Sickened motorists, business people and all kinds of road users ask me why the comhairle is not using the cheapest fuel retailer. I did ask. I have just been waiting for a comprehensive answer.
The comhairle has a publicly-stated commitment to cut costs everywhere it can do so without hacking away at frontline services. It is being suggested that simply switching fuel retailer could save it up to £100,000 a year with no effect on service delivery. So I asked how accurate is that figure being in mind that the true figure may be a lot higher, of course.
Other local organisations have switched to using the cheapest retailers – it’s just common sense. However, not the comhairle itself which has carefully ensured there is just enough red tape to complicate the issue. It’s about contracts, it says.
It says the cheapest retailer, Gordon Diesel Services Ltd, did not even tender for the fuels contract which was awarded in August. It added: “Vans and buses, subject to operational reasons, should top up at the supplier which was first ranked (which was dependent on discounts, etc., and gave the cheapest figure). For information, this was not Campbell’s.”
“Listen to me. I have nothing to say about fuel prices. Did you hear me? Nothing.”
That’s alright then, is it? Still, the comhairle vehicles are at Campbell’s every day. The disgusted drivers say they are ordered to go there. Let’s be honest – everyone sees it as relevant that the filling stations the council vans and buses are seen filling up at are often run by our own dear council leader. There are always clauses to get any public authority out of contracts which are no longer best value – if they wanted to. Someone in power does not want that.
There are now suggestions – in comments on this blog and elsewhere -that Scottish Fuels has a big financial stake in our council leader’s businesses. I don’t know if that is true as he has stopped responding to my questions. However, these questions and more will soon be asked by people he cannot ignore.
So how much is the comhairle paying needlessly through the costly and unenforceable contract which benefits only the ghastly, ugly Irish criminals who run Scottish Fuels – and their local puppets – but not the ordinary ratepayers of these islands? For that, we need the comhairle’s monthly fuel expenditure figures. I asked for them weeks ago but they are in no hurry to hand them over. They are hoping I’ve forgotten. The Information Commissioner will get involved unless they get their finger out very soon.
How many home carers and specialist teachers could this squandered money have paid for in a year? Does anyone care? Why are that bunch of ridiculous, incompetent, overpaid councillors so quiet on this important subject? Whose pocket are they in?
That is a silly generalisation. Sorry. Some of the honourable exceptions are trying to help. They have told us quite a bit already about what is going on behind the scenes. But many other councillors act as they couldn’t give a toss – as if it is nothing to do with them. Some have said as much. That is not good enough. That attitude is part of the problem. It’s about time we all let them know.
Make no mistake, Sandwick Road and Warrington. There are momentuous events about to happen which will blow the entire scam apart. Doing nothing is not an option any more. Our elected representatives had better make it clear whose side they are on or live with the stain on their reputations forever.
Good work Iain (and Gordon, and all in FFS).
WHY ? surely you’ve worked that one out ..I just know you have …so I’ll give a weeeeeeeeee tiny reminder Hmmm – well its for the same reason that we have a Council Leader & a Convener to waste money of course – they are like that good at waste
Well put Iain, in the last few weeks I have travelled a lot in the highlands and islands and this issue goes a lot further than those in power would ever have imagined, the public are fed up of being told we must put up with no schoolbooks, homecare etc
We have now got the chance to make a diffrence.
A small improvement in efficiency and effectiveness would solve all budgetry problems in Sandwick Rd,Edinburgh and London, not cutting services.
Anyway they won’t even get that right as recent events have clearly shown.
As Iain has pointed out, using the cheapest fuel available for council vehicles would save us, the poor benighted council taxpayers, around £100,000 a year. But what about police vehicles, NHS vehicles and all the other organizations in the islands paid for by the taxpayer? The £100,000 may well be a gross underestimate.
Despite this, our largely useless council has nothing to say on the matter. Why? Do they not care about the excess expenditure, or the cuts they are proposing in other areas of the council’s remit?
In addition, we have 31 councillors; far more than we need for our small population. We have, for example, three councillors for Point, yet the whole of Skye is represented by three councillors. Given that they are paid a minimum of £16,000 a year, plus, of course, more for membership of various committees, reducing the number of councillors to a more realistic level of, for example, 15 would save us in excess of a quarter of a million pounds a year.
We have too many councillors, and too many useless councillors to boot, who are obviously more interested in getting money for old rope. They are happy with having their snouts in the trough as well as enjoying their subsidized restaurant and subsidized bar. They obviously think that if the people of the Western Isles say and do nothing, they can continue ripping off the public purse.
It is long past time that the Scottish government stepped in to sort this wasteful shambles out, and, if they do not already have it, legislate for the power to throw out an incompetent and wasteful council and appoint an administrator to sort things out.
Our leader is milking a very bad situation. Why do’es the UK have the most expensive fuel in Europe ? Why are we paying so heavily for the mistakes made by London Bankers ? Why has the Labour Party not said for this mess ? Why are the rich not paying their share ?
Iain X is asking the right questions, what about the Irish contractor who has gone bust. It will cost the people on these islands.
Well said Guga & open minded – and well done Iain X for highlighting al of the councils failures and allowing us the oportunity to comment ….personally I see no leadership in the council … its more the blind ledaing the blind and filling their own pockets – could those councillors take a cut in salary since its not a full time job should they be salaried ..don’t most of them have employment ..? …Oh well cuts are on the way – WE the Council tax payers voted this lot in now we suffer fot it
Any one tried a FOI to CnES asking for Council expenditure at each Stornoway fuel outlet by FY for the last say, 10 FYs’ ? If we are to cry foul on the Great Leader the figures must be there for all to see – but then FOIs can be hidden under “Confidential Commercial interests” like building contracts to Northern Ireland or local Accountants eh?
Fact is our political leaders are taking the opportunity to jump on board of FFS and Iain’s effeorts and hard their work to take the credit for them selves. Have they ever bothered to ask where the Council spends it cash on fuel?
Scottish Water fuelled at Cannery Road . They now go to Back.
Ah, maybe they hadn’t a contract.
I chinned my councillor recently on this question. He said “but is Gordon Diesels actually cheaper” certainly giving me the impression our Leader was giving them a rather large discount. We are constantly told (Nolan Principles) that not only must councillor’s actions be scrupulously clean the PERCEPTION of the man in the street must be that everything is clean and above board. What is your perception? I know what mine is. Where is the air freshener?
The “Great Leader” needs to do the right thing !: JUST RESIGN AND SHOW A BIT OF HONESTY WITH REGARD TO THE WAY YOU HAVE LED YOUR MERRY DANCE OF THE WESTERN ISLES PUBLIC. Time for a proper assessment on how much we have all paid over the odds because of these practices being allowed to happen over the years. Any chance of some comments from the great leaders political colleagues ?………that’ll be no then……….A complete disgrace, ….but perhaps we will get some truth from a challenge to this silence by the Island’s Free church leadership or is this again to be met with silence !……anyway perhaps we are begining to get the so-called domino effect happening with these so called bastion’s of our local society !….LET THE TRUTH BE OUT…….and yes just like FES perhaps our local council vehicles can DO THE RIGHT THING and head out to Back.
So we have exposed Teflon Angus on 10 years of a fuel cartel now lets move on to the 10 wasted years of chasing cheap money from Wind Farms. Another broken promised dream.
‘but perhaps we will get some truth from a challenge to this silence by the Island’s Free church leadership’……..sorry, but you’ve lost me there. I fail to see how the church,in any guise whatsoever,has anything useful to contribute to this ongoing fiasco.
Perhaps you’d care to elaborate?
Maybe its time Angus Campbell stood down from his position as leader of the council after ripping off all the islanders he represents ?
l fail too see why there is so much conjecture over the price paid for fuel going into council vehicles.Since this is public money,the figures should be made available for all too see,Anything less would surely point towards a cosy conspiracy from those who claim to represent us