| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ealing Councillor's Loan | |
| Posted by: | Alan Fairclough | |
| Date/Time: | 27/03/15 10:17:00 |
| The Ealing Gazette has finally decided to report this story after ignoring it when it originally broke. It does give the official angle and some further details although bizarrely it reports the fact that Julian Bell both owns a house in Acton and has a social housing tenancy for another house as tabloid speculation when nobody is disputing this is the case. The article's title is "Leader has 'no case to answer' on home claims" which tells you all you need to know about the general thrust of it. Ealing's Chief Executive Martin Smith has dismissed calls for an investigation. Julian Bell's mother-in-law is bed-ridden and 95 years of age and he claims to have provided further 'confidential' information to councillors about the care arrangements. Although it is probably correct to say that Julian Bell has done nothing technically illegal and that he deserves some sympathy for have to care for an elderly relative I can't see how this negates the desirability of transparency as far as the costs of care are being dealt with. If it is expensive it is not something that Julian Bell can be blamed for and ultimately it is he not the taxpayer who is paying for it. The obfuscation of these matters is creating the impression that there is something to hide even though there actually may not be anything untoward happening. |