Was Nick looking a bit shabby this morning?

Welcome

Just over 1,300 of the UK's most senior leaders (and Nick Walkley) in local authorities gathered yesterday at the Grosvenor House Hotel, for a day and evening of learning and sharing of best practice.

The momentous day for local authorities started with the inaugural day time LGC Future Thinking and Best Practice Summit; exclusive to awards attendees, the summit offered a unique opportunity to hear first-hand from the councils shortlisted for Council of the Year and Most Improved Council as they made their final presentations live to the judges. Throughout the day, presentations from previous winners, a series of big issue (has Nick been seen outside Arnos Grove tube with a bundle of papers for sale?; The Big Issue is a better read than any One Barnet report) future thinking discussions and organised networking sessions (what, no disorganised sessions?), promoted the sharing of essential best practice. After the learning sessions had taken place, the awards commenced. With a record breaking audience in the history of the sixteen year history of the awards, the winners of the LGC Awards 2012 were announced.

An evening of mutual back slapping and too much booze for some. Council Tax payers will have the One Barnet headache for the next 10 years.

Who was there, yes good old Nick Walkley and as a judge no less, and now try not to laugh, what category was he judging? "Most improved council of the year". How would he know?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-16109206

Look who the sponsor is. Is this what we get for paying Agilisys £250k+ in a month. A day out for Nick and all the booze he can drink (he may have paid for his own beer, one never knows).

Councils put themselves forward for these vanity awards and sensibly this year Barnet Council decided to keep a low profile. A good decision.

However, given that Barnet Council would win an award for Worst Procurement Achievement then Mr Mustard, for one, thinks that non-stick Nick's time would be better spent sorting out Barnet Council than gadding off to the Grosvenor House Hotel.

Yours frugally

Mr Mustard