Could Sefton Council Tax payers keep Labour's 'True Blue Tory' councillor Les Byrom in the lap of luxury till he retires?

Les has just tossed his cap into the ring for the £120,000 job of 'elected police commissioner' for Merseyside, which will set him up for retirement and doubtless attract a huge pension pot as well. All he has to do is see off former Liverpool Labour MP Jane Kennedy and he is laughing.

Les' newly found Labour chums on the Merseyside Police Authority have made sure that the Council Tax payers keep the Police Authority reserves full while Les waits for his chance for high office. Labour councillors have just voted to put up the precept of the Police Authority on the Sefton Council Tax by three per cent. That means that even if Sefton does not put up our own Council Tax by a single penny, the overall bill will still increase.

Meanwhile, that other Labour 'heavyweight' John Prescott has tossed his cap into the ring for the same top money job as police elected commissioner in Humberside. Having lost the country a clean £449 million on his National Fire Control Centres alone, Prezza thinks he''s just the man to run another big budget.

Onthespot - your online reporter

Do you have a story to tell? Please text or phone 07930717137 or email ots@otsnews.co.uk

Originally Posted by onthespot

Could Sefton Council Tax payers keep Labour's 'True Blue Tory' councillor Les Byrom in the lap of luxury till he retires?

Les has just tossed his cap into the ring for the £120,000 job of 'elected police commissioner' for Merseyside, which will set him up for retirement and doubtless attract a huge pension pot as well. All he has to do is see off former Liverpool Labour MP Jane Kennedy and he is laughing.

Les' newly found Labour chums on the Merseyside Police Authority have made sure that the Council Tax payers keep the Police Authority reserves full while Les waits for his chance for high office. Labour councillors have just voted to put up the precept of the Police Authority on the Sefton Council Tax by three per cent. That means that even if Sefton does not put up our own Council Tax by a single penny, the overall bill will still increase.

Meanwhile, that other Labour 'heavyweight' John Prescott has tossed his cap into the ring for the same top money job as police elected commissioner in Humberside. Having lost the country a clean £449 million on his National Fire Control Centres alone, Prezza thinks he''s just the man to run another big budget.

Onthespot - your online reporter

Do you have a story to tell? Please text or phone 07930717137 or email ots@otsnews.co.uk

Absolutely! Why not! I am sure he is most adequately trained in law, order and criminal activities.

I don't see what the problem is. It is the present Government that is pressing ahead with this idea, and Cll. Byrom has as much right to throw his hat into the ring as anybody else. Including you and me. At least Les wore the Queens uniform as a Royal Marine and would know a bit about loyalty. Unlike his former party. One could ask about the likes of Sir Ron, who upon losing both his seat and leadership of the party back in the early 90s, was fixed up with a lot of nice little earners in the shape and form of Quangos. Many of which 20 years later he still sits on. I real life though, I would rather see Chief Constables being elected for a period of 4/5 years. As it is now, unless they get caught with their fingers in the cookie jar, you are stuck with them until they either retire or move on. And why not have all councillors being elected on the same day as the General Election (Which could be held over a weekend) That would save a fair amount of money and in theory increase the turnout for local elections.

Originally Posted by Greywolf

One could ask about the likes of Sir Ron, who upon losing both his seat and leadership of the party back in the early 90s, was fixed up with a lot of nice little earners in the shape and form of Quangos.

This 'eye for the main chance' and the relentless pursuit of self-interest is one of the central planks of Conservatism so one could not expect more (or less) of Sir Ron. With Les Byrom, one can only think that his true political colours have indeed, as Councillor Jones pointed out recently, come out in this episode. Whether the 'brothers and sisters' of Merseyside's Labour movement will warm to his charms above those of Peter Kilfoyle and Jane Kennedy is another matter completely.

Does anyone really think that the Chief Constables will take a blind bit of notice of whoever gets elected to be Police Commissar? They will have to waste a couple of hours a week to have their ears bent by some self-inflated individual on a collossal pay packet, then get back to the job of policing.

As for Prezza, is anyone really surprised that he would throw himself on the steps of the Temple of Mammon?

Another cushy number for one of the chosen few. Meanwhile we all pay more and our pensions are extended by this govt. so that we can only retire at 68. How old do the corrupt politicians in this country have to be before they can grab a pension from the pot. If they can go to 68, just how much in expenses will they steal from the public purse.