Tag Archives: Conflict of interest

GAGA’S CONFLICT

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Gaga: money grabbing scrote unfit for office?

The revelation that council Chief Exec, Nicola “LADY GAGA” Yates earned £18k in wages from the Bristol 2015 Ltd company at the rate of £60 an hour may prove to be very bad news for this beleaguered money-grabbing council boss.

There’s already widespread OUTRAGE that Gaga scooped herself an extra £18k of public money from Bristol 2015 while cheekily trousering £193k from the public purse this year for a job paid at £160k. Now we’ve discovered that her contract of employment specifically PREVENTS her from doing another job or retaining earnings without the “EXPRESS CONSENT” of the council.

Gaga’s contractual obligations are contained in the Joint Negotiating Committee for Local Authority Chief Executives Conditions of Service Handbook. And here’s the first thing it says:

3. WHOLE-TIME SERVICE

The chief executive shall devote his or her whole-time service to the work of the council and shall not engage in any other business or take up any other additional appointment without the express consent of the council. He or she shall not subordinate his or her duty as chief executive to his or her private interests or put himself or herself in a position where his or her duty and private interests conflict.

In other words, Gaga should not be taking further employment without the “express consent” of councillors. Where is that consent for her role at Bristol 2015 Ltd? It also says if she does take on any other employment it should not CONFLICT with her role as Chief Exec of the council.

For example, she should not be putting herself in a position where she’s WITHHOLDING accounts and ignoring the Local Government Transparency Code on behalf of Bristol 2015 Ltd, who privately employ her. Because this openly CONFLICTS with her duty as the chief executive of the council where she needs to be robustly upholding this code on our behalf and ensuring all public expenditure is properly accounted for.

The explanation currently emerging from the Mayor’s office over Gaga’s employment and earnings at Bristol 2015 Ltd reeks of BULLSHIT. The Mayors sidekick-in-chief, Deputy Mayor Geoff “” Gollop provided a long-winded explanation of Gaga’s conduct to the council’s Audit Committee last Friday.

The dodgy Tory accountant blustered that Gaga had to be paid a salary in order to demonstrate her role of Chief Exec at Bristol 2015 Ltd was independent of her role as Chief Exec of Bristol City Council. Gollop effectively seemed to claim that paying £1k a month into Gaga’s bank account made any conflict of interest she might have disappear in A PUFF OF SMOKE. Nonsense. Gaga’s conflict of interest cannot just vanish in exchange for cash.

The correct practice should be that at any Bristol 2015 Ltd meetings where business of the council is discussed, Gaga should LEAVE the meeting. Similarly at any meeting of the council where Bristol 2015 Ltd is discussed, Gaga should LEAVE the meeting, which makes it pretty much impossible for Gaga to perform both Chief Exec roles. Any claim by Fergo and Gollop that greasing her palm with cash somehow makes it possible is a load of BENT BOLLOCKS of the highest order.

And it doesn’t stop here. There’s some further dodgy practice around Gaga’s Bristol 2015 job. Gaga’s contract also states:

8. INCLUSIVE SALARIES

Salaries shall be deemed to be inclusive, and all other fees and emoluments, unless they are covered by Paragraph 9 (returning officer, etc.) or the authority expressly agrees that they shall be retainedby the officer, shall be paid by the officer into the council’s accounts.

In other words, any extra salary payable to Gaga for any other work she does SHOULD GO TO THE COUNCIL not to her. Unless “the authority expressly agrees”. Where is this agreement from councillors? Looks like Gaga owes us £18k then.

There it is then. At least two occasions when Gaga’s BREACHED HER CONTRACT plus 18 months of undeclared and unaddressed conflicts of interest between Bristol City Council and Bristol 2015 Ltd she’s done NOTHING about.

Is it time for some disciplinary action down at the Counts Louse?

DODGY BUSINESSMEN RUNNING OUR SCHOOLS: #2 THE LAWYER FUNNELING PUBLIC FUNDS INTO HIS PRIVATE FIRM

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Con “Man”

Step forward Cabot Learning Federation director, Con “MAN” Alexander, who also happens to be a partner in one of Bristol’s many second rate provincial law firms, REALE WASSOCK WANKARDS (surely Veale Wasborough Vizards? Ed.) This former advisor to the WEALTHY on TAX EVASION has now set himself up as a self-styled expert on charity law for the firm we understand.

Although we’d suggest that if you’re seeking quality advice on charity law, you might want to take your business elsewhere. Because a brief glance at the Cabot Learning Federation accounts for the last couple of years reveals that Man’s legal firm has TROUSERED a whopping £214,000 in fees courtesy of the very organisation Man is supposed to be objectively overseeing for us.

And just to be clear, these WHOPPING FEES being handed to Man’s legal firm, come directly from TAXPAYERS’ MONEY meant to be spent on our children’s education.

Of course, these types of huge payments to one of the Federation’s director’s own firms are clearly PRECLUDED by the Articles of Association of Cabot Learning Federation. Article 88 makes it perfectly clear that Man, as a director of this charity, which manages huge sums of public money on our behalf, should not have any financial interest in any contract the charity awards.

It’s also one of the most simple and BASIC RULES of charity governance that directors should not have a personal financial interest in any contract awarded by the charity they govern.

And this certainly includes any contract between Cabot Learning Federation and Man’s own bloody legal firm. Man, as a partner in the firm, would, undoubtedly, DIRECTLY FINANCIALLY BENEFIT from the lucrative work they’ve undertaken for the Federation.  We’re talking about large SIX-FIGURE PUBLIC CONTRACTS here too. Not a few extra quid for some largely pro bono work done as a favour.

Here at The Bristolian we’re now on standby waiting for a fatuous THREATENING LETTER from REALE WASSOCK WANKARDS that will no doubt be charged – maybe at up to £100 an hour? – to the public purse that Man controls.

This aimless legal drivel will, no doubt, result in, at least, a few more hundred quid of public money being shovelled into the grasping hands of Man and his firm and out of our kids’ education budget.

Anyway, nice to know we’re paying to keep posh blokes in pinstripe suits in their upmarket homes isn’t it?  – KERCHING!

NEXT UP: DODGY OLD TEACHERS RUNNING OUR SCHOOLS: CHILD TORTURER RON RITCHIE OBE