The Completely FA use cup - Boris Johnson 1 - Mike Freer 0

The Conservative controlled GLA spent the £4,998.00 with MANCHESTER (CITY COUNCIL) on Books, Publications & Information. Was this money well spent? I've absolutely no idea. I've also absolutely no idea if the £18,894.00 spent with the BUILDING RESEARCH ESTABLISHMENT on Consultancy Fees was worth it.

The GLA also spent a bit with Anders Elite on consultancy in November, I'll let you tot all of these up.
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,696.39
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,696.39
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,696.39
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,696.39
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,696.39
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,527.90
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,527.90
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,527.90
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,527.90
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,527.90
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy -2,359.34
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,527.90
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,527.90
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 2,157.11
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 1,685.24
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 1,348.20
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 1,179.68
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 1,179.68
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 1,179.68
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 1,179.68
ANDERS ELITE Capital Expenditure - Consultancy 1,011.15

So what on earth am I going on about? As I said, I've no idea whether this was money well spent or flushed down the loo. Well the point is that the GLA publish all of their expenses over a £1000 every month. It's on their website so you, me and anyone else can have a look. These items were from Novembers list. Visit http://www.london.gov.uk/gla/expenditure/index.jsp to have a look. You can select the month of your choice from April.

The page says the following at the top :-

Expenditure over £1,000

The Mayor is committed to providing financial transparency and has instructed that regular reports should be published on all GLA expenditure over £1,000, including VAT.

In Barnet we have a rather different way of dealing with council expenses. In his recent Blog, Lib Dem leader Jack Cohen told of how he was forbidden from revealing the cost of consultant's working for Barnet Council (read 2nd last paragraph HERE). Why is it that Boris Johnson and the GLA think publishing this information is a good thing, whilst the People's republic of Barnet threaten people who try and put the information in the public domain? Could it be that for all of his faults, Boris wants a clean, open and honest administration? The Barnet Tories have tried to intimidate the "Blogosition" by naming people who ask for "too many" pieces of information under the Freedom of Information act. Lackies and Cronies from the regime plant questions in Council meetings and leave comments on blogs, stating that "Each request costs the taxpayer £150". Well follow the example of Boris and stop hiding things under the carpet.

The more open a Government, the more successful the economy. That is why the USA is such a financial powerhouse. I can think of no reason for excessive secrecy other than the whiff of corrupt practice? It may just be that it is ingrained, but rather than having "blue sky sessions" to debate obesity, the council would do far better to make complete transparency the first objective of "Future Shape" rather than the nonsense they seem hell bent on imposing. A certain councillor told me that "they couldn't disclose how much consultants were paid, because this could give competitors an unfair advantage". My response was "You mean that they'd charge less?" It hasn't occurred to the numbskulls that this would result in a better deal for you me and all of the other taxpayers. If all of the suppliers were working under the same regime, there would be no advantage whatsoever. It would also mean that if the lowest bid wasn't used, it would soon become apparent.

Leader of Barnet Council, Mike Freer would do well to take a leaf out of Boris Johnson's book. If he did, then maybe I could go back to writing blogs about football and three legged dogs.