Financial Black Holes
It is cheeky of council leader Roger Blackmore to write to the Mercury complaining that it criticised the council's handling of the festival review.
Previous reviews have cost the taxpayers large amounts and we still are not given transparent reasons, what information was gathered and to what use it has been put. For example, the council lost £3.5 million on the lifelong learning review and still refuses to make public the independent report.
If citizens want a copy of the report they will be told by officers that they have to take the council to court if they want the information!
So much for Liberal Democrats being protectors of civil liberty and governmental openness! Also, the Mercury is quite within its rights to criticise: it's called having a free press, Roger. This situation is also, of course, symptomatic of a lack of decent opposition provided by Labour.