COUNCIL leader Cllr Russ Bowden says he will take full responsibility for decisions made by the Council under his leadership, as the controlling Labour group hit back against “damp squib” Tory motions which included a vote of no confidence.
Cllr Bowden said: “I will always take responsibility for decisions made by the Council under my leadership. Should I ever fail to discharge my duties as leader, I will not hesitate to do the right thing and step aside.”
On Wednesday night, councillors met in the Parr Hall for a Tory-triggered extra-ordinary meeting to discuss the investment of Warrington Borough Council funds in Together Energy. Three Conservative motions were roundly defeated over the course of four long hours, including a confidence vote in the leadership of the Council. A final Labour motion succeeded.
“On Wednesday night the Tories had nothing new to say”, said Cllr Bowden.
“Through our investment portfolio, we have successfully funded our services for eleven years in the face of a loss of 60% of our day-to-day budget. These cuts to Warrington’s budget were made on an ideological basis by a national Conservative government.
“All investments carry risk. But when you look at a portfolio you have to look at the whole picture, and not just the 2% that Together Energy represents — not least because we have been advised by the administrators that we cannot discuss the company at the present time.
“The full picture is this: this year, our investments are set to produce £25.5 million in revenue, which we can use to keep Warrington’s services safe from Conservative cuts. Investments are made on the basis of strict criteria and are predominantly asset-based, and the interest rate on our borrowing is far below the current rate of inflation.
“The Council’s finances and the quality of the services it provides are both secure.
“We will listen to the Tories on this issue when they provide us with an alternative Council budget, rather than just a shifting set of alternative facts.”
Cllr Cathy Mitchell, Deputy Leader of the Council, also called on the Tories to present an alternative plan for the town’s finances:
“Last May, Warrington’s Conservatives ran on a platform of selling off our profit-making investments and freezing Council Tax.”
“That programme would mean they’d have to make about £35 million in cuts to services like libraries, environmental services, bin collections and youth provision — and Warrington would have no insulation from any further cuts their party’s Government would force upon our town.
“It’s no wonder they’re unwilling to present an alternative budget, and no wonder they’re so willing to generate a cheap headline. If you can’t find the money, you can’t do anything!
“Why won’t Cllr Critchley level with the people of Warrington about how his Party’s programme would affect their lives and livelihoods?”
Cllr Bowden concluded on his willingness to step down if he fails in his duties adding: “This, of course, stands in clear contrast to our Tory Prime Minister, whose “Down-It Street” parties last year have disgusted the nation. While the people of Warrington were respecting the rules and staying at home, Johnson was taking them for fools — and his government was handing out hundreds of millions in gold-plated contracts to Conservative chums.
“I can’t help but feel that the Tories have called this meeting, at least in part, to distract from the ongoing scandal at the very top of their party.
“Let’s hope for a speedy conclusion to the administration process, and keep pushing back against those who seek to talk down our town for political gain.”
On Wednesday evening Tory finance spokesperson Cllr. Ken Critchley, who called the motion for the council to stop a high-risk investment strategy said: “The failure of Together Energy can be laid in my opinion at the failure of due diligence, a failure of decision making and a failure of corporate governance.”
He added: “This is public money, I’ll say that again this is public money, not private investment, the council is not a hedge fund, the councils debt levels are already astonishingly high. It’s gearing levels way beyond those that are considered reasonable or prudent.”
Meanwhile, Lib Dem leader Cllr Bob Barr called on Cllr Bowden to resign saying: “The Leader and his officers’ investment strategy may prove to be defensible, but they have failed to defend it adequately despite me pressing them to do so for over two years. He has allowed a narrative, led by social media, to paint what is almost certainly a totally false picture of Warrington’s investments. He is no longer believed.
“He has allowed Warrington’s reputation as a well-run Council to be destroyed in parts of the national press which is no doubt informed and encouraged by the Conservatives and their social media friends. To tarnish a town’s reputation unfairly, simply for perceived political advantage is unconscionable.
“However our investment position turns out, this situation cannot be rectified if Cllr Bowden remains as Leader, so my Group calls on him to resign.”
3 Comments
Cllr Bowden – you HAVE failed in your duty as Leader.
Apologies for the bluntness, but:
– several highly questionable investments which have received zero public scrutiny. We did warn you about them – but the council under your leadership has been exceptionally secretive. For example, I raised Redwood Bank in writing before the final £10 million tranche had been committed and received a pretty disrespectful response from your colleagues (not you, to be fair). However, you didn’t listen when I raised my concerns in person, either. I know that many others have had similar experiences. We all know what happened with Together Energy, but we still have no clue why the council thought this investment was a good idea. I felt a little insulted by the wheeze of increasing the rolling credit faculty from £16 million to £20 million and then announcing that TE had repaid the £4 million loan – do you think we’re all stupid?
– the Local Plan. The whole process has been a disgrace. Your cunning plan to include Satnam’s planning application for Peel Hall was one of the most painful nails in that particular coffin
– the secrecy over Time Square and the cost of the new council office. It all speaks of a lack of respect for the taxpayer. Our money, but we’re not allowed to know how much we’ve spent
I think the time has come to trust other councillors and hand over the baton. A town of this size needs a much broader political base for decision-making.
Why is Russ Bowden criticising central government? By his own ludicrous argument, before he is allowed an opinion, he must come up with a fully detailed national plan.
Our politicians, particularly those in the current administration have shown they cannot be allowed to serve the whole term of four years without some form of checks and balances being put in place, to control their actions.. We need to revert back, without delay, to the previous electoral system were sections of the council are up for re-election mid way through the elected term. This would give the electorate some semblance and opportunity of control over those they elect and so hopefully prevent hair brained schemes, like Together Energy and Redwood, being entered into without regard to the genuine and justified concerns of council taxpayers. Who after all are those most at risk, when our politicians act in the manner of the Bowden administration. We were sold the whole council/ whole term administration option on the grounds of cost savings. Only to be faced with losses in the region of £45/50 million pounds for the Together Energy debacle and heaven knows what losses from the excessive cost per share we have paid for our involvement in Redwood as compared to that paid by the other shareholders. The shroud of secrecy, at times extending to fellow council members, deliberately thrown over the remainder of this administration’s investments prevents us (council taxpayers) from knowing whether there are other questionable dealings likely to expose us to further losses and risks. This situation cannot be allowed to persist. That it was allowed to during the hustings for and the last election was unforgivable and not to put too fine a point on it, wholly undemocratic.