Fears grow council won't listen to worst tag warning

Feb 8 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

THE head of the Audit Commission last night said he was worried that Liverpool City Council would not take proper action after it was labelled the worst local authority in the country.

Michael O’Higgins, chairman of the commission, was critical of the “defensiveness” of the council after Liverpool was given a one-star rating, down from two, in the annual Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA).

Last night he told the Daily Post: “There’s a sense that words may not turn into action because of some of the defensiveness of their response”.

A city council spokesman last night insisted the authority was taking the report seriously and was already taking action on it.

“However, we have simply pointed out that we are not the worst council, as many of our services are among the best in the UK.

“The commission’s ‘star’ rating system does not accurately reflect the vast improvements the council has made in education, social services and the environment.”

The council is set to appoint an external panel to monitor and advise on an improvement programme – the Liverpool Strategic Improvement Partnership.

Opposition Labour leader Joe Anderson said: “They are burying their heads in the sand and trying to spin their way out of this.

“They should be redirecting their energy into trying to sort this mess out, once and for all.”

The main factors behind Liverpool’s one star rating is the state of the city’s finances.

Included in that are the council’s failure to plug a £20m hole in the Capital of Culture budget, lack of financial planning and low levels of reserves.

The council scored three stars or above in a majority of categories, but it was given a rating of one because of its “one” in use of resources – how it spends money.

Last night Mr O’Higgins said: “From the point of view of the commission’s stance we take the view that good financial management is critical to securing delivery of good services.

“Though Liverpool has agreed a plan in response to our report and the district auditor’s report there’s a sense that words may not turn into action because of some of the defensiveness of their response.”

“What we have found is that council’s that do make improvements and respond most effectively are council’s that don’t try to side-step criticism, but who say ‘yes this is a situation, we will try to sort it out’.

“They need to take it on the chin and do something about it – get on with it.

“In some ways the pity of the defensiveness is that it takes away from some of the areas where the council is scoring strongly.”

davidbartlett@dailypost.co.uk