £220,000-a-year Hilton failed to raise the alarm until it was too late.
This has all emerged from the city council's Municipal Buildings where Harbarrowboy, as the Executive Director for Culture, made regular visits from the Millennium House Fun Palace.
He reported regularly to Hilton, as his boss and chief executive of the city council.
Yet Cover Up did nothing about it (no change there, then, eds).
The word amongst senior officers - some of whom witnessed the Harbarrowboy actually briefing Hilton - is that Jase may have to walk the plank to protect his boss's job.
No doubt Hilton will be able to ensure there is a lucrative leaving package to make Jase's ignominious exit more palatable.
The revelation that Hilton was intimately connected with the Mathew Street debacle comes as no surprise to insiders at the city council.
But it makes a mockery of the fireman Bradley's protestations that he has every confidence in Hilton's farfromindependent 'investigation' into who knew what, when, and who did what about it.
So Hilton is in it up to his neck.
So too is the Harbarrowboy - he knew about the problems, but did nothing about them.
He also created the Mathew St mess in the first place - by demanding swinging cuts, forcing Lee Forde's departure.
And what about the fireman Bradley?
He personally employed both the Harbarrowboy and Cover Up in their lucrative jobs.
He has only himself to blame when their failures are now revealed for all to see.
And like any other political Leader in the known universe he must also take personal responsibility for the mess his organisation has created.
As Joe Anderson has thankfully pointed out: all this happened on Bradley's watch. He is the Captain of the Ship. He must take responsibility.
Of course if any one of the gang of three had an ounce of integrity in them, they would do the honourable thing and resign now, rather than allow this pantomime to continue.
That would at least draw a line under a fiasco which all three have personally allowed to drag on for the last four weeks.
Of course none of them do (have any integrity or honour, eds)
They don't care about the reputation of the city which is being made a laughing stock every day in the public prints.
The fireman is more concerned about his political position.
Cover Up is more concerned about his money and disappearing repuatation.
The Harbarrowboy is more concerned about the dosh he will lose and his property interests in Spain.
None of them, of course, are the slightest bothered about the looming outcome of Cover Up's farfromindependent 'investigation'.
They know that no council official has the bottle to point the finger at Cover Up, The Harbarrowboy or The Fireman.
So here is our exclusive report about the farfromindependent investigation's shock conclusions:

• No individual can be blamed (with the possible exception of the entirely innocent Lee Forde, but certainly not the esteemed chief exec, eds)
• The Mathew Street fiasco happened because of serious breakdowns in organisational communication between the city council and the Culture Company (this is an inevitable consequence of two huge organisations working together on a major project, eds)
• The fiasco also happened because of some fundamental systemic failures within the Culture Company (but no names and no pack drill, it would not be fair to release the report in its entirety would it? eds)
• The Culture Company obviously needs more experienced staff brought in for 2008 (a licence for the influx of an army of new consultants, eds)
• The council is deteremined to tighten up some of the Culture Company's internal procedures and reporting regimes to ensure there is no repeat in 2008 (this failure is understandable with such a new organisation which has had a comparatively short history of running major events and is a little inexperienced, eds)
• The Mathew Street festival will go ahead next year and be bigger and better than ever before and we will seriously listen to all concerned, including Joe Reilly and Rex Makin (a clumsy attempt at a reassuring sop, eds)
• At least we have got our major mistakes out of the way before 2008 (if you believe that, you will believe anything, eds)
• Don't worry abvout 2008 now - it's safe in our hands (cut to carefully-staged photo of The Fireman shaking hands with The Harbarrowboy, while Cover Up looks on benevolently, eds).
• Quotes from The Fireman: "lessons learned, blah-blah; shock to the system but great the way we all pulled together, blah-blah; harsh things said on both sides, blah-blah; shows how we all care, blah-blah; investigation left no stone unturned, blah-blah; open and transparent, blah-blah; Anderson just running the city down, blah-blah; cheap political point-scoring, blah-blah; i'm only a fireman, blah-blah; trust Colin with my life, blah-blah; me and Jase have professional relationship, blah-blah; working together, blah-blah; determined to make 2008 a fantastic success, blah-blah.")

And that, dear readers, will be that. Unless you do something about it.

GOING...GOING....

WHY LEE FORDE REALLY QUIT THE CULTURE COMPANY...

EVENTS MANAGER Lee Forde quit the Culture Company because the Mathew Street budget had been slashed - threatening public safety.
The Harbarrowboy unilaterally halved the amount of money being spent on events such as Mathew Street, the Hub Festival, the Lord Mayor's Parade and the Christmas Lights switch-on. Harbarrowboy was under pressure from Cover Up to reduce the amount of public money being used by the Culture Company after squandering millions on consultants, astonomical wages and pie in the sky schemes.
He was told to reign-in the Culture Company's mounting expenditure in the run-up to 2008.
But he also personally decided to save up some money for next year's events so that 2008 would not turn into the damp squib we have all feared.
Jase planned to splurge it all on public events next year so that he could go out in a blaze of "glory" having delivered an apparently successful Capital of Culture.
Forde expressed his concern at the implications of the sweeping cuts and refused to keep quiet. (Good for him, eds) He warned the Harbarrowboy that such draconian cuts would put public safety at risk and contravene strict health and safety regulations.
But the Harbarrowboy told Forde: "I don't want any discussion about this - just get on with it."
Forde then submitted his resignation in disgust, telling the Harbarrowboy that it was impossible to deliver such events without compromising public safety.
The Culture Company tried to put a brave face on his shock departure, 'Jase' arrogantly telling the BBC in an interview that no-one was indispensable and that they would carry on as normal.
In fact, the opposite was true. (see TP's previous post about Forde's departure for an entirely accurate account of the likely impact, eds)
Forde's departure meant little work was done on Mathew Street, which was left to his deputy Eddy Grant to try and pick up.
The £150,000-a-year Harbarrowboy failed to adequately manage the resultant gap and then eventually decided to cancel a festival which was not even his to cancel.
The result?
Uproar.
Forde is now the victim of a disgraceful and all too typical attempt by the city council and the Culture Company to shoulder all the blame for the fiasco.
The Echo was told (apparently by Bradley) that Ford was on "gardening leave" - a sickening and disgusting attempt to smear him.
His deputy Grant is now on long term sickness absence, as a result of the mounting pressures he was put under.
This effectively means the Culture Company has lost its senior Events chiefs at a stroke - an amazing 'achievement'. This is likely to have further implications on events in the city.
One Culture Company insider said:" Lee has never been a 'yes' man and when Jason told him to implement the cuts, he couldn't keep quiet any longer.
"He refused to put up with the incompetence. And no-one took control of the situation or did anything significant about it. It's a classic case of management failure."
Meanwhile, we can also reveal that the Harbarrowboy has been sent on 'gardening leave'. Cover Up told him to go and take a week off while the dust settled over the Mathew Street debacle.
He is due to return to the Fun Palace tomorrow (Tuesday) - but is unlikely to get a quiet reception.
(All will soon be revealed....eds)

WHY LEE FORDE QUIT THE CULTURE COMPANY...

EVENTS MANAGER Lee Forde quit the Culture Company because the Mathew Street budget had been slashed - threatening public safety.

The Harbarrowboy unilaterally halved the amount of money being spent on events such as Mathew Street, the Hub Festival, the Lord Mayor's Parade and the Christmas Lights switch-on.

Harbarrowboy was under pressure from Cover Up to reduce the amount of public money being used by the Culture Company after squandering millions on consultants, astonomical wages and pie in the sky schemes.

He was told to reign-in the Culture Company's mounting expenditure in the run-up to 2008.

But he also personally decided to save up some money for next year's events so that 2008 would not turn into the damp squib we have all feared.

Jase planned to splurge it all on public events next year so that he could go out in a blaze of "glory" having delivered an apparently successful Capital of Culture.

Forde expressed his concern at the implications of the sweeping cuts and refused to keep quiet. (Good for him, eds)

He warned the Harbarrowboy that such draconian cuts would put public safety at risk and contravene strict health and safety regulations.

But the Harbarrowboy told Forde: "I don't want any discussion about this - just get on with it."

Forde then submitted his resignation in disgust, telling the Harbarrowboy that it was impossible to deliver such events without compromising public safety.

The Culture Company tried to put a brave face on his shock departure, 'Jase' arrogantly telling the BBC in an interview that no-one was indispensable and that they would carry on as normal.

In fact, the opposite was true. (see TP's previous post about Forde's departure for an entirely accurate account of the likely impact, eds)

Forde's departure meant little work was done on Mathew Street, which was left to his deputy Eddy Grant to try and pick up.

The £150,000-a-year Harbarrowboy failed to adequately manage the resultant gap and then eventually decided to cancel a festival which was not even his to cancel.

The result?

Uproar.

Forde is now the victim of a disgraceful and all too typical attempt by the city council and the Culture Company to shoulder all the blame for the fiasco.

The Echo was told (apparently by Bradley) that Ford was on "gardening leave" - a sickening and disgusting attempt to smear him.

His deputy Grant is now on long term sickness absence, as a result of the mounting pressures he was put under.

This effectively means the Culture Company has lost its senior Events chiefs at a stroke - an amazing 'achievement'. This is likely to have further implications on events in the city.

One Culture Company insider said:" Lee has never been a 'yes' man and when Jason told him to implement the cuts, he couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"He refused to put up with the incompetence. And no-one took control of the situation or did anything significant about it. It's a classic case of management failure."

Meanwhile, we can also reveal that the Harbarrowboy has been sent on 'gardening leave'. Cover Up told him to go and take a week off while the dust settled over the Mathew Street debacle.

He is due to return to the Fun Palace tomorrow (Tuesday) - but is unlikely to get a quiet reception.

(All will soon be revealed....eds)

BLOCKING THE BLOG (PART 97)...CITY COUNCIL PREVENTS ACCESS TO LIVERPOOL SUBCULTURE

WHAT A STUNNING IDEA FROM THE CULTURE COMPANY!

We know this is swimming against the tide of public opinion, but we must congratulate the Culture Company on their latest brainwave.

They plan to drain Liverpool's historic Salthouse Dock to create a 20,000 seater venue for a televised BBC charity concert.

Then they want to stun the fish who swim in the dock before safely transporting them to a temporary new home.

A giant goldfish bowl will then be created in the centre of Liverpool where people will pay a fiver to splash around with the rescued fish for the world premiere of an exciting performance art concept.

(We've made this last bit up, eds. The rest is totally true, unbelievably. )

If this madcap, crazed and crazy scheme ever sees the light of day, we will kiss Sir David Henshaw's personal wad, take Colin Cover Up and his mum for dinner (humble pie on the menu, eds) and buy the Harbarrowboy his very own sun lamp.

(So there's a huge incentive for you to actually try and deliver something, lads)

We know Tony Parrish has made much of there being something very fishy about the evil cabal, the city council and the Culture Company. But this is ridiculous.

The woman who put Brian May on top of Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Jubilee concert is apparently behind this bonkers scheme - forced by the lack of major concert venues in Liverpool. The Culture Comp have enthusiastically taken the bait.

Computer generated images have already been shown as part of a glossy presentation to senior officers of the city council, who were apparently left gasping for breath, stunned as a proverbial salty fish and open-mouthed. (No change there then, eds)

The Beeb are all very excited about this unusual use of licence fee payers money.

How much developing this scheme has cost the city's council tax payers so far, is anyone's guess.

How much it will actually cost to stage is astronomical - and rumoured to put £250 on council tax bills for every single home in Liverpool.

Nice to know your hard-earned money is being spent so sensibly, isn't it?

Of course, the Culture Company could be making yet another rod for their own backs.

Or they may be fishing for badly-needed compliments.

The Harbarrowboy could, true to form, prove as slippery as an eel and be spinning us another line. (Although the Daily Post earnestly repeated details of this bizarre plan today, apparently completely straight-faced, eds)

It could also, very obviously, be the one that got away. (Sorry about that, couldn't resist, eds)

In the meantime, if anyone would like to phone the RSPCA to protest about cruelty to the poor fish being stunned, please be our guests.

And if anyone would like to form a Capital of Culture Fish Fanciers Society, please contact us asap.

Meanwhile, we are inviting suggestions for the bands who are likely to appear at the 2008 Fish Festival in Salthouse Dock. (Of course, no one has been booked yet, eds)

Some artist suggestions:

Seal

The Sharks

Shirley Bass-ey

Eels

Kylie Minnow

Groove Armada

Cod Creole

Roachford

The Four Roll Mops

Bob Marlin and the Whalers

Songs to be sung include:

There's A Plaice For Us

Yellow Submarine

It Could Salmon to You

I Cod Have Danced All Night

You Don't Send Me Flounders Anymore

If I Cod Be With You

In The Eel Small Hours Of The Morning

Sea Eeled With A Kiss

That's a Moray

Clam Every Mountain

It Haddock Be You

When You Fish Upon A Star

I Am the Walrus

Shark! the Herald Angels Sing

You Walrus Hurt The One You Love

Sole Train

Zing! Went the Strings of My Carp

Salmon Janet Evening

Nearer My Cod To Thee

Roe, Roe, Roe Your Boat

Mackerel The Knife

Crocodile Rock

Stingray (der der der der)

Water Way To End It All

POSTCARD TO THE CULTURE COMPANY FROM THE HARBARROWBOY

Dear all,

I couldn't get any answer from Liverpool Direct, so I decided to send you a postcard instead. Probably a lot quicker.

I am having a lovely time here on the Costa Del Tanningmybacksideoff, sipping Pina Coladas.

I gather from that skinny fella who is our Communications Director - I've forgotten his name - that the Daily Post would like to interview me this week about the forthcoming 'Not the Mathew Street Festival.'

Can you just tell them that I have nipped out of the office for a quick sandwich and will be back soon?

Please don't let them find out that i have gone off on my jollies, just as everything is going pear-shaped.

If the Post are really desperate for some answers, can you get two of the girls to get off their arses and give the Post an exclusive interview about the programme for next year.

They don't need to say anything new - just the usual vague and empty promises will do.

Something along the lines of "world-beating....stunning events....Jase working his socks off...worth every penny, etc, etc." The usual bollocks.

We could even mention Pete Postlethwaite again, if we are really desperate.

Also can we slip in somewhere that the announcement about the 2008 programme will be in November, rather than next month as we originally promised?

No-one will notice and it will give me a bit more time to try and get Maccas phone number from someone who met him when he last came to Lipa.

By the way, has anyone seen the forgetful fireman recently? I hear he wants to be known as Hawkeye from now on because he will be keeping a beady watch on us all.

He may be watching us like a hawk, but he is still parrotting the same platitudes.

Perhaps he should be called The Parrott instead?

Have internal audit finished going through all my emails yet as part of their so-called "investigation"?

I wonder if they will find the emails I sent to Warren about the problems with Mathew Street? He now appears to have conveniently forgotten them - perhaps he doesn't look at his emails anymore after what happened to Storey-teller?

Anyway, I'm sure 'Cover Up' will make sure Bradley sees only what he wants him to see.

I hope all the fuss has finally died down now about that little Beatles event that we cancelled? It was crap anyway.

I imagine the Echo will have gone back to its daily diet of crime and second rate celebrities - I'm sure we could suggest a few names who could help them out on that if they need any more?

Anyway, time to go - I've got to have a look at some new property.

See you for the birthday party - Storey will be back from his jollies then too!

lots of love,

Jase xxx

- Pass the sun oil can you, darling?

With apologies to E.J.Thribb, aged 17

So, farewell then

Mathew Street.

'And the beat goes on',

You used to sing.

Then the council

Cancelled you.

Was it a Barrowboy?

Or a fireman?

We shall never know

It will be Covered Up.

Meanwhile the empty city streets

Will Echo to the sound

Of laughter.

WHY DID WARREN BRADLEY LEAK HIS EMAILS TO DRUMMOND BONE HEAD TO THE DAILY POST?

Answers on a postcard here....
(read about the emails here...)

ADVICE TO WARREN BRADLEY ON MATHEW STREET FESTIVAL: STOP PICKING AT AN OPEN WOUND

Dear Councillor Bradley,
You are making matters worse. Stop picking at the open wound you have created over Mathew Street.
Your chief executive Cover Up and your Culture boss the Harbarrowboy have created a god-awful gaping wound in Liverpool's self-esteem and cultural reputation, which you can't cure or cover up with a cobbled together rescue plan made of sticking plaster.
Stop parading your stupidity in public, in full view of the TV cameras.
You are only drawing further attention to your crass incompetence and lack of control over the fools at the council and the Culture Company.
Worse, the nightly updates on the telly and in the papers just pile on the agony for Liverpool.
You are making things worse for the city.
Stop it now. And instead, take tough action against those responsible.

Tony's Parrishioners

IT'S OFFICIAL: AUDIT COMMISSION'S DAMNING VERDICT ON CULTURE COMPANY: 'POOR PROSPECTS FOR IMPROVEMENT'

EXTRACT FROM 2006 AUDIT COMMISSION REPORT ON CAPITAL OF CULTURE

SUMMARY....
.....6 The Council does not adequately monitor or measure value for money within cultural services. It has some information on costs but does not routinely evaluate the relationship between service quality or service outcomes and the cost.

7 There are a number of reasons why future improvement is uncertain. There is a lack of clarity around what the Council's wider ambitions for cultural provision in Liverpool will mean for local people and how it will be delivered. Planning is dominated by the Capital of Culture and it is not clear what legacy will remain after the main festival year in 2008.

8 Although improving, performance management in cultural services has been weak and the Council's performance management framework has not been effective in measuring the impact of cultural services on local people. This means that the Council cannot always judge whether its investment is having the desired effect on improving quality of life.

9 Whilst much of the funding required to deliver Capital of Culture is already in place, the Council overall has significant financial pressures and whilst medium and longer-term financial plans are being developed, this has been slow. The Council is aware that it will not be able to sustain high levels of funding for culture and through the Culture Company is looking at future funding opportunities to ensure that plans are sustainable.

-------------------------

13 The service has uncertain prospects for improvement because:
* other than for Capital of Culture, there is a lack of clarity around what the Council's ambition and vision for cultural services will mean for local people and how it will be delivered;
* there is little recognition within high level corporate plans of the role of culture in delivering strategic priorities;
* although improving, performance management in cultural services has been weak and the Council's performance management framework has not been effective in monitoring the impact of cultural services on local people; and
* the Council has significant financial pressures in other areas which may impact on its ability to finance its cultural ambitions.

WE TOLD YOU SO!

TONY'S BLOG UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT: PITY THE CULTURE COMPANY ISN'T!

Dear loyal readers,

We have missed you.

That's why we have persuaded the legendary Tony Parrish (alive and well and living in clover, somewhere across the water, surrounded by a bevy of gorgeous followers catering to his every whim, ed) to hand over his blog to his fans (that's us, ed) so that we can carry on his good work.

And there has been no better time for a new, tougher, more uncompromising broom to sweep through Liverpool subculture than now - when the dunderheads at the Culture Company appear to have finally gone bonkers/insane/committed hara kiri - by cancelling the Mathew Street festival.

As we speak, our favourite organ, the Echo is launching a last ditch bid to hold Europe's biggest outdoor music festival (what about Glastonbury? ed) in a pub somewhere off Old Hall Street.

Our current council leader Warren Bradley has flown back from the Canary Islands, muttering "crisis, what crisis" under his breath and has also revealed his own personal 'no booze' rescue plan to save the festival.

At any moment, we are expecting Gordon Brown to divert his attention from boring foot and mouth disease and form a four piece combo with Blair, Prescott and Campbell called "the Spinners" to make a guest appearance in someone's back yard in Kensington and save the Festival.

Oh what fun we are having.

What is clear from this monumental cock-up is that the remnants of the cabal are still in control of Culture.

Bradley has allowed them to take control without the slightest effort at holding them to account.

Arrogant, unaccountable, undemocratic and a law unto themselves, Colin Cover Up and The Harbarrowboy appear to have decided amongst themselves to cancel the Mathew Street Festival.

Just like that. ("Or it could be like that" - Tommy Cooper)

Warren Bradley has professed total ignorance (no surprise there then, ed).

Which makes us wonder why anybody would want to vote Liberal Democract ever again when their leader doesn't have a clue what is going on in the city.

What's the point in voting for him then?

It seems we would be better off abolishing inconvenient elections all together and just letting Cover Up and his band of incompetents run the show forever (and award themselves huge pay rises every month, no doubt, ed)

In the meantime, Liverpool will be left to become even more of a music hall joke, scores of businesses will go to the wall, thousands of visitors will be left with nothing to do and the city will lose one of its genuinely international events.

Whats more, hard-faced Harbarrowboy and Hilton appear to have been a bit surprised by the universal outrage which has greeted their bungling decision.

Which shows how lacking in judgment they are and how little they understand the city of Liverpool.

It's a bit like the Town Clerk of Rio de Janeiro cancelling Mardi Gras and being a bit surprised that people have got just a teentsy weentsy bit upset.

What cast-iron fools we have in charge of our city.

Bradley should resign - the Mathew Street debacle happened on his watch. Professing ignorance compounds his error.

As the senior politician he must take full responsibility.

But before he goes, he should demand the resignations of both Harbarrowboy and Hilton who are complicit in the worst Public Relations disaster for Liverpool since Degsy decided to become a full-time member of the Tendency.

They are clearly incompetent and out of their depth. Their arrogance in thinking that they could get away with such a decision is typical of the cabalist rule.

They treat the people of Liverpool with utter contempt and have no respect for the city's culture, its history or how it is viewed by the outside world.

That is the only conclusion to be drawn from what Bradley himself has admitted is 'a fiasco' which now appears to be the subject of a full-scale, sadly not independent, investigation.

Even the Echo agrees and certainly the people of Liverpool must be in despair at this monumental cultural cock-up.

Time for a clear-out and a clean-up.

And time we had politicians in charge who could get a firm grip of the shower of greedy wasters at the Culture Company and the city council (preferably around the neck, ed). No one would notice any difference if the Harbarrowboy was sacked.

Either that or we could always get Warren to give Chas Cole a ring and see if he can save the day ?

Perhaps we can hold the Mathew Street Festival in Sefton, instead?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(What do you think of that for a first effort then? Not bad, though I think we could have been a bit more direct and uncompromising. Yeah, I know, i pulled a few punches didn't I? Never mind, you will get the hang of it before too long - - and there will obviously be lots more opportunities to have a go. That's true. Do you think Bradley will really sack Harbarrow? No chance, if he did he would be admitting he was in charge of a catastrophe - they will all hang on to their jobs and we will lurch on to another crisis. Suppose your right....)

COMING SOON:

REVEALED: THE HARBARROWBOY'S SECRET PROPERTY BUSINESS IN SPAIN or

"Why I go missing every Friday and have such a fetching tan" or

"No wonder the Culture Company is in such a mess when the guy in charge fucks off to the sunshine every weekend to pursue other private business interests...." (allegedly, ed)

ps you can get in touch with us at tonysparrishioners@hotmail.co.uk

CLASH OF THE TITANS: CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO BAN THIRTEEN GOOGLE BLOGS

THREATENING LETTER FROM LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL TO GOOGLE (all the way across the pond in California, US of A, ed)

BY FAX: 00185 06182680

Google Incorporated

Blogger Legal Support

1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy

Mountain View,

CA 94043

Dear Sirs

subculturescityofthedead.blogspot.com;

liverpoolsubculture.blogspot.com;

subculturegossip.blogspot.com;

subculturereviews.blogspot.com;

subculturefringe.blogspot.com;

subculturepostcard.blogspot.com;

Imtonyparrish.blogspot.com;

Henshawsevilcabal.blogspot.com;

Toriblareliverpool.blogspot.com;

Liverpoolamess.blogspot.com;

Liverpoolcityacollectionofinformation.blogspot.com;

Liverpoolinamess.blogspot.com;

liverpoolcityacollection.blogspot.

We refer to our earlier e-mails and faxes and your e-mails in reply. The first is timed at 17 April 2007 20.41 UK time directed to Jeanette McLoughlin and the second is timed at 18 April 2007 8.24am UK time and directed to Michelle Kelly who had forwarded the original e-mail on behalf of Jeanette McLoughlin.

Firstly, we are surprised at the different content of the two e-mails. The e-mail timed at 20.41 invites detailed information from ourselves and indicates that upon receipt of that you will forward it on to the bloggers to notify them thecomplaint has been filed as it is their sole discretion to remove some content.

The second e-mail of 18 April is somewhat more blunt in that it is a total denial of liability based on Section 230[C] of the Communications Decency Act.Those two e-mails show inconsistency in your approach to this matter. However, in any event, we still believe that that is academic. The case of Godfrey -v-Demon Internet Limited QBD [I9991 4 All ER 342 [2000] 3 WLR 1020; [2001] QB201 clearly establishes liability on the part of your organisation for defamatory material which you continue to publish after you have been made aware of it.

This is not a matter to be left to the Administrator's discretion. You have your own responsibilities.Those employees of this organisation who anticipate the issuing of legal proceedings against those publishing this defamatory material are based in England and therefore would be availing themselves of remedies through the English Courts where the decision of Godfrey -v- Demon Internet Limited is of course binding.

In the circumstances, we require your confirmation by return that these sites will be closed down. By way of clarification, although we do not see that it should be necessary in view of the fact that your liability cannot be denied, we would offer the following information and response to the points raised in your e-mail of 17 April timed at 20.41 UK time :-

I. The URL information has already been provided in the headings to our exchanges of communication.

2. Those who anticipate the issue of proceedings reside in the UK and are british citizens.

3. The postings make very serious and untrue allegations about employees of this organisation and in some cases go as far as alleging serious impropriety on their part. (what's not true then? ed)

4. We have already informed you that these postings are defamatory and the defamation is actionable in the Courts of England and Wales pursuant to the Defamation Acts.

5. You have the writer's contact details in earlier e-mails and faxed documentation but for clarification it is Jeanette McLoughlin at Municipal Buildings, Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2DH, Telephone NO. 0151 225 2540 and e-mail address is as shown below.

We note that you state that you require the contact information for the purposes of forwarding it to the Administrators so that they can contact us to "work out the dispute". We would once again stress that your obligation is a primary one to immediately cease your ongoing publication of this defamatory material.

Passing information on to the Administrators and asking them to deal with it will not remove that responsibility from you.

Yours truly,

Jeanette McGloughlin

Assistant City Solicitor

Legal Services

Livorpool City Council (sic, ed)

LEGAL SERVICES,

FINANCE & LEGAL SERVICESDX:712361

Liverpool 10,

Room 209 Municipal Buildings,

Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2DH

tel: 0151 225 2540 fax: 0151 225 2392

email: jeanette.mcloughlin@liverpool.co.uk

(What's the defamatory material then? ed)

WILL THE LIB DEM HURST FACE PROSECUTION?

POLICE have sent a file on Lib Dem Councillor Steve Hurst to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide if he will face criminal charges.

The police investigation follows the extraordinary doorstep dust-up in Belle Vale ward during the local elections.

Police interviewed Hurst, the Lib Dem chief whip, under caution over allegations that he was also at the centre of local election 'dirty tricks'.

They took detailed statements from a number of local residents in Belle Vale as well as Labour politicians.


It is also believed that they examined the mobile phone of one resident, who its believed, used it to take a photograph of Hurst at the time.

Residents say Hurst was caught delivering a fake leaflet purporting to be from 'a real socialist party - TUSP'.

When confronted by angry residents, there was a doorstep fracas during which, it's claimed, one resident was assaulted and damage was caused.

A decision from the CPS is expected within the next few weeks. The first we are likely to hear is if, and when, Hurst is charged with any offence.

A string of official complaints about Hurst's actions have already been made to city council chief executive Colin 'Cover Up' and the Chief Fire Officer, Tony McGurk who has already promised to dismiss any staff guilty of intimidation.

The phony leaflet was a clumsy and crude attempt to try and blacken the name of local Labour councillor Pauline Walton, whose husband is also a fireman.

The leaflet also broke election law by carrying no imprint giving the name and address of the organisation which had printed and published it.

So far Cover Up has done nothing about this - not even rousing himself to launch an official investigation (probably still too busy investigating the first Tony Parrish, ed).

Meanwhile the local media continue to maintain a wall of silence about all this. They have apparently decided to err on the side of discretion, unless and until, any charges result.

We now look forward to this new policy of sensitivity and discretion also being applied in the future to everyone else who is subject to a police investigation.

JOE RILEY STICKS THE KNIFE IN (AGAIN).....

HERE

CoC RESIGNATION No 2: CULTURE EVENTS BOSS QUITS...

The shock departure of Culture Company Events boss Lee Forde is a huge blow after the resignation yesterday of Joe Anderson.

Anderson's departure was a major political setback, destroying the cross-party consensus which had been created when the Culture nomination was won in 2004.

At a stroke it has given the green light to a ferocious political battle over 2008, for at least the next 18 months.

Forde's departure is a huge body blow to the nuts and bolts of the organisation - he was one of the few competent senior managers still working in the Millennium House Fun Palace.

More than that, Forde was of the city. He knows Liverpool, understands Liverpool and has been active and professional in trying to improve the city's cultural offer.

He was central to all the plans for events in the city over the next 18 months - Mathew Street, Tall Ships, the opening and closing ceremonies and all the other public events that the city usually stages.

However, never one to hide his feelings (a true Scouser then, ed) he has made no secret of his increasing cynicism about the way the Culture Company was being run.

He has rolled his eyes as the well-paid likes of the Harbarrowboy, the bullshitter Donaldson and the invisible man communications boss (we have actually forgotten his name! Paul something isn't it? ed) have made Liverpool a laughing stock.

Forde had made no secret of his contempt for their amateurish machinations, their constant changes of mind, their bright ideas that are world-class one day and jettisoned as easily the next, and their awe-inspiring ability to spend tens of thousands on the third rate.

But most of his colleagues have been completely taken aback by his walk-out. He had just had enough of all the 'fannying about' as he memorably described it.

Certainly Forde's Number 2, Eddy Grant will have no hesitation in now telling the Harbarrowboy exactly where to go if he is expected to do Ford's job as well.

Which means the Harbarrowboy will either give the job to someone who is patently not up to it from within the organisation, or he will throw a huge wad of money at an outside consultant to try and dig them out of the deep do-do.

But given the particular circumstances - six months away from the start of 2008 and right in the middle of the historic 800th birthday celebrations (we joke, ed) few sensible operators will want to volunteer for the job.

It is a poisoned chalice, even for someone like Andy Redhead, a professional operator who staged the Robbie Williams world tour and has worked for the city before.

Unless - someone else, someone completely different, can save the day.

Step forward Chas Cole.....

PS We will be returning soon to the subject of the Culture Company's spiralling salary costs and the astonishing invoices for chauffeurs and posh dinners, which Joe Anderson exposed.

JOE ANDERSON QUITS CULTURE - A MAN OF PRINCIPLE AND INTEGRITY

LABOUR leader Joe Anderson has resigned from Capital of Culture in disgust at its failures.

We agree with everything that Councillor Anderson says - which is why we are reproducing his entire statement from today's Daily Post...



CITY Labour chief Joe Anderson today walked away from his Capital of Culture role and accused the festival board of failing to deliver on its promises.
In a hard-hitting attack he said the Culture Board and the Culture Company were:
FAILING to engage communities and “real” people.
FAILING to provide a 2008 events programme that excited people.
FAILING to provide a worthwhile legacy for the city and missing the chance to kick-start creative industries.
He lashed the city council for “mismanaging” the 08 funding equation and leaving Liverpool £20m short.
Cllr Anderson vowed to fight on from his position as Opposition Group leader in an effort to ensure the city delivered the best-possible Capital of Culture.
He said: “Wherever I go I have community groups say that they don’t feel part of Capital of Culture.
“People are constantly complaining about over emphasis on city- centre investment and when you visit parts of Speke and see the dereliction there it really hits home.
“I’ve been going round mounting a robust defence of Capital of Culture but my heart hasn’t been in it.”
Cllr Anderson claimed 08 had moved away dramatically from the promises within the bid document that persuaded the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to award Liverpool the Culture accolade in 2003.
He said: “I met the judges – Jeremy Isaacs, Tessa Sanderson – and told them all about the communities and our bid’s aspirations for them.
“But these aspirations simply haven’t been met.”
And Cllr Anderson – born in the city centre just yards from the Paradise Street development – also refused to acknowledge that the so-called “2008 effect” had played a massive part in the city’s fast-paced economic renaissance.
He said: “It’s a myth. The renaissance is real but it was begun by European Objective One funding and maintained by government grants.
“Don’t forget that when the bid document was launched the Grosvenor shopping development was already in the bag as was development of the King’s Dock. Renaissance was kicking in anyway.”
Cllr Anderson also claimed arts organisations and creative companies have been betrayed by the way 08 has been developed and have suffered from lack of involvement and no worthwhile legacy.
He pointed to Liverpool’s literary legends Alan Bleasdale and Willy Russell as people who should have been consulted and utilised, perhaps in the creation of theatre schools to develop young talent post-2008.
He said: “I ask myself what the legacy benefits will be and I can’t really answer that question. The Tall Ships coming back again? A bigger Mathew Street Festival?
“There is no cultural legacy – only lack of involvement and lack of vision.”
It was an open secret in political circles that Cllr Anderson was struggling to reconcile his role on a cross- party and public-private sector board with his position as the city’s premier voice of opposition to the ruling Lib Dem Group which controls culture activity.
He now believes he can work more effectively “unfettered” by collective responsibility.
He added: “I’m now free to make whatever comments I deem constructive – sometimes positive, sometimes critical.
“I’ve felt for months that talking to some members of the culture board is like banging your head on a brick wall.
“Everything is met by defensiveness or accusations of negativity.”
Cllr Anderson said he believed the culture board was guilty of building up unreasonable expectations about the festival from the word go.
He said: “This festival will not be the wealth-creating, job-creating panacea for all the city’s ailments that it was cracked up to be.
“There is still time to provide people with the opportunity to take part and also to give the cultural sector better opportunities to participate.
“And if there’s one good thing to emerge from all the money that’s been spent it’s that the city has got a re-branding. It might be money well spent. We now need to have confidence in what the city has to offer.”
Cllr Anderson said he would continue “with passion” to promote the city in a positive way.
“This isn’t about party politics. It’s about me as a person and a Liverpudlian. And about a city with a legacy of debt.”

Joe Anderson on .....

... ROBYN ARCHER

WHEN she was brought in everybody thought WHO?
But it was the Emperor’s New Clothes and no-one said much. Then we hardly saw her for 12 months – even though we were paying her. She then comes up with a programme and that’s when I came up with my remark that the only Aussie she hadn’t signed was Skippy the Bush Kangaroo. David Henshaw and Mike Storey brought her halfway across the world but she knew so little about Liverpool. She quits and we’re a laughing stock, giving her a huge pay-off while community groups are getting knocked back for £2,000.

... THE 2008 PROGRAMME

I’M not convinced there’s really anything outstanding in there.
There’s nothing that jumps out – no wow factor, no big theme. I’m terrified the 2008 opening ceremony is going to be all about B-list celebrities. And as for 2007 we’re already halfway through it and I don’t detect any great birthday excitement.

... 08 BOARD MEMBERS

PHIL Redmond and Roger Phillips were a breath of fresh air and I wish we had a few more like them. They are not controversial but they speak as they see it and as people in the street see it.
There should definitely be a broader mix of people on the board. In four-and-a-half years we haven’t achieved much.

... THE FUNDING DILEMMA

THE council has failed to prepare a war chest since COC was awarded in 2004. The Government has supplied more than the £10m requested by the city council in the Bid Document. Hoping that the Government would bail out the city if it let the problem fester until the last minute was a high-risk strategy.
The council should have been honest with the people and said “Look, this is what Cultural Year will cost and we will have to save for it between 2003 and 2008”.

... COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

VISITORS might like 2008 but I don’t think residents will.
Go to Dingle, Everton, Speke and you’ll find people who’ve come up with ideas but they are frustrated at getting neither financial nor physical support. It’s a failure that we haven’t encouraged them to participate.

THE LIVERPOOL HIT PARADE....

WE THOUGHT WE WOULD KEEP YOU ALL POSTED ON THE NUMBER OF HITS THE BLOGS HAVE GOT SINCE WE STARTED LAST NOVEMBER.

THIS IS OUR SIX MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT.

HERE ARE THE LATEST FIGURES FOR HITS:

liverpool subculture - 24,400

CITY OF THE DEAD - 14,400

Gossip - 12,500

Henshaw and the evil cabal - 10,500

TOTAL NUMBER OF HITS: 62,000 APPROX.

Plus however many hits Tori Blare's wonderful blogs get....

Thank you to all our readers (and helpers)

INFORMATION COMMISSIONER FINDS CITY COUNCIL GUILTY OF BREAKING LAW OVER CONFIDENTIAL EMAILS

PRESS RELEASE: CITY COUNCIL GUILTY OF BREAKING LAW OVER EMAILS – OFFICIAL 4/06/07

LIVERPOOL city council broke the law by publishing confidential emails between its former Leader and communications chief.
The Information Commissioner has found the city council guilty of breaking the ‘First Principle’ of the Data Protection Act, 1998 - that the publication of any personal information should be ‘fair and lawful.’
The Commissioner upholds an official complaint by Matt Finnegan, the city council’s former Assistant Executive Director (Media), who had accused the council of acting unlawfully in first publicising the confidential emails two years ago.
In the emails, the then Council Leader Mike Storey, instructed the council’s media chief to publicise his opposition to a £240,000 pension deal for the council’s chief executive Sir David Henshaw, who had announced his early retirement.
A report containing the emails was sent to all 90 city councillors in May 2005, after the Liverpool Daily Post reported that the chief executive was demanding Councillor Storey’s resignation.

The draft report, drawn up by Executive Director Phil Halsall - the council’s Section 151 Officer - also contained details of Mr Finnegan’s mobile phone calls and text messages, as well as the emails.
Mr Finnegan submitted his complaint to the Information Commissioner immediately after quitting his job last September, accusing the council of waging a vendetta against him for obeying the instructions of the council’s democratically-elected Leader.

Mr Finnegan’s teenage daughter, who was also identified in Mr Halsall’s report, also submitted a separate formal complaint.
The Information Commissioner has now upheld both complaints, ruling that the council acted illegally.

In his adjudication to Mr Finnegan, the Commissioner says: “It is clear that the decision was taken to distribute the full contents of the Draft Report somewhat prematurely, in response to ‘media pressure’, which we believe was unfair to you.
“It is therefore our view that Liverpool City Council has breached the First Principle of the Data Protection Act 1998 in this instance. Whilst it is acknowledged that this is perhaps an extraordinary case in terms of the nature of events which occurred, and the high profile of the individuals who were involved, the disclosure, having been circulated at such a premature time, was still unfair.”
The Commissioner warns that publication by the council of the report may also have compromised any further disciplinary proceedings it brought.
He adds: “Whilst it is unlikely that this specific situation would arise again in the future, we shall be pointing out to the Council that they do have a general duty to ensure that the processing of all personal data complies with the provisions contained within the Data Protection Act 1998.
“In light of this, the Council may wish to review the actions which were taken in this case and consider whether it may be appropriate to implement further measures in order to prevent a similar event from occurring again in the future.
“The Commissioner would hope that once this contravention of the Act has been brought to the attention of the Council, steps will be taken to rectify the situation.”
Mr Finnegan is now calling for the council to take legal action against Sir David Henshaw, currently chair of the North West Strategic Health Authority, for contravening the Data Protection Act and to suspend Mr Halsall, who is still employed by the council, pending a full investigation into his actions.
Mr Finnegan said: “These two men broke the law. There is no argument about that. At the time, Mr Henshaw even issued an astonishing public statement welcoming the illegal report and praising his own integrity! The council should now show that it is cleaning up its act by taking appropriate action against both men and any others who were party to this decision. Proven law-breakers such as these should not be in charge of any public service for a moment longer.”
Mr Finnegan added: “My complaint to the Information Commissioner was the first of 38 grievances which I had first submitted to the council, for breaching their own internal rules and procedures. The current chief executive, Colin Hilton dismissed them out of hand.
“I am pleased however, that the Information Commissioner takes a very different view from Mr Hilton and has not allowed such illegal actions by very senior employees to be covered up.
“I am also grateful to the Daily Post for making public the astonishing events in Liverpool at the time. In my view, there was an attempted coup by certain officers against the democratically elected Leader, using emails which had been illegally obtained.
“This is a small, if belated, victory for democracy and is a vindication of my actions in obeying the Leader of the Council. I never broke the law – Mr Henshaw and Mr Halsall did. The council will never again be able to get away with treating employees like me with such flagrant contempt for both the law and their own internal rules and procedures.
“If the council had any decency it would now issue an abject public apology to both me and my daughter for acting illegally. But we won’t be holding our breath.
“It has been a sorry and shameful little episode linked directly to the huge pension claim of Mr Henshaw. That began a train of events which have caused significant harm to the public image of the city of Liverpool and have damaged people’s confidence in public servants and public service. I hope the council now deeply regrets breaking the law of the land.”