Warren Bradley in row over Las Vegas show tickets

Mar 27 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL council leader Warren Bradley was last night accused of failing to declare his attendance at a Las Vegas show at taxpayers’ expense.

Cllr Bradley privately asked Culture Company chief executive Jason Harborow to buy him tickets for Cirque du Soleil’s Love Show, it was alleged yesterday.

At the full council meeting, Labour group leader Cllr Joe Anderson asked Cllr Bradley to confirm he had sent a text message to Mr Harborow asking him to purchase the tickets while Cllr Bradley was on a private holiday in the American resort. He asked if the Lib-Dem leader had then declared the tickets as hospitality.

Cllr Bradley refused to be drawn on the specific issue, but said he was “meticulous” in declaring hospitality.

In the council chamber, Cllr Ander-son said: “Could you confirm to me that in 2006, while on holiday in Las Vegas, you attended a show called the Love Show and requested the Culture Company pay for tickets and sent the following text message: ‘Jason, can you arrange for the show? If you manage to do it, let me know’.”

Cllr Bradley responded: “I am met-iculous in declaring hospitality that I receive from the council and I have the scruples to do so – unlike some who failed to declare gifts since 2003. Certain members failed to declare certain football matches – both before, during and after.”

Cllr Bradley claimed Cllr Ander-son’s question was based on informa-tion gleaned from a “defamatory and ill-informed” blog site.

The Labour opposition has called for an internal council investigation into the matter.

The controversy comes as Stand-ards Board for England investigators are in the city interviewing protagon-ists in an investigation into allega-tions that Cllr Bradley conspired to remove Mr Harborow from his post.

Mr Harborow officially left the employment of the city in January with a £230,000 pay-off.

His complaint to the Standards Board about the way he was treated in a bitter falling-out with Cllr Bradley is subject of a separate investigation.

It is understood the Culture Com-pany and executives from Cirque Du Soleil were in discussions two years ago about bringing the Love Show to Liverpool in 2008, but the talks stalled when it was discovered it would have been too expensive to remove the show from its home in the Mirage.

Earlier this week, Cirque du Soleil brought its Delirium show to the Echo Arena but it is understood this was not a result of previous negotiations over the Love Show.

Unlike Love, Delirium is specifically designed to tour and is run by a different arm of the international company.

Prior to last night’s meeting, Cllr Bradley said: “On the advice of the Culture Company, I took time out from a private holiday to view the Cirque du Soleil show in my official role as vice chairman of the Liverpool Culture Company and leader of the city council.

“Tickets were arranged because at the time we were negotiating with the Cirque production company to bring the show to Liverpool as part of our European Capital of Culture celebrations.”

Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson last night said he had raised the issue with council chief executive Colin Hilton and requested an internal audit investigation into the matter.

davidbartlett