At the Sefton Council Annual Meeting, the Bootle-run Labour group has made plain that losing four seats in the recent election was not going to alter how they ran things at all.

Most Local Authorities who have Audit Committees make sure that this crucial function is both independent of and seen to be independent of the ruling executive group. They do this through having their key Audit Committee chaired by a councillor from a different political party than the ruling group. These arrangements are also backed by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Sue McGuire said:

"The Audit & Governance Committee has a key role to play in monitoring the authority's overall governance arrangements. This includes considering and approving the Council’s accounts and internal control systems as well as holding the Executive to account on these matters.

"Given this vital role, it makes sense that the Chair of the Audit committee should not be from the ruling party which is indeed what happens in most places.

"It is disappointing that Sefton Labour group will not accept and apply national 'good practice' in how we get proper processes and value for money."

Unfortunate choice of picture and headline, looking at the main page it looks like Cllr Maguire had defected to Bootle Labour.

I would agree that the 4 seats shouldn't make a difference as sounds like it should've been done all along, albeit would be sceptical that we'd have anything but deadlock given the way the cross party working doesn't work..

In terms of "most local authorities" having this it would be interesting to have more specifics as I'm assuming there's no appeal or escalation body other than raise it here?

The Lib Dem leader could approach the commissioner responsible for local government over the new pay and display charges and ask him/her in investigate why a Bootle Labour run Sefton Council is operating a two tear pricing on them, with those living in wards controlled by Labour Councilors are paying less to park then those living in wards with Lib Dem or Tory Councilors?

Just goes to show that the Southport councillors who claim to be "fighting" for the town can't actually achieve anything. They could if they worked constructively across party lines, but they won't and that's to the detriment of Southport.

Originally Posted by ecclefechan

Just goes to show that the Southport councillors who claim to be "fighting" for the town can't actually achieve anything. They could if they worked constructively across party lines, but they won't and that's to the detriment of Southport.

I actually thought that the Lib Dems had a history locally of working effectively across party lines - at least until Labour gained overall control on Sefton Council a few years ago. Then Labour started behaving arrogantly as they tend to do when in control.

The good news is that Labour are rapidly losing council seats in Sefton Council (they lost 4 seats just a month ago) as clearly the voters don't like their arrogance. Within a couple more elections there is a good chance that their majority will disappear completely.

In other words it's the voters who will force Labour to work constructively across party lines.

Originally Posted by prasnee

I actually thought that the Lib Dems had a history locally of working effectively across party lines - at least until Labour gained overall control on Sefton Council a few years ago. Then Labour started behaving arrogantly as they tend to do when in control.

The good news is that Labour are rapidly losing council seats in Sefton Council (they lost 4 seats just a month ago) as clearly the voters don't like their arrogance. Within a couple more elections there is a good chance that their majority will disappear completely.

In other words it's the voters who will force Labour to work constructively across party lines.

I think in other words:

1) you're deluded/had too much Cherie Brandy if you think "force" and "constructively" are appropriate words together as fundamentally at best the Lib Dem victories would be pyrrhic and drive the decline of the town faster
2) we have to wait EVEN longer for the Libs to achieve something, exactly how much time do we need to wait, we've had John Pugh for 15 years and even you can't state what good he's achieved got his money.
3) it'll continue to always be someone else's fault for a lot longer, I'd worry (and prob the Libs) about having power, the thought of Cllr Dawson with power is worthy of losing sleep!

The above is evident by how long you've all stuck around and can't tangibly state what you've achieved for the town.

How about working together now and come up with some good ideas for the town....we're still paying you and should not have to put up with pathetic games or excuses for ineffectiveness.

Misleading headline. Sefton do have an independent audit, what they don't have is a Chair of their Audit Committee who is independent. I'm more bothered that the Audit Committee chair seems to have no finance background whatsoever.

Of course, Simon Shaw (who may occasionally peep into this site :-) ) is on the Audit Committee and is no doubt a highly effective member.

Originally Posted by Username2016

3) it'll continue to always be someone else's fault for a lot longer

It's not always "somebody else's fault" but in this case it surely is.

If Labour use their (diminishing) majority on Sefton Council to arrogantly force things through, then surely it is thier fault.

Stop making excuses for them, Username2016.

Did the Labour Party lose any seats in Sefton to the Lib Dems or was it all to largely single issue candidates? I know the Lib Dems failed to contest all seats up for grabs in the May elections. This would suggest that It won`t be the self styled Lib Dem `revival` which would usurp a Labour run council. The rise and fall of the Southport Party should also tell us that parties/individuals with a narrow remit are not destined for political longevity.

Originally Posted by Muzungu

Did the Labour Party lose any seats in Sefton to the Lib Dems or was it all to largely single issue candidates?

No. Labour lost three seats to Independents (two in Maghull/Lydiate, and one in Formby) and they lost one to the Conservatives (in Formby). However the Lib Dems gained one seat off the Conservatives in Southport.

So, overall:

• Lib Dems up 1, to 17
• Conservatives unchanged at 7
• Independents up 3, to 4

Originally Posted by Muzungu

I know the Lib Dems failed to contest all seats up for grabs in the May elections. This would suggest that It won`t be the self styled Lib Dem `revival` which would usurp a Labour run council.

Apart from the Independents, the Lib Dems won a higher proportion of the seats they contested a month ago than any of the other parties on Sefton Council. As winning is the object of the exercise their strategy appears to have been highly successful!

If Sefton Council's wards all went the same way in the next two sets of elections (which, admittedly, is unlikely to happen in practice) then Labour would lose their majority and the other parties would have:

• Lib Dems 21 seats
• Independents 9 seats
• Conservatives 3 seats

So you are correct in one way because the biggest factor in Labour losing overall control is likely to be the success of the Independents in winning seats off them.

Originally Posted by prasnee

It's not always "somebody else's fault" but in this case it surely is.

If Labour use their (diminishing) majority on Sefton Council to arrogantly force things through, then surely it is thier fault.

Stop making excuses for them, Username2016.

Good to see you haven't even bothered to challenge my other points....you must agree.

I'm not defending labour, just observing the ineffectiveness of our paid electives and with regards someone else's fault I'm yet to hear the Libs take account for the decline of the town on their watch.....that as you highlight is always someone else's fault.

However as before you're welcome to state what we have got from them for our:

1) £11.5k per councillor
2) £75k plus 6 figure allowances for our MP including rent of office which did or use to go back into lib dem funds
3) most importantly loss of opportunity of someone who could win one of these fights

For however many years they've been in office as you must see why people lose patience with these fighters?

Originally Posted by Username2016

Good to see you haven't even bothered to challenge my other points....you must agree.

Not at all. It's just that it gets stunningly boring (for everybody) responding to every stupid comment you make.

Originally Posted by prasnee

Not at all. It's just that it gets stunningly boring (for everybody) responding to every stupid comment you make.

Excellent now you know what it's like listening to the Lib Dem press releases and lack of progress

Except your problem is that you appear incapable of NOT responding to anything referring to the Lib Dems - however obsessive it makes you appear.

Originally Posted by prasnee

Except your problem is that you appear incapable of NOT responding to anything referring to the Lib Dems - however obsessive it makes you appear.

Well councillor, some would say you're not capable of answering the tough questions or not leaping on any post that questions the Libs....you don't just answer my posts so you could say that was obsessive...defend the Libs at all costs

You could of course start answering the questions rather than deflecting or ignoring them as that weakens your arguments as they're not unreasonable questions