Eric Pickles visits H&F

The rotund and pugnacious Communities Secretary, a Tory John Prescott, visited our patch yesterday and congratulated Council Leader Stephen Greenhlagh on his transparency, publishing as he now does all items of expenditure over £500 by the Council.

Here's what the Pickles had to say:

"Local people should be able to hold politicians and public bodies to account over how their hard earned cash is being spent and decisions made on their behalf. The swift and simple changes that Hammersmith and Fulham have made today are an important first step towards getting council business out in the open and revolutionising local government.

"Hammersmith and Fulham already has an impressive record in reducing council tax bills for families and pensioners, while delivering excellent and improving frontline public services."

Returning the serve Cllr Greenhlagh said this:

"We want the public to hold us to account. We have proved with our year-on-year tax cuts and improving services and residents' satisfaction ratings that councils can deliver more for less and these simple changes will shine a light on every corner of our spending.

"Everyone at the council will be given another reason to think twice about whether they are getting value for money. If this reveals examples of spending that is wrong or barmy then I will be the first one to act. We are the champions of value for money and we are not embarrassed by openness and transparency."

As I said here transparency is to be welcomed - even if it reveals some highly questionable expenditure, such as over £100,000 going to the richest private schools in the borough, if not the country.