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American trips under scrutiny
3:15pm Wednesday 2nd July 2008
QUESTIONS are to be asked at the next Bexley Council meeting about how Bexley Council came to fund two trips to the USA for former council leader Ian Clement.
Labour group leader on the council Councillor Chris Ball says he was furious to learn Bexley had forked out £7,000 to send the former councillor to the USA for two weeks to take part in a leadership programme run by BT.
Although the cost of the course was met by BT, Bexley Council agreed to pay Mr Clement's hotel bills and flights and provided him with a car to and from the airport.
Mr Clement, now a £124,000-a-year deputy mayor with Boris Johnson, spent a week in Boston in May last year and a week in California last October. Cllr Ball says he understands the cost was personally authorised by former council chief executive Nick Johnson.
He also says many of Mr Clement's colleagues did not know about the trip until recently.
He said: "So there was not much feedback and cascading of information. And now Mr Clement has a new job, all this expertise is lost to Bexley."
The Labour group is also furious about the bill for refurbishing Mr Clement's office in Bexley civic offices when he was council leader, even though the building will soon be demolished.
Labour says an official inquiry about the cost showed £2,437 was spent on new furniture, £366 on new carpeting and £495 redecorating, with staff costs of £250.
Cllr Ball said: "Why was his office refurbished, when elsewhere in the building taps are leaking and windows are falling apart and no work is allowed except on health and safety grounds?"
He says the spending does not square with Mr Clement's boast of "value for money" and the end of grants for needy borough residents.
Mr Clement said the refurbishment of his office was "a modest affair" and that the furniture would be reused in the new civic offices.
He said: "And if Labour was worried about my trips why did it not raise it while I was leader? It is only being raised now because of the Christchurch ward by-election."
Questions may also be asked about 54-year-old Mr Johnson, who was paid more than £200,000-a-year while at Bexley.
He retired on ill-health grounds in November last year and is believed to have received a full pension and a six-figure pay-off. But in February, he resumed work as interim chief executive of Hammersmith and Fulham Homes. Mr Johnson's salary is believed to be £125,000-a-year.
Your Say YourNews Shopper
jonthomas, says...
7:34pm Wed 2 Jul 08
Reader, Bexley says...
10:40pm Wed 2 Jul 08
R Jones, Belvedere says...
9:23am Thu 3 Jul 08
That is what you call greedy.
anita, dartford says...
9:45am Thu 3 Jul 08
Gemma, Belvedere says...
12:01pm Thu 3 Jul 08
Pink Kitten, London says...
12:05pm Thu 3 Jul 08
Does the man have no shame?
Bill, Bexleyheath says...
12:07pm Thu 3 Jul 08
Jenifer, Welling says...
12:57pm Thu 3 Jul 08
The Chief Exec.
Who agreed the Chief Exec's payoff?
Mr Clement ???
Strange but probably true.
And how is it a man on death's door, has months off due to ill health can walk straight into another job so simply, with a large payoff and no doubt a £100,000 pa pension. All paid for by Council Tax payers.
Fed up of the Corrupt Bexley, Belvedere says...
6:23pm Thu 3 Jul 08
1. to recover from the former Chief Exective the payments made to him. When he left the council's employment. Surely you cannot be deaths door and leave your employers employment, and then within weeks walk in a new job.
Maybe this is a case for the police to be looking into, or the Ministry of Work and Pensions, as he may of been claiming benefit.
The cost of the so called self elected leader or rather elected by the puppets of the tory group, trips should be charged to the Mayors Office and if repayment is not forth coming the council could pursue via the courts. So, us counicl tax payers of Bexley are not out of pocket. I reckon this affair has cost every council tax payer and businnes tax payer about £100, which if these events had not happened we would of had a very small council tax rise this year.
I would like to suggest that Mr David Berry, Mr David Hogan (the Chief of the Internal Audit Department) should be both asked to face a public inquiry over the mis-management of the council's affairs.
Or should we has council tax payers, make a visit to the Police Station and ask the Police to conduct a Fraud investigation into the misuse of Public funds by the London Borough of Bexley.
Maybe people in the borough will understand that the fat cats in the civic offices are ripping the people of bexley off.
Another area which could be looked into os the allowances drawn by the councillors.
Also, Why are the coucil not moving into the office block which soon will be become a Tesco's. Or does the building not have enough hiding places or escape routes for the corrupt members pf its staff to leave by.
Mavis, Swanley says...
12:19am Fri 4 Jul 08
The higher up the food chain you are, the better off you are. We are being offered just 2% whilst our ex-chief has walked away with £100,000s.
Still, Boris has chosen wisely. I see another of the Deputy Mayors is being looked at. Hope Mr Clement gets sacked from his £100,000 pa job, now his seat has gone, then we will have the last laugh. And so can you, Fed Up.
Sleeze
only me, says...
10:38am Fri 4 Jul 08
R Jones wrote:Every party is as bad as the other - Labour may have increased Council Tax by 40%, but subsequent Tory councils have not only kept it at this level, they have increased it further!
Funny, I don\'t remember Labour being so worried about looking after public money when they put my Council Tax up by 40% when they were in office. That is what you call greedy.
R Jones, Belvedere says...
11:10am Fri 4 Jul 08
I paid 40% more under Labour and now I only pay 3% more. How can that be the same?
Joe, Belvedere says...
2:05pm Fri 4 Jul 08
john, bexleyheath says...
6:31pm Sat 5 Jul 08
John, Erith says...
2:22am Sun 6 Jul 08
ferd, thamesmead says...
10:58am Sun 6 Jul 08
Sisyphus, Bromley says...
11:23pm Sun 6 Jul 08
Karl marx must be laughing in his grave
Care to explain why?
Phil, barnehurst says...
12:41pm Mon 7 Jul 08
Fed up of slime, Blackfen says...
9:41pm Mon 7 Jul 08
phil, barnehurst says...
9:14am Wed 9 Jul 08
Former Bexley Council leader Ian Clement
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Steve, Bexleyheath says...
5:13pm Wed 2 Jul 08