A needless waste of cash

Sep 9 2010 Harrow Observer

AS YOUR coverage over the last few weeks has shown, many Brent residents are rightly outraged that the council's ruling Labour executive agreed to an 'away day' involving an overnight stay in a plush hotel to plan multi-million-pound cuts to Brent's budget.

And that they have already used taxpayers' money to book a return trip in October.

Including dinner, wine and accommodation, the council's away day cost Brent's taxpayers almost £5,000.

One of the first moves the Liberal Democrats made to save money on taking control of the council in 2006 was to scrap the unnecessary expense of having the executive stay-away in expensive hotel venues. These meetings were held in local venues, such as Bridge Park Sports Centre, and later in the council's training centre in Wembley - and without overnight stays and wine.

Now, the Labour administration has started up this practice again, with a further away day planned in October expected to cost another £5,000.

With two of these events held every year, that is £40,000 Labour will spend in the next four years.

Any decent, sensible person can tell this is just not right.

Brent's Liberal Democrat councillors have started a petition to call on the council to scrap the proposed trip to the hotel in October and, in future years, to hold their meetings in Brent Council facilities at a fraction of the cost.

To sign the petition, visit www.brentcouncillibdems.com.

We hope to get enough signatures to take this petition directly to the Labour councillors who now run Brent and force them to reconsider this absurd, wasteful practice.

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT GROUP Brent Council