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New investigation reveals that since 2015 LBWF has failed to comply with the official transparency rules, so limiting outside scrutiny and accountability

July 18, 2024 LBWF spin, Local Government Transparency Code

In 2015, the Conservative government introduced an updated version of the Local Government Transparency Code (hereafter LGTC) which set out the information councils must place in the public domain, and how often, with the aim of increasing ‘democratic accountability’. Subsequently, the LGTC has remained unchanged down to the present. But it now can be revealed that, although the LGTC is mandatory rather than discretionary, LBWF has blatantly failed to fully comply.  The LGTC covers 14 categories of information, three to be published quarterly, the other ten annually, thus: It also explains the details to be included in each category, so that, for instance, the listing of a tender m... »

Leytonstone cartoonist Woox on Lord Cryer and You Know Who…

July 10, 2024 Woox

(Reproduced by kind permission of Woox) »

The Whitefield School abuse scandal: who knew what, when, and why is there still a sense of unease?

July 8, 2024 child safeguarding, LBWF spin, Whitefield

Whitefield is a long-established academy school in Walthamstow with c. 300 pupils aged between three and 19, many of whom have severe or complex needs and are unable to communicate verbally. Over the years, Whitefield has received plenty of plaudits, and attracted support from a range of senior politicians and public figures. However, since 2017 it has been embroiled in a scandal about a historic safeguarding issue, a scandal that has periodically re-surfaced, and today is as raw as ever. The story starts in January 2017, with an Ofsted report.  For while this was in several respects highly satisfactory, finding for example that ‘Most pupils make outstanding progress in their learning, ... »

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LBWF’s top law officer Mark Hynes blocks a question about asbestos in the Town Hall for six months, and then gets an almighty rocket from the Information Commissioner

June 26, 2024 Freedom of Information Act, Mark Hynes, Town Hall asbestos

During the early 2020s, I spent a good deal of time researching LBWF health and safety matters, especially those which followed on from its 2015 court conviction for exposing staff and contractors to deadly asbestos dust in the Town Hall basement. Amongst other things, I discovered a worrying incident that had occurred in 2020. In early January of that year, contractors were drilling in the Town Hall basement, when dust suddenly started spiralling up into the floors above, setting off the fire alarms. Given the recent history, staff understandingly worried that the dust might contain asbestos particles; an anonymous complaint was made to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE); and on 13 Janua... »

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LBWF Monitoring Officer Mark Hynes rules that Cllr. Akram’s register of interests form is up-to-date and correct, and issues in the past were the fault of council staff

June 5, 2024 Mark Hynes, register of interests

After investigating, LBWF Monitoring Officer Mark Hynes has ruled that Cllr. Akram’s register of interest form is up-to-date and correct, and issues in the past were caused because despite Cllr. Akram submitting an e-mail requesting that his form be updated, ‘due to a fault on the part of the democratic services team the Register was not properly updated’. A fuller examination of this ruling will follow shortly. »

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