Parties clash on cost-cutting drive

Tories have accused the Labour council leadership of allowing officers to run the job-cutting programme and not elected politicians.

Tory leader Jim Dodds claimed that councillors had been given "minimal involvement and influence" in the Innovation and Efficiency Programme which is redesigning the way the council operates.

Coun Dodds is also demanding that the cost of pay-offs is made public for those senior officers who are leaving.

In a statement he said: "It is quite clear to me how little influence the Labour Cabinet have had over the Innovation and Efficiency Programme being presided over by the council.

"There has been very limited member involvement and this programme is almost completely officer driven. That is a massive slight on the members of this council and a slur on the electorate who put councillors in a position to run the show.

"Under the Conservative administration this council made decisions which were fronted by Conservative members who were accountable for those decisions – but under Labour this is clearly not the case."

He said efficiency savings should be a process driven by members.

"At top officer level the council is deciding who stays and who goes, who does what and how they do it, and how much is to be paid to those who are leaving," he claimed.

"A new management structure has been implemented without any agreed job descriptions or specifications, with massive gaps in terms of responsibility for key areas, and presumably with massive pay-offs for those who no longer have a job.

"I have to ask how much has all this cost, how much influence has the council leader had in it, and how much will this actually save?

"In my view it is quite clear that members are not running this council anymore – it is being run by senior officers – and I would like to challenge Councillor Khan (the council leader) to prove that he is running the show."

In a statement to the Yorkshire Post, Coun Mehboob Khan hit back, calling the remarks "pathetic".

He said councillors from all parties were involved in the efficiency programme.

He said: "I meet with Coun Dodds frequently, and he has never disagreed with the process.

"The whole Conservative shadow Cabinet has also been briefed on the process and no objections were raised.

"And the chief executive has personally briefed Coun Dodds on the proposed changes in senior management structure, while directors have been to meet with all parties to discuss the challenges we face."

Coun Khan said that officers had followed clear processes to implement the programme.

"There are guidelines to follow in undertaking reviews and the selection process, and this has been done in consultation with the trade unions.

"Selection for the assistant director posts included councillors from all parties.

"The senior managers who will be made redundant will not have enhanced severance packages, they will only have access to pensions where that is appropriate within the guidelines, and their redundancy payments will be based on the same calculations as any other employee.

"As leader, it is not my role to do the job of the chief executive, or that of the assistant directors – it is to ensure that we develop the very best services for the people of Kirklees and I do this by setting the policies, priorities and general direction for the council."