Another RCT Emabarrassment

This week has seen another string of debacles hit RCTCBC and the same result appears to have occurred. The Labour Councillors are completely unaffected or moved by them.

Trinity Mirror ran a picture last night of the image that Joanne Mjadzelics submitted to South Wales Police and RCT Social Services after the airing of Week In Week Out earlier this week. The image was received in 2008 by RCT and triggered an Initial Assessment by children’s services which determined that there was no foul play. Indeed sources close to the case suggest that staff were more convinced by Watkins that Ms. Mjadzelics, as he had claimed that she was nothing more than a bitter ex girlfriend. There were 5 additional contacts between 2008 and 2012, but each time there was little credence given to the claims of Watkins vile nature. Indeed Social Services were investigating just days prior to his arrest and were still on his side according to sources.

Sadly this is another example of poor management and judgement by RCT. There were no initial investigations into how this was missed after Watkins pleaded guilty, which begs the question: In such a high profile case, why didn’t at the very least the cabinet member for children’s services, Annette Davies, call for an internal enquiry? This again illustrates the ineptitude of our elected representatives.

On the subject of ineptitude the Cabinet:

This week saw the first ever live broadcast of a RCT Cabinet meeting all in the name of transparency. However, this was the least transparent meeting I've ever witnessed and looked like something that could have featured in a Local Government version of The Thick of It. Every word was scripted with every member reading aloud like a 3 year old at their first Nativity, with some using their fingers to follow the lines and other completely forgetting where they were. Pontylibdems.org.uk point out the  (and I use the term very loosely) highlights:

·         7 minutes of the Officer reading out his report on Coroner's office.

·         No member of Cabinet spoke other than Cabinet Member responsible who read out a pre-prepared statement. A non-Cabinet (Plaid) Member spoke

·         Just under 3 minutes of Officer reading out his report on Members' indemnity

·         No member of Cabinet spoke other than Cabinet Member responsible who read out a pre-prepared statement.

·         2 minutes of Officer reading out his report on residential parking zones

·         The Cabinet Member for Highways read out a pre-prepared statement, actually following the text with his fingers so he didn't lose his place.

·         Three other Cabinet Members actually spoke about this as did a non-Cabinet (Labour) Member.

·         12 minutes of Officer reading out her report on planning reform.

·         Again the Cabinet Member responsible could not follow the text of his pre written comments without the help of his fingers. No other Member spoke on the subject.

·         Only 1 minute of Officer reading out his report on the Estyn follow up inspection report.

·         Cabinet Member at least didn't need to use her hands to read.

·         Again no other Cabinet Member spoke on the subject.

·         The Director of Education again - this time less than a minute on School Improvement and consortium working.

·         Excellent bit of reading again from the Cabinet Member responsible, but again no comment from anyone else in the Cabinet.

·         Yet again the Director of Education, this time keeping it short again on realignment of special needs services, although slightly longer than his previous two contributions.

·         Cllr Hanagan read her lines again, but apart from a non-Cabinet Member who asked to comment a specific school nobody had anything to say.

All this plus Councillor Mike Forey and Director of Commissioning, Housing and Business Systems (grandiose title) Neil Elliot looking like they were sleeping made the whole event and absolute joke to behold and how media outlets have not got hold of this is beyond comprehension.

Here we have a set of elected representatives treating the electorate with the utmost contempt, believing that we will see their display and think “Don’t they look professional”. How much longer can the electorate tolerate this kind of behaviour? The time for change is upon us, no longer is it acceptable to allow apathy to clear the path for these Labour sheep devoid of passion or dedication to their communities. If we don’t start to change now, Cynon, Rhondda and Taff will die.

Ysmaliwr