Fresh of the Salford Star

SALFORD COUNCIL SPENDS THOUSANDS OF POUNDS ON SMART PHONES AND TRAINING

Star date: 11th July 2012

NEVER MIND THE CUTS – SALFORD COUNCIL SPENDS THOUSANDS ON NEW PHONES

Despite making £24million of cuts this year, Salford Council has forked out thousands of pounds equipping hundreds of social services staff with new Nokia I-Phones, and pulling them away from their jobs to attend half day training workshops covering subjects like how to switch on the phones. But not how to switch the sound off during meetings.

One social worker told the Salford Star “I can contact people with my new phone, just like I could with my old phone – except that it’s cost the authority slightly more…”

Full story here…

Love this comment over Labours Mayor on the MEN

Ian Stewart’s election manifesto pledges to Salford people were :-
I promise that, as elected Mayor, you will be able to hold me accountable on my five key pledges to Salford people:
I will work hard and listen to your views
I will always put the residents of Salford first
I will bring regeneration and jobs into our City
I will demand a better deal for Salford from this Tory-led Government
I will ensure that Salford provides efficient, value for money services
Plenty to say in his manifesto, BUT what has he been doing since ?
> Sorting his salary out and those of his cronies – how will these be paid for, except by further cuts
> being noticeable by his silence
> being noticeable by his absence, eg where was he when the prestigious swimming event was held recently at the Quays – thousands turned up but no Council rep
> introducing a new, meaningless word into the dictionary – humanagement – what is that !
> how will a Labour mayor get a better deal from a Tory and Lib Dem government ?
Not an auspicious start

While all of Salford wonders if it has a Job or how it will pay the bills,just think what Mr Stewart and his Labour Mayoral team are doing tonight.

And Salford voted for this,it seems Labour are not here for you in hard times just themselves.

Labour looking after themselves in hard times

Salford’s first ever mayor is set to be paid £69,000 a year, it has emerged today.

An independent pay panel has recommended the figure for Ian Stewart after consulting experts and researching other mayoral allowances across the country.

It is expected to be agreed by councillors next week.

The figure is almost DOUBLE the allowance given to John Merry, the council’s last leader, who last year received £38,265.

It is also more than an MP’s salary, which is currently £65,738.

The panel’s report says it was ‘particularly mindful of the significant legal powers, executive responsibilities and consequently accountabilities of the role’.

Meanwhile committee members recommended the council’s deputy assistant

mayor, David Lancaster, receive £44,850 – nearly doubling his last year’s income of £24,717, when he was deputy leader.#

What did Stewart say about his team costing less by the time the rest get their bungs we should just be ready for the town hall low earners to get their redundancy payments,