A Liverpool City Councillor has launched a stinging attack on a team of government commissioners who are "milking the city dry".
The four Whitehall commissioners were sent to Liverpool a year ago as a response to the damning findings of a four-month inspection of the city's council. They will soon report back on their findings after 12 months in the Cunard, with expectations that the local authority's continuing problems could lead to further government intervention.
While there is plenty of anger at those perceived to have led the commissioners to Liverpool, there is some frustration now being aimed at the commissioners themselves. Some have pointed out that problems like the recent £16 million energy contract disaster, have happened on their watch.
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One of those to speak out against the commissioners is former council cabinet member Steve Munby, who launched a stinging attack on the Whitehall officials who continue to oversee the work of key Cunard departments. He wrote to the ECHO in response to our story over a government leak which suggested that further intervention could be on the way as the commissioners still do not have confidence that progress is being made in Liverpool.
Cllr Munby said: "I’m not in the habit of giving advice to Tory Cabinet Ministers, but in this case, I’ll make an exception. I recommend Michael Gove sacks the commissioners with responsibility for Highways and premises management.
"These were two areas highlighted as a problem in the Max Caller inspection Report. A year on and the commissioners have presided over the energy bill fiasco and a series of mistakes in highways. Responsibility is shared with senior managers in the council, but they have failed to get on top of the problems and the situation has got worse.
He added: "What have they been doing? Lying in hammocks slung between the Liver Birds exchanging text messages with our chief executive, sat in a deck chair on top of the Cunard Building? They’d have done less damage if they had been. Instead, they’ve spent their time on promoting plans and processes. These don’t get things done, but make the work of the many good officers at junior and middle ranking levels of the council, harder."
Cllr Munby added: "Plans and processes don’t stop that but create more work for senior managers and divert resources from the essential work of our front-line staff. I’m proud of staff like our bin crews, heroes of the pandemic, who kept services going when up to a third of them were off sick. Our resources should be spent on front-line street scene staff not do-nothing commissioners milking the city dry."
In January the ECHO reported that the team of commissioners had been handed a 50% pay increase by government, funded by the taxpayers of Liverpool. This saw lead commissioner Mike Cunningham move to a daily rate of £1200 and his supporting commissioners taking home £1100 a day.
Responding to the anger around this decision in an interview in April, Mr Cunningham told the ECHO: "I absolutely understand. People are perfectly entitled to their views, I totally get it with people living in very difficult circumstances at the moment. What I would say is that myself and my fellow commissioners are very conscious of the costs that we accrue while we are here and we will work really hard to provide value for the people of Liverpool."
The commissioners have now sent their latest report back to the department and Secretary of State Michael Gove and it is due to be made public in the coming weeks. The leaked memo suggests the commissioners will state that they are not happy with the progress being made and believe further intervention is required.
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