Press statement from Northampton ‘Save Our Services’
Councillors involved in the loss of £10 million of public money in the Football Stadium scandal should be charged, disqualified from public office and should resign or be dismissed from Northampton Council
Save Our Services – Northampton is today calling for those responsible for the massive waste of public money in the local football club finance scandal to be brought to account for their loss of £10 million, money that was wasted during a time of austerity and public service cutbacks.
“Councillors were looking for ways to ingratiate themselves with football fans and get votes while failing everybody in the process – and the public are left picking up the tab".
The inquiry into the scandal has revealed that the decision making of the councillors involved was legally questionable and the failure of the decision making made the loan arrangements unlawful. The council cabinet responsible for overseeing the loan consisted of conservative Councillors David Mackintosh, Alan Bottwood, Mary Markham, Mike Hallam, Brandon RE Eldred and Tim Hadland and of whom continue as councillors except for David Mackintosh.
Save Our Services believes these councillors need to be brought to account are not fit to be involved in public office again. Their wanton waste of large amounts of public money during a time of austerity contrasts with their actions in implementing cuts to badly needed, public services and facilities. The millions that have gone missing could have been put to better use providing for the community and those guilty of such misconduct should pay for their incompetence like anyone else who acted incompetently and unlawfully.
We will campaign for these councillors removal and support all measures taken against them to recover the vast sums lost.
David Mackintosh approved the £10.25m loan, the bulk of which went to 1st Land Ltd. Documents obtained by the BBC show eight people linked to 1st Land Ltd made donations to the Northampton South Conservative Association between April and September 2014. More than £37,000 was channeled from from 1st Land Ltd to David Mackintosh’s 2015 election campaign while he was leader of Northampton Borough Council. He went on to be elected as MP for Northampton South. At least four of the eight donors received money from 1st Land Ltd shortly before making their payments to Northampton South Conservative Association.
Thanks for this report. The Liberal Democrats, who controlled the council before the Conservatives took over, were widely criticised and pilloried from all quarters in 2009 for rejecting a development proposal from NTFC because it would have not protected the assets of the council. A 'cautious approach' was then recommended by Council Officers based on the precarious financial position of the club. An alternative proposal by the Council to NTFC was not accepted. Of course the Conservatives used this to whip up opposition to the Lib Dem run Council and they took over in 2011. Why some people think the Conservatives are financially competent to run a council after both this incident and their record of running Northamptonshire County Council is beyond me!
Could you ask candidates what they will do to tackle racial inequality and whether they support Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council's Nine-Point Plan?
Thanks for this excellent report. What is missing is who benefited from the millions? Whose pocket is it in now? Why are they not in prison? Also those who authorised the payments and acted illegally should also be in clink - or at least facing some sort of prosecution. It's just not good enough that this issue is now effectively buried and no one is held to account! If this was a Labour council.... You can guess what then would have happened. Why are people still voting Tory?
Press statement from Northampton ‘Save Our Services’
Councillors involved in the loss of £10 million of public money in the Football Stadium scandal should be charged, disqualified from public office and should resign or be dismissed from Northampton Council
Save Our Services – Northampton is today calling for those responsible for the massive waste of public money in the local football club finance scandal to be brought to account for their loss of £10 million, money that was wasted during a time of austerity and public service cutbacks.
“Councillors were looking for ways to ingratiate themselves with football fans and get votes while failing everybody in the process – and the public are left picking up the tab".
The inquiry into the scandal has revealed that the decision making of the councillors involved was legally questionable and the failure of the decision making made the loan arrangements unlawful. The council cabinet responsible for overseeing the loan consisted of conservative Councillors David Mackintosh, Alan Bottwood, Mary Markham, Mike Hallam, Brandon RE Eldred and Tim Hadland and of whom continue as councillors except for David Mackintosh.
Save Our Services believes these councillors need to be brought to account are not fit to be involved in public office again. Their wanton waste of large amounts of public money during a time of austerity contrasts with their actions in implementing cuts to badly needed, public services and facilities. The millions that have gone missing could have been put to better use providing for the community and those guilty of such misconduct should pay for their incompetence like anyone else who acted incompetently and unlawfully.
We will campaign for these councillors removal and support all measures taken against them to recover the vast sums lost.
David Mackintosh approved the £10.25m loan, the bulk of which went to 1st Land Ltd. Documents obtained by the BBC show eight people linked to 1st Land Ltd made donations to the Northampton South Conservative Association between April and September 2014. More than £37,000 was channeled from from 1st Land Ltd to David Mackintosh’s 2015 election campaign while he was leader of Northampton Borough Council. He went on to be elected as MP for Northampton South. At least four of the eight donors received money from 1st Land Ltd shortly before making their payments to Northampton South Conservative Association.
Thanks for this report. The Liberal Democrats, who controlled the council before the Conservatives took over, were widely criticised and pilloried from all quarters in 2009 for rejecting a development proposal from NTFC because it would have not protected the assets of the council. A 'cautious approach' was then recommended by Council Officers based on the precarious financial position of the club. An alternative proposal by the Council to NTFC was not accepted. Of course the Conservatives used this to whip up opposition to the Lib Dem run Council and they took over in 2011. Why some people think the Conservatives are financially competent to run a council after both this incident and their record of running Northamptonshire County Council is beyond me!
Could you ask candidates what they will do to tackle racial inequality and whether they support Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council's Nine-Point Plan?
Shame no one is going to pay for this
Thanks for this excellent report. What is missing is who benefited from the millions? Whose pocket is it in now? Why are they not in prison? Also those who authorised the payments and acted illegally should also be in clink - or at least facing some sort of prosecution. It's just not good enough that this issue is now effectively buried and no one is held to account! If this was a Labour council.... You can guess what then would have happened. Why are people still voting Tory?