Graham Haywood - a final curtain call?

A new year dawns and there's no let-up in the wrangling among Sefton's parties over how to re-shape the council's top officialdom. The interview forming the backbone of the report in today's Visiter sees Lib-Dem leader Cllr Tony Robertson in defiant form - sticking to his guns over £600k of top brass cuts, even while acknowledging the call-in procedure provides wide scope for that to be overturned. My earlier predictions that all three parties may have been muddling towards a grand compromise seems - unfortunately from my perspective - a little far from the mark. Such are the perils of punditry.

It is patently clear from the quotes that Cllr Robertson has a strong working relationship with Graham Haywood - backing the chief's management proposals as part of the wider Sefton 2010 programme and insinuating that political opponents wish to see him ride into the sunset. But Cllr Robertson told me that he was only voicing what Mr Haywood had already made clear to the party leaders - an ultimatum more dignified than 'back me or sack me' but not wholly different in end result. Even the council leader accepts Mr Haywood has probably only 18 months' natural time left at the top. The important bit is what is lined for the council over the next year.
Amid the intricacies of the game of institutional tennis being played out over the management cuts - racqueted from full council to cabinet, now probably scrutiny committee back to cabinet (perhaps via full council) it is worth bearing in mind the bigger picture. The cuts are linked to the wider Sefton 2010 programme, of which a Major Service Review is also integral. I suspect some of these wider-ranging aspects will come to the fore in 2008.

Cllr Robertson: the Leader's not for turning

The senior management jobs at stake are undoubtedly high responsibility positions that command substantial pay-packets. The council's last statement of accounts to its Audit Committee revealed the chief executive to pull-in £140k-£149k. Cllr Robertson said it was highly likely that would be up-rated as part of any process of recruiting a successor to Graham Haywood.

But of wider import is the jobs of lower-ranking council staff; 2010 is described in reports as a “managed, major transformation programme with long term benefits for residents and staff” – but there are fears it could lead to many job losses as the authority battles to save £8m. Talks have already started with staff and unions to take place about the ‘impact’ of savings on jobs.
With its Major Service Review - based on shipping out entire swathes of functions to independent (usually private) providers - Sefton joins a vanguard of authorities that include the political poles of Labour-heartland Salford and true-blue Westminster. A technical services delegation from Sefton took time this autumn for a trip to see such outsourcing at work in the City of Westminster. I read Sir Simon Milton's first interview as head of the Local Government Association this week: the Tory leader of Westminster since 2002, he boasted about his record of 2% council tax rises.
One strongly upbeat note for local politicos arising from 2010 is the expectation to devolve a raft of new powers to Area Committees. Since its institution as an all-resort committee a few years back, Southport Area Committee has emerged as the weightiest of these bodies - a veritable monthly feast of local issues.

One thing for sure – local politics in 2008 is unlikely to be dull. But what do you think lies in store - please leave your tips below.

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