Labour demands ‘referees’ on Mathew St fiasco report

Oct 18 2007 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL’S Labour leader last night called for the official report into the Mathew Street Festival fiasco to be scrutinised by the chief executives of two neighbouring authorities and the head of the North West Regional Development Agency.

Cllr Joe Anderson claimed the internal council report into how and why the showcase event was cancelled this August, had been “sanitised” ahead of its publication, expected later this week.

He demanded the top men at Wirral and Sefton councils and the NWDA, be brought it to judge whether changes had been made to the document – a draft of which was sent to Liberal Democrat council leader Warren Bradley on Monday.

Cllr Bradley last night would not confirm whether he would take up the suggestion.

He had asked for the draft report to be altered only because it contained factual inaccuracies. And he stressed the final version would be made public before the end of the week. He made the promise outside the council chamber following a meeting of the full council, in which the city’s regeneration leader Cllr Mike Storey, said he wished an independent report had been commissioned into the festival debacle.

Cllr Storey said the aftermath of the event’s cancellation had been dogged by leaks, adding that he thought it was “the usual Labour ploy of dropping poison”.

Earlier this week. the Daily Post revealed the Mathew Street report is likely to clear Jason Harborow, chief executive of Liverpool Culture Company, of any wrongdoing.

Cllr Anderson also called for a special council meeting to be held to discuss the report once it was in the public domain.

“Maybe there are people who wish to sweep this under the carpet, maybe there are people in this room who benefit from it being swept under the carpet,” he said.

Cllr Anderson said he wanted the chief executives of Wirral (Steve Maddox), Sefton (Graham Haywood), and the NWDA (Steve Broomhead) to look at both the draft and the final report to judge the significance of the changes.

Deputy Labour leader Paul Brant said: “Open governance is good governance, and although it might be embarrassing you learn from mistakes.”

“But he [Cllr Bradley] has declined to reveal it, it’s been kept secret. The number one reason is to protect his skin and that of the administration.”

Cllr Bradley said: “As the person who requested the report I was entitled to see it first.

“When I saw it there were clear inaccuracies in that report, they were reported to the chief executive and the city solicitor, and they have gone away to look at it.”

After the meeting he said: “I have got to make sure, as leader of the council, that the council is not exposed to undue risk.”

davidbartlett@dailypost.co.uk