Council in Rotten Boroughs yet again

Win the World Cup three times in a row and you get to keep the trophy permanently. If there was a trophy for making an almost unprecedented three appearances in a row in Private Eye's Rotten Boroughs investigative column, Cheshire East's trophy cabinet at Sandbach HQ would now boast some new silverware!

Earlier this week, we suggested a regular order at Williams' newsagents for Ian Hislop's satirical magazine – which keeps a close Eye on a variety of organisations' transgressions. This, we said, would help you keep up with happenings at our local council, never dreaming Cheshire East would make it yet again into this week's issue.

As AudlemOnline was criticised on Tuesday by one reader – we published the criticism in full that day – for running a Cheshire East press release that was clearly political spin, we are pleased, in the interests of balance, to tell you what Private Eye has to say in its latest issue:

Life of Riley

"Council axeman Kim Riley is on familiar territory as he oversees plans to cut 1000 jobs at Cheshire East Council. The authority is shedding a fifth of its 5,500 workforce in a bid to reduce a £140 million wage bill. It's similar to what happened at Shropshire Council in 2011, with Riley at the helm, when all 6,500 members of staff were "sacked" and re-employed on lower salaries and new terms.

"When Riley moved to Cheshire East as £140,000 a year interim chief executive last year, a Unison newsletter described him as " the most aggressive, stubborn and openly hated Chief Executive this authority has ever seen".

"The impact of Riley's reign is still felt in Shropshire. Between 2010 and 2012 the council paid out £11 million in redundancy to nearly 500 staff.

"Last month it emerged that a consultant employed on Riley's watch to help with "outsourcing" of services cost taxpayers £327,000 for less than two years work. Between January 2011 and September 2012 management recruiters Odgers received more than £16,000 a month for David Myers' consultancy work and expenses – more than the equivalent salary of Riley, who was on £180,000 a year. Ain't life grand!"

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