Political mud slinging

WE are going through an extraordinary period of mud-slinging between the political parties at Warrington.
Some may think this is inevitable after a change of political control at the Town Hall, but we feel it must impede the real business of local government, which is to run the town efficiently and for the benefit of residents.
Press releases and “leaks” have come from all sides, some containing personal attacks on individuals. We are pleased to be able to report that the most scurrilous of these appear not to have got into print – to the credit of the much-maligned media.
One story which did create headlines, however, and in the opinion of some, misleading headlines, concerned pay rises for senior council officers at a time when some Town Hall staff were facing redundancy.
Can such pay rises be justified?
We cannot pretend to know, but would point out that local authority wages and salaries are negotiated as part of a national agreement and cover not only senior management but everyone else down to the most junior employee. Warrington’s review was carried out in 2009.
It is not unusual when political control of a council changes for rumours to circulate that senior officers appointed by the outgoing party should be looking for new employment. Such rumours can only be strengthened when named individuals are asked, publicly, to decline pay rises.
Again, whether this helps run the town efficiently and for the benefit of residents we could not pretend to know.