Why did Wirral Council pay £48,384 to Weightmans and what has DASS got to do with it?

Why did Wirral Council pay £48,384 to Weightmans and what has DASS got to do with it?

Why did Wirral Council pay £48,384 to Weightmans and what has DASS got to do with it?

Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £2700 7th June 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £2700 7th June 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £720 7th June 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £720 7th June 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £48384 11th July 2013
Wirral Council invoice Weightmans £48384 11th July 2013

Above are three invoices to Wirral Council from Weightmans, one for £720, one for £2,700 and one for £48,384.

Apart from “Counsel’s fees” and the always cryptic “professional services” I’ve no idea what these are for, other than the two smaller amounts are to do with Wirral Council’s Department of Adult Social Services. Two refer to a fee note attached to the invoice describing the work done in more detail. I’ve made a Freedom of Information Act request for the fee notes.

All three invoices would seem to be related as they have the same account number. Certainly there’s a public interest in having some openness and transparency as why Wirral Council spent £51,804 on legal costs. However considering how much of the detail on these invoices are blacked out, I don’t hold out much hope that Wirral Council won’t do the same to the fee notes in response to the Freedom of Information Act request.

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Author: John Brace

New media journalist from Birkenhead, England who writes about Wirral Council. Published and promoted by John Brace, 134 Boundary Road, Bidston, CH43 7PH. Printed by UK Webhosting Ltd t/a Tsohost, 113-114 Buckingham Avenue, Slough, Berkshire, England, SL1 4PF.

10 thoughts on “Why did Wirral Council pay £48,384 to Weightmans and what has DASS got to do with it?”

  1. G’day John

    In my days as a business auditor for the ATO we did a project on the legal profession.

    You wouldn’t believe the results John.

    My thought for the day as I ponder that ridiculous letter I got from “The Shyster”.

    I think you might have had one more recently?

    Ooroo

    James

    1. I’m curious as to what the results were.

      Is the letter one of the “Thanks very much for whistleblowing” and reading between the lines it reads ‘we’ll take it from here now so officers of Wirral Council can get all the credit and make out this was all our idea?’ sort of letter?

  2. Weightmans’ Simon Goacher is the public sector ‘guru’ with the required time served at Wirral Council; time served at Cheshire West Council; the indespensable bulging contacts book; the necessary connections needed to keep this whole thing watertight and self-serving on and on into the future.

    He’s “heading up” what they’ve labelled the local government ‘team’ (although the word ‘team’, with its positive, humane, ‘pulling together’ connotations may in this instance be seriously misplaced). More here:

    http://www.weightmans.com/our-people/s/simon-goacher/

  3. G’day John

    From the rubbish paper from over Stella’s Wirral Waters.

    Eastham oil re-refinery plans: Proposals to be determined by Secretary of State due to its ‘national importance’

    Read this one John if they can’t manage Wirral “Funny” Bizz they won’t let them near this baby.

    If “The Football Shirt” thinks Wirral “Funny” Bizz contracts are complicated???????

    Ooroo

    James

    1. I think (if I’m remembering correctly) the wind farm at Burbo Bank got decided under the same process too, so it’s not that unusual.

  4. And thanks to the ‘mighty Cardin’ who was good enough to provide a link so that I could view this little cuties face, I can say with absolute certainty I now dislike him intensely.
    Yes, simply by viewing his smug face on Cardin’s link, I can now conclude that I don’t like him, it’s highly unlikely that I ever will and unless someone tells me, ‘he’s a lovely lad and his heart is in the right place’, I refuse, on principle not to moan and groan about yet another free loading parasitic tic that, through cunning and guile and a wedge of contacts that clearly provide him with financial rewards has managed to allow him to extract more public money without providing one single penny piece of profit to the local Wirral economy.
    As far as I’m concerned, he can get stuffed. Anyone who wins best youngest Solicitor and is prepared to tell me about it, is a stinker who I’ve no wish to break bread with.
    And What’smore, any individual who claims to be proficient in aiding the creation of Arms Length Companies for any Council situated in bloody mainland Britain is a rotter and if ever I’m given the golden opportunity to meet up with him, I’ve no problem whatsoever in saying all this to his lovely happy and stress free face.
    Yes, I don’t like his face. You can tell a great deal about the image of another’s face and I don’t like his. Mind, to add some balance to this deluge of undiluted rancid codswallop, everything beneath his neck appears to me to be ok and whilst I do not like his smug face I’ve absolutely nothing negative to say about the rest of his body. In fact, to evidence this, as soon as I saw all of him below the neck, my first muttering a were, ‘hi up. I like everything I’ve seen from the neck down. It’s the face and the head I don’t like.’
    You can’t get fairer than that and anyone who thinks otherwise holds a different opinion to me.

  5. G’day Bobby

    Luv ya work so much.

    As I need cheering a bit at the moment could you tell me what you think of Wirral Clowncil’s very own massive jowled slobbering St Bernard like “Shyster”?

    Don’t hold back Bobster what do you really think of the arse.

    It will be a tonic after blowing the whistle on Wirral “Funny” Bizz 117,331,200 seconds ago or 194 weeks to no avail.

    Ooroo and God Bless

    James

  6. Well James, first and foremost you are giving me a little to much credit. I’m not really that good. Every single thing I transmit is pretty much the recycled ramblings of an idiot. Julian justice spotted it immediately and Cardin possibly sometime after.
    As for this man, and I use the term in its broadest possible sense, The Shyster, the one who betrayed and hurt you and countless others, I’ll think on your request, study his photograph and at some time in the future I’ll tell you what I think of him.
    For the moment, knowing what I know of this person and having quickly glanced at his fat face, I can say that if I were not a committed heterosexual and I was called upon to give my manly love to another of my sex, I promise you James, my dear and good friend, that I would not, under any circumstances agree to meet him in Room 121 of The Holiday Inn, some wet and windy Wirral afternoon and allow myself to engage in acts of manly love with him.
    Never! I say Never! I’d sooner cozy up to a member of the Animal Kingdom and breach my covenant with my God and humankind than ever agreeing to cuddling up to this Councillor. And why am I so hostile to this scenario?
    Because I’ve got principles and I’ll be damned if I salivate, hump, shove, thrust and ejaculate my bodily fluids into or onto a man who’s best workin public service claimed to be my ‘destination is one of Excellence’.
    Any person who can come up with a catchy and shitty gimmick of a sound bite like that, after all the wrongdoing that he orchestrated and presided over does not deserve to kiss me square on the lips. Never!
    My very warmest regards James.

  7. Thanks Bobby

    Can’t wait for the finished article you really are brilliant at summing up the scum bag characters of Wirral Clowncil.

    They do make it easy with their actions but you really do know how to put them in their place.

    You are genius.

    Ooroo

    James.

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