Tories slam "champagne reception" as council plans £65m cuts

[dutchman]

But officers and controlling Labour group say trip to South of France could attract multi-million pound investment



Coventry's Conservative opposition have questioned a council decision to send more people to a property conference in the south of France as the authority plans £65million of cuts and 1,000 job losses.

Labour councillors have agreed to increase Coventry’s presence at Europe’s biggest property conference MIPIM, in Cannes, from six last year to eight.

The £8,000 accommodation and travel cost should be met by private sector funding, as it has been for the last three years.

But with six council officers attending – including £175,000-a-year chief executive Martin Reeves – the true cost of attendance is difficult to calculate.

Deputy Conservative leader Allan Andrews said: “In 2012 Labour were criticised for sending four executives to MIPIM and in 2015 they want to send double that number, despite repeated comments from senior Labour councillors about funding reductions.

“Increasing the number of people attending a champagne reception in the south of France is difficult to justify in the current funding climate, at a time when we are telling council staff that jobs are on the line.

“Whilst I am fully behind promoting Coventry and attracting inward investment, I do not think it necessary to increase the number of people attending this year.

“I would expect to see, as a result of MIPIM, some concrete evidence of investment in Coventry, and we’ll be scrutinising it very closely after the conference. We want to see companies signing on the dotted line.”

During a cabinet meeting, Tory leader John Blundell questioned the need to send more people and asked for evidence of work to be undertaken and whether the additional cost was justified.

City services director Martin Yardley said the council had attracted multi-million pound investment as a result of attendance in the past.

He said: “When we are attracting investment of that level the question of cost benefit almost becomes laughable.”

Labour council leader Ann Lucas also defended the decision to send more people and said their diaries would be full as meetings often started at 7am and finished at 10pm.

She said: “I want people to be reassured that when we go the South of France we are working.”

Coventry City Council’s MIPIM delegation will include Ann Lucas; cabinet member for business Kevin Maton; chief executive Martin Reeves; executive director of place Martin Yardley; assistant director city centre David Cockroft; senior development executive Richard Moon; tourism manager Déirdre Fitzhugh and business development officer Claire England.

[rebbonk]

... council leader Ann Lucas also defended ...

Stupid woman! You can't defend the indefensible.

This exercise is nothing more than a 'jolly' at OUR expense. Those involved ought hang their miserable heads in shame.

[rebbonk]

I'm no supporter of John Blundell, but I do largely agree with him from today's Telegraph

Re: MIPIM. In March, Coventry City Council will be sending an eight-strong delegation of councillors and officers to a property networking event at Cannes in the south of France.

The objective of this is to secure investment into Coventry to enable schemes such as Friargate to go ahead and be successful.

When approval for this recently came before cabinet I asked why we were sending eight delegates when only two years ago four were deemed sufficient (the same number that Warwickshire are sending this year).

Apparently, according to Councillor Maton (who is one of the delegates) I was talking Coventry down and we should be applauding the council on the basis the more people that go, the more business we will potentially attract.

I have never disagreed with sending a delegation to MIPIM, but we do not need eight people out there.

How can the council justify this 100 per cent increase in delegates when we are being repeatedly reminded of the funding cuts to come?

At a time when 1,000 jobs are at risk, is this the time for Coventry City Council to be sending yet more delegates to a property conference in Cannes? I think it is not.

Councillor John Blundell, Leader of the Conservative Group, Coventry City Council

[rebbonk]

The trip's being funded by private partners, though, and I believe it always has been.

My understanding is that it is hoped private partners will fund it, however we are still funding their not insubstantial wages, and someone is going to have to pick up their workload whilst they are away. Can we afford 8 senior people to be away like this? If we can, perhaps their jobs are not full-time and ought be downgraded/combined accordingly?

You might wish to ask yourself, just who is actually picking up the tab for travel/accommodation etc? You may well wish to ask yourself why they would do such a thing? You might even ask if there really is anything such as a free meal? - To me, accepting such 'hospitality' might impair one's impartiality and might even compromise a later decision that the council need to make. I know (coming from Industry) we had to declare any gift with a value greater than £10.00 because of fears that we might favour people/companies.

Finally, whilst I accept it's a little difficult to assess objectively, I do wonder just how much real inward investment we've seen as a result of these 'jollies'? Even the council seems a little reticent on offering figures on this.

[dutchman]

Tories to join Coventry council visit to Cannes after previously branding trip a 'Champagne reception'

The Conservative party in Coventry has agreed to form part of the council’s delegation to visit a property conference in the South of France - just a year after branding the trip a “champagne reception”.

An eight-strong delegation from Coventry City Council will visit MIPIM (Le marché international des professionnels de l'immobilier), Europe’s largest property conference, in a bid to secure investment in the city.

Tory councillors hit out at the annual trip to Cannes last year as the council increased its delegation from six members to eight against a backdrop of £65million cuts and 1,000 job losses.

Now the Conservative opposition has agreed to send former lord mayor Gary Crookes to MIPIM in his role as shadow cabinet member for business.

Referring to the Tories’ long-standing criticism of the trips, Coun Lucas said: “I’m pleased this attendance appears to put the nonsense to rest."

[Melisandre]

Just proves they are all tard to the same brush.

[rebbonk]

Hypocrites one and all. "Ring the bell, I'm on the bus!"