MP for Ellesmere Port Anyone keeping up-to-date with political news in the last few weeks will almost certainly have heard references to the term ‘cronyism’. It is the description given to what is accepted as a corrupt practice where individuals in positions of power and influence abuse their authority to dispense favours to their friends and allies. In particular, allegations have been made that Government Ministers have for some time been guilty of widespread cronyism when dealing, for example, with National Health Service contracts worth many millions of pounds in relation to essential equipment used during the pandemic. We are talking about serious issues involving large amount of taxpayers’ money and it is vital that efforts are renewed to stamp out increasing use of what is generally regarded as totally unacceptable practices.It should not be necessary to have to stress the need for multi-million pound contracts to be awarded in the most open and transparent of ways
The calls have been made just days after a clip from Handforth Parish Council went viral, featuring a heated argument between Cllr Tolver (left) and Jackie Weaver CALLS have been made to improve the standards of councillor conduct by a major local government organisation. The National Association of Local Councils (NALC) has written an open letter to Robert Jenrick, Local Government Minister, urging government to ‘bring forward changes to the current standards regime governing conduct in local government’. It comes as recent meetings in Handforth, Frodsham, and Penketh have come to light, exposing representatives’ bad behaviour leading to a vote of no confidence being submitted in Cheshire East mayor Cllr Barry Burkhill, who is also on Handforth Parish Council.