Just some of the Britton horror story was set out in The Skidder's post, Desperate Dorset Council employs Jan Britton:
Despite his shocking track record, Britton moved on to a Company running some small Councils in the Cotswolds at the behest of a Lib Dem Councillor called Joe Harris, who was mysteriously prepared to overlook the appalling history (even though this was publicly documented by The Skidder and others). This Company was recently wound up and Britton has now been given the Dorset job in highly controversial circumstances.
In 2023 the Dorset Echo reported that Tory Dorset Council had a contract with a company called Commensura ro supplying agency staff and consultants, although the Conservatives were authorising very large payments outside the main Commensura contract. The reasons for this are opaque. A Report to the Council claimed that the Council was looking to reduce temporary hires which were costing taxpayers a £1m a month.
When the Director of Place decided to leave Dorset Council the Tory Leader, Spencer Flower (Verwood ward), inexplicably decided with Dorset's Chief Executive (CE) to recruit a replacement on a temporary contract despite the "plan" to reduce temporary hires. The Council is currently refusing to supply further information with regard to this and the matter had now been referred to the Information Commissioner. Perhaps Councillors don't want the details to come out before the election on 2nd May?
Dorset's CE, Matthew Prosser (currently on a cool pay and pension package of £191,000 a year according to the Taxpayers' Alliance), decided to employ Britton via a jobs for the boys and girls organisation called Solace, of which he just happens to be the President. Again the appointment was outside the Commensura Contract. The documents produced to date by Dorset Council present a curious picture with the appointment of the disgraced Britton seemingly having being rigged (although the Council denies this). The appalling story so far is set out in another Skidder blogpost, Four (Tories) Go Mad in Dorset!:
As above, the Tory Council is refusing to deal with further aspects of a Freedom of Information request. We don't know why Prosser and Flower made the decision they did. We also don't know whether the three Tory Councillors who briefly interviewed Britton before making the expensive appointment were made aware by Prosser of Britton's behaviour at Sandwell. The three Councillors refused to communicate with The Skidder. They are Ray Bryan (St Leonards and St Ives), Jill Haynes (Chalk Valley) and Andrew Parry (West Parley). They, with Flower, are all up for election and Dorset voters might want to ask them how this shocking appointment came about.
The Tories have become the Party of very high taxation - the highest rates since the 1940's - but don't seem to be averse to reckless spending. A few days ago the Dorset Echo also wrote up a story based on research done by the Taxpayers' Alliance showing that 17 employees at Dorset are paid over £100,000 (and, presumably, Britton can now be added to that list).
You might imagine that the opposition parties would be all over the Britton scandal, but when The Skidder contacted Cllr Nick Ireland (Lib Dem "Leader" - Crossways ward) he just didn't want to know! How strange then that in the run-up to the election he found time to whinge to the Dorset Echo (full link below):
"We just think people get paid too much at the top and get an awful lot of money for what they do".
Ireland recommended getting rid of one Director-level post and other streamlining. How curious he should think this at election time but doesn't want to investigate how the Tories gave a disgraced local government employee a £150k temporary deal. Once again, he won't speak to the press and perhaps voters in Dorset will ask Lib Dems why they support this terrible, misconceived, and possibly rigged appointment.
Dorset Echo Link: https://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/24238841.taxpayers-alliance-rich-list-dorset-council-top-earners/
iancrowmultimedia@gmail.com
Crow Multimedia Limited
