Taxpayers to dig for £20M for Liverpool Dock

[Non-Believer]

3 hours ago, 2112 said:

It’s really funny that Rob Callister had his TT scoreboard turned down by Alf, based on ‘no sound business case’, but yet money has been secured in this project, under Alfs watch since 2016. Alf was Treasury Minister from 2016-2021, before being made Chief Minister. Therefore funding was granted via Tynwald and you would have thought that someone would check what’s been spent, progress made and why excuses made, and the reasoning challenged vigorously. 

I think in position as TM, Alf could only be as good as the checks and balances provided by the system, regardless of his opinions he'd still have to work with them until they could be changed.

On his Budget Statement last February about "ripping up the credit card" clearly he'd identified that those checks and balances were unfit for purpose but it takes time to overhaul such a system. There would be toes trodden on, egos pricked and since then of course, he's handed over the reins to DA.

Hopefully whatever work Alf identified and set going can be continued by Ashford (because Lord knows, it needs to), but it will all be behind the scenes.

[CallMeCurious]

8 minutes ago, offshoremanxman said:

Well that article linked above mentions the UK Parliament action in respect of Liverpool Council - part of which is now controlled from Westminster because of corrupt Labour councillors supposedly taking bungs on major projects.

Ask them to expand their remit then. Presumably the UK PAC are already looking into the LC.

Funny how they can 'find' £35m+ for the likes of this fiasco and yet can't do the basics like road repairs. Wonder who is in charge of project management in the DoI?

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by CallMeCurious

[code99]

We are living through somewhat of a ‘nadir’ in values and integrity in public life. As people were dying of Covid in the UK, well-heeled buccaneers saw a perfect opportunity to enrich themselves by charging NHS an arm and leg for PPE contracts; the Liverpool Docklands development is just another chapter… Whilst the UK is marred in their own ongoing sleaze scandals, they will pay little attention to what is happening here on the Island. Which suits our local chiefs – the last thing they want is somebody who is honourable and competent sitting in number 10 and having a closer look at what dullards on the IOM are up to.  

[Augustus]

On 12/3/2021 at 4:52 PM, Kopek said:

I think the Treasury are involved as well. How many Finance Officers do they have???

 

Edited February 13, 2022 by Augustus
.

[Derek Flint]

17 minutes ago, Augustus said:

I am hearing that the AG's insisted on dealing with the legals in-house rather than using UK briefs. A false economy.

I believe the AG’s gave advice which was roundly ignored?

[Non-Believer]

26 minutes ago, code99 said:

We are living through somewhat of a ‘nadir’ in values and integrity in public life. As people were dying of Covid in the UK, well-heeled buccaneers saw a perfect opportunity to enrich themselves by charging NHS an arm and leg for PPE contracts; 

I don't think it's anything brand-new, it's the evolution of, "There's no such thing as society", every man for himself, dog eat dog ethos that we need to observe to keep us competitive in this global business system.

Of course, some are better placed than others to take advantage of this, either financially, through social standing or through employment such as political connections.

That's why it's fine to bleed public finances in a time of crisis, even if it involves the lives and deaths of millions. There's no ethics or discrimination when it comes to gain.

[Gladys]

18 minutes ago, Derek Flint said:

I believe the AG’s gave advice which was roundly ignored?

I thought government departments had to follow the AG's advice. 

[The Voice of Reason]

8 minutes ago, Gladys said:

I thought government departments had to follow the AG's advice. 

I’d be a bit surprised Gladys given the definition of advice as compared to say that of direction.

But I may be wrong 

[Roger Mexico]

5 minutes ago, Gladys said:

I thought government departments had to follow the AG's advice. 

There's obviously a lot of blame being thrown around behind the scenes already, but I don't get the impression that any of the involved Departments (DoI, AG's Office, Chief Sec/Cabinet Office, Treasury, maybe DfE) are that keen for a quick investigation starting now to find out who is really responsible.  Which suggests either that they're all involved heavily or that at least they've been doing a lot of looking the other way when they should have raised matters.

[asitis]

I think this one is far too serious for the "lessons have been learned, we move on" Mantra.

We have heard that one too many times in the past, and the amount of money it has cost the taxpayers, and extrapolating, public services across the board is massive !

[Non-Believer]

32 minutes ago, asitis said:

I think this one is far too serious for the "lessons have been learned, we move on" Mantra.

Nooooo..... we're only at 1/3rd of the cost of the power station yet and that was nobody's fault.

Plenty of latitude for whitewash yet.

[Andy Onchan]

1 hour ago, Non-Believer said:

Nooooo..... we're only at 1/3rd of the cost of the power station yet and that was nobody's fault.

Plenty of latitude for whitewash yet.

Indeed. Wait until they get around to erecting the terminal. We all know that construction materials have, pardon the pun, gone through the roof. What better opportunity to shaft the GMT. And, I suspect,  there's no going back.

Edited December 6, 2021 by Andy Onchan

[asitis]

1 hour ago, Andy Onchan said:

Indeed. Wait until they get around to erecting the terminal. We all know that construction materials have, pardon the pun, gone through the roof. What better opportunity to shaft the GMT. And, I suspect,  there's no going back.

I think it is time somebody asked the question what is the cost of walking away ? However I suspect you are right the island has been done up like a kipper !!

[code99]

12 hours ago, Non-Believer said:

I don't think it's anything brand-new, it's the evolution of, "There's no such thing as society", every man for himself, dog eat dog ethos that we need to observe to keep us competitive in this global business system.

Of course, some are better placed than others to take advantage of this, either financially, through social standing or through employment such as political connections.

That's why it's fine to bleed public finances in a time of crisis, even if it involves the lives and deaths of millions. There's no ethics or discrimination when it comes to gain.

I sincerely hope that your description does not apply to the whole community here on the IOM (or the IOMG). If it does then there is absolutely no point in fretting about the taxpayers’ millions that have been squandered so far. In those places where there is no community and everyone just wants to get a leg over everyone else, there is no accountability for anything. If that happens here, we should brace ourselves for more ‘graft’, failed projects/ programmes and then chants of the obligatory ‘the lessons will be learnt!’ claptrap… until the money runs out.

For the Island’s sake, ‘dog eats dog’ must not take hold here - that approach simply does not work in small countries like ours, because it inevitably leaves too many people in tears and the country bankrupt.

Edited December 6, 2021 by code99
typo

[Derek Flint]

47 minutes ago, code99 said:

I sincerely hope that your description does not apply to the whole community here on the IOM (or the IOMG). If it does then there is absolutely no point in fretting about the taxpayers’ millions that have been squandered so far. In those places where there is no community and everyone just wants to get a leg over everyone else, there is no accountability for anything. If that happens here, we should brace ourselves for more ‘graft’, failed projects/ programmes and then chants of the obligatory ‘the lessons will be learnt!’ claptrap… until the money runs out.

For the Island’s sake, ‘dog eats dog’ must not take hold here - that approach simply does not work in small countries like ours, because it inevitably leaves too many people in tears and the country bankrupt.

It took hold a long time ago...