Council junkets
Okay, that's an unfair headline, but in the current climate every bit of public expenditure is going to be under the spotlight.
That's why the Channel 4 report into Council spending on foreign travel is very relevant.
I recommend you look at the spreadsheet, and go down to No 40.
That's the 40th highest spend out of 336 councils.
Justification, please.
BTW, although I had foreign trips when I was a Councillor, each and every one was paid for by third parties in my role as KIMO Vice-president and then President.
(Thanks to Freddy for the pointer)
That's why the Channel 4 report into Council spending on foreign travel is very relevant.
I recommend you look at the spreadsheet, and go down to No 40.
That's the 40th highest spend out of 336 councils.
Justification, please.
BTW, although I had foreign trips when I was a Councillor, each and every one was paid for by third parties in my role as KIMO Vice-president and then President.
(Thanks to Freddy for the pointer)
14 comments:
Justification is quite simple - why use your own money for fancy trips when you can use ours.
This would probably be worse than 40th if you took into account the size of the Council and therefore the £8000 or so as a proportion of the total budget.
I'm sure though that our Councillors can only look on in awe at what the Orkney mob have been up to and wonder why we are only 40th on the list.
End of term report, could do better, must do more to waste Council Tax Payers money 40th is not good enough we must be first!
There's no reason some expensive trips couldn't be replaced by video conferencing. I suppose there is occasionally an advantage in "pressing the flesh" over meeting online, but I think some councillors just can't resist the odd unnecessary luxury freebie now and then. Plus some of 'em are probably too technically inept to master anything beyond a basic mobile phone.
I take it then that KIMO is not a publicly funded body?
Two things strike me about the list. First the least profligate are those run by SNP and secondly most of those below CNES are of a size and importance of a local grazings committee
Imagine the cost if there was a Sunday ferry ;-)
Junket is a very fair headline. I'm sure we could think of some other headlines like 'Milking It' and of course that one about pigs and troughs.
What actually comes out of these trips that is to the advancement of the local area? Answers on a postcard, from Italy, USA, St Kitts, Seychelles etc.
odd that the first two figures are exactly the same - do they think of a number and double it?!
Looks like the Gaelic mafia are visiting freinds and family! Any trips to Argintina?
I bet that the Orkney figures include junkets to the foreign fleshpots of Scotland - Aberdeen and Inverness no less - since such travel is regarded as going abroad. Norway doesn't count since this is domestic.
However the trips are paid for, too many are taken. It hardly helps the environment flying anywhere paid for be anyone.
There is probably more pollution taking the ferry and driving down to Glasgow than flying down.
MadEddieH, You can't have probably in a statement like that, either there is more pollution by ferry and car as compared with flying or there isn’t. If you are going to make a statement research your facts first and then your comment might be taken seriously.At the moment your your post is worthless.
I here Macsween is well up there in terms of junkets - he'd be better doing whatever he does in his day job - or being a decent councillor. He's getting good training at the Comhairle before heading for the Westminster gravy train.
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