North Lanarkshire Update
I came across this article from The Daily Record which reported in 2012 that North Lanarkshire Council's chief executive, Gavin Whitefield, opted to forego his election 'returning officer' fee of around £10,000 because of a mess that was made in issuing postal votes.
Now that was the right thing to do if you ask me, but the postal voting error must pale into insignificance when compared with the terrible mess the Council and its most senior officials made in their handling of equal pay.
The cost to North Lanarkshire was reported by Private Eye recently at more than £70 million yet as far as I know neither the chief executive nor his senior officials have offered to return the big performance bonuses they 'earned' while the long fight for equal pay in NLC was still underway.
North Lanarkshire Council chief coughs up for election leaflet error
BY EUAN MCLELLAND - The Daily Record (13 June 2012)
NORTH Lanarkshire Council chief executive Gavin Whitefield has opted to forego his returning officer’s fee after a pre-election error meant £15,000 had to be spent re-issuing guidance notes to 26,500 postal voters.
NL returning officer Gavin Whitefield
NORTH Lanarkshire Council chief executive Gavin Whitefield has opted to forego his returning officer’s fee after a pre-election error meant £15,000 had to be spent re-issuing guidance notes to 26,500 postal voters.
In the build-up to May’s local authority election, ballot papers and voting instructions were accidently sent out to postal voters showing an illustrated voter placing an “X” on a ballot paper instead of a numerical digit, confusing voters.
The council say the error cost close to £15,000.
As a result, Mr Whitefield has now confirmed to the Wishaw Press that both he and his deputies will reject their election fees – thought to accumulate close to £10,000 – and have them put towards balancing the election budget.
And the trio have also vowed that funds will be withdrawn from their end-of-year Performance Related Pay (PRP) to meet any further shortfall caused by April’s error.
Mr Whitefield said: “The Returning Officer’s fee is set at £3964 with deputies paid a percentage of this. However, I will not be taking my fee nor will my deputy returning officers John O’Hagan and John Fleming.
“Following the discovery of a graphical error on a postal vote advice slip, I pledged there would be no cost to the public purse.
“It is only right those ultimately responsible for the smooth running of the election should forego their fees.
“Any shortfall will be met through other deductions, most likely through Performance Related Pay.”
NORTH Lanarkshire Council chief executive Gavin Whitefield has opted to forego his returning officer’s fee after a pre-election error meant £15,000 had to be spent re-issuing guidance notes to 26,500 postal voters.
In the build-up to May’s local authority election, ballot papers and voting instructions were accidently sent out to postal voters showing an illustrated voter placing an “X” on a ballot paper instead of a numerical digit, confusing voters.
The council say the error cost close to £15,000.
As a result, Mr Whitefield has now confirmed to the Wishaw Press that both he and his deputies will reject their election fees – thought to accumulate close to £10,000 – and have them put towards balancing the election budget.
And the trio have also vowed that funds will be withdrawn from their end-of-year Performance Related Pay (PRP) to meet any further shortfall caused by April’s error.
Mr Whitefield said: “The Returning Officer’s fee is set at £3964 with deputies paid a percentage of this. However, I will not be taking my fee nor will my deputy returning officers John O’Hagan and John Fleming.
“Following the discovery of a graphical error on a postal vote advice slip, I pledged there would be no cost to the public purse.
“It is only right those ultimately responsible for the smooth running of the election should forego their fees.
“Any shortfall will be met through other deductions, most likely through Performance Related Pay.”
