Dear All
As seen by the SPT scandal the quango system, Labour’s shadow government is infected by a culture of greed and excess.
Hallmarks of their supposed entitlements are the expenses and hospitality trips they hoover up at the taxpayer’s expense.
These people at the top of quangos think they are ‘highflyers’, the Lord Kings’ of quangoland offering strategic vision.
SNP Finance Secretary John Swinney is demanded a meeting with heads at an embattled quango, Industry Commission for Scotland.
One of the things that the SNP Government said when elected was there would be a ‘bonfire of the quangos’, it never happened and was kicked into the long grass.
I would say that given what is going on in quangoland there should be a specific financial taskforce to go through every quango root and branch.
The latest jolly from Water Industry Commission for Scotland was them spending £24,286 on a “seminar” at the luxury Chewton Glen hotel in Hampshire, a further £14,616 was paid for a staff away day to Hamilton Park racecourse, and two Christmas parties at the Rufflets hotel near St Andrews cost about £17,000.
They are treating the public with contempt.
Football is another benchmark of the quangoland and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland is no stranger treating 11 people to seats at a Celtic versus Manchester United match.
Their supposed remit is to keep water bills low and act in the interests of consumers.
How is that done at a Celtic match?
The chairman of the regulator, Sir Ian Byatt, he is based in Birmingham, so why was he allowed to chair the regulator?
His travel expenses run to £19,000 which included internal flights, trains and taxis.
We are also treated like mugs as we are paying rental and bills on a flat in Stirling to the tune of £36,000.
Byatt has also a £830 a day advisor, so what are we paying him for?
It gets better down at the Water Industry Commission for Scotland as one of the quangos directors husband has benefited financially from several painting and decorating jobs.
Have you ever noticed that it seems to be the family members and friends of the ‘highflyers’ who get jobs and opportunities?
Derek Russell or his Paint and Decorating firm got a welcome £16,000 via several office projects.
His wife is Katherine Russell, the regulator’s director of corporate affairs and customer service.
What a coincidence.
A spokesman for the commission said;
“We meet with the Government regularly. The commission delivers real value to Scottish households and our recent work will save about £90 a year on household water bills for each of the next five years.”
The ‘bonfire of the quangos’ should be back firmly on the Scottish Government agenda.
If the SNP is looking for a theme which to fight the Westminster election this is one that has widespread appeal and is necessary.
It is time to act.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
As seen by the SPT scandal the quango system, Labour’s shadow government is infected by a culture of greed and excess.
Hallmarks of their supposed entitlements are the expenses and hospitality trips they hoover up at the taxpayer’s expense.
These people at the top of quangos think they are ‘highflyers’, the Lord Kings’ of quangoland offering strategic vision.
SNP Finance Secretary John Swinney is demanded a meeting with heads at an embattled quango, Industry Commission for Scotland.
One of the things that the SNP Government said when elected was there would be a ‘bonfire of the quangos’, it never happened and was kicked into the long grass.
I would say that given what is going on in quangoland there should be a specific financial taskforce to go through every quango root and branch.
The latest jolly from Water Industry Commission for Scotland was them spending £24,286 on a “seminar” at the luxury Chewton Glen hotel in Hampshire, a further £14,616 was paid for a staff away day to Hamilton Park racecourse, and two Christmas parties at the Rufflets hotel near St Andrews cost about £17,000.
They are treating the public with contempt.
Football is another benchmark of the quangoland and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland is no stranger treating 11 people to seats at a Celtic versus Manchester United match.
Their supposed remit is to keep water bills low and act in the interests of consumers.
How is that done at a Celtic match?
The chairman of the regulator, Sir Ian Byatt, he is based in Birmingham, so why was he allowed to chair the regulator?
His travel expenses run to £19,000 which included internal flights, trains and taxis.
We are also treated like mugs as we are paying rental and bills on a flat in Stirling to the tune of £36,000.
Byatt has also a £830 a day advisor, so what are we paying him for?
It gets better down at the Water Industry Commission for Scotland as one of the quangos directors husband has benefited financially from several painting and decorating jobs.
Have you ever noticed that it seems to be the family members and friends of the ‘highflyers’ who get jobs and opportunities?
Derek Russell or his Paint and Decorating firm got a welcome £16,000 via several office projects.
His wife is Katherine Russell, the regulator’s director of corporate affairs and customer service.
What a coincidence.
A spokesman for the commission said;
“We meet with the Government regularly. The commission delivers real value to Scottish households and our recent work will save about £90 a year on household water bills for each of the next five years.”
The ‘bonfire of the quangos’ should be back firmly on the Scottish Government agenda.
If the SNP is looking for a theme which to fight the Westminster election this is one that has widespread appeal and is necessary.
It is time to act.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
2 comments:
Very interesting George.
Dear Rab
Just telling it on the mountain.
The SNP should put a stop to the culture of greedy and excess in the quango sector.
Yours sincerely
George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University
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