Mike Storey guilty of breaking council rules but no action to be taken
We've just broken this story on our website:
FORMER Liverpool Council leader Mike Storey has been found guilty of breaking council rules by an ethical standards investigation - but will face no action.
Cllr Storey showed an "error of judgement" in discussing the health details of former Culture Company chief executive Jason Harborow with a member of the press, the Standards Board for England has found.
He was cleared of the potentially more serious charge of conspiring with council leader Warren Bradley to force ex-Culture Company chief executive Mr Harborow from his job.
A spokesman from the Standards Board said: "The ethical standards officer found that Cllr Storey breached the Code of Conduct in one respect (ie when he confirmed information to the press about Jason Harborow's health) but could find no evidence that he had breached the Code in respect of the other allegation (ie the allegation that Cllr Storey intended to conspire against Mr Harborow to remove him from his job as Chief Exec of the Culture Company).
"The ethical standards officer did not consider any further action against Cllr Storey to be necessary."
The board is yet to reach a final conclusion on Cllr Bradley, despite having reached a draft finding in November.
It is understood the board are currently considering representations from lawyers acting on Cllr Bradley's behalf, after he was sent a copy of their draft report.
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David Bartlett
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Is it just me that's getting sick of this "Standards Board" quango?
If a politician has done something corrupt or illegal then throw the book at them. But surely they have a duty to try and get rid of bureaucrats that have failed to do their jobs properly. I always thought that was one of the things we elected them for?
I do not understand what Cllr Storey has done wrong. Your article stated "he confirmed information to the press about Jason Harborow's health". It appears obvious this information was available to the press and whether it is confirmed or not doesn't`t seem to to me as a breach of ethics unless Mr. Harborow specifically asked Cllr Storey not to disclose the state of his health. I however think it is important for council tax payers to know details of council officers or heads of agencies health or personal circumstances if it possibly affects their performance in the job they are handsomely paid to carry out.
Is Rob a member of the Mike Storey Appreciation Society or something?
First of all Storey had no business discussing the health of an employee with anyone - his missus, Fireman Bradley or the papers.
Anyone who thinks differently obviously has a typically Lib Dem prejudice against good governance.
The information was not freely available to the press - until a politician made it so.
Does Mr Ainsworth somehow think that the private lives and health of public servants are fair game for the tabloids then?
How would he like it if his employer (if he has one), phoned up David Bartlett to tell him how Mr Ainsworth has a serious mental condition (cantseethewoodforthetrees-itis) which make it advisable that he should never be allowed to post comments to blogs?
Or maybe that he asked for a pay rise and was refused one because he is not very good at his job?
Fair game?
You think so?
Or should this kind of leak only be allowed for public servants?
Secondly, Rob is the only person in the world who thinks Storey merely 'confirmed' the information.
His comments are a perversion of anything remotely resembling good sense.
And I am no fan of the Harbarrowboy.