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This report makes dismal reading, but few of us who attended @NorthamtonBC Cabinets at the time can be surprised at the criticism that The Leader did the negotiating with NTFC alone, and that no Cabinet members questioned the loan. 1/n https://twitter.com/mattcprecey/status/1354688867484508160
At that time it was hard for the media to question Mr Mackintosh. He wasn't talking to me, having taken umbrage over an interview we'd done with him. If you're going to claim to be a great supporter of local sports teams, expect some questions about them.... 2/n
3/n ...and if, in fact, you have no idea about the County Cricket Club learn to shrug it off, or laugh at oneself. The irony is that 'we will support our sports teams' policy actually came from the Lib Dems not supporting the redevelopment of Frankins Gdns, and was promoted by...
4/n the then Conservative Leader @DavidPalethorpe who was quickly ousted (never did get to the bottom of that). The management style of incoming Leader David Mackintosh was, um, robust. Cabinet meetings could extraordinarily take under 15minutes, as decisions were whizzed through
5/n During the times Mr Mackintosh would talk to us @BBCNorthampton it wouldn't matter what the issue was - parks, bins, museums, finance - we only ever got to speak to him. This lead to some, um, interesting interviews: he wasn't really the right person to talk about the famous
6/n boot and shoe collection at the Museum, for instance. Cabinet members seldom got a look in - they were just side lined. One man single handedly it seemed ran Lings Forum and the Mounts Baths, repaired Northampton's Council Houses and built the glorious new bus station.
7/ When Northampton's Glorious Leader decided to run for Parliament this move wasn't greeted entirely positively by other Local Conservatives. Not least those who had seen the results of a doorstep survey evaluating candidates' abilities to connect with the public.
8/n Mysteriously the results of this survey made their way to me some time after he had been elected. He was actually chosen to be Prospective Candidate at a public hustings, The press were excluded, which I never understood. I've certainly heard some interesting stories about
9/n exactly how some people were persuaded to vote to select Kim Jung Il Mackintosh. He decided 'not to stand for reelection' after sitting for one term in Parliament - which is, let us say, somewhat unusual. But jumping can be better than being pushed.
10/n The incredible thing is that at one stage #Northamptonshire had three simultaneous political scandals: the firing of Mallendar as Corby's Chief Executive & land valuation Qs, the financial and managerial collapse of @mycountycouncil and the NBC Cobblers Loan. Fun times.
11/n If there is one lesson to be learned from the @NorthamptonBC NTFC loan scandal it is this: democracy suffers - and bad decisions can get taken - if just one man, or just a very few, can exert effective control over a public body. Effective opposition and robust scrutiny is
12/n. ..vital to ensure that horrendous mistakes don't get made. Beware the Leaders who don't delegate, and who use the force of their personalities to drive change. Beware the decisions taken before the facts are known. Power corrupts. Everyone waiting for a bus in the rain in
13/n the Drapery is testament to poor decision taking: it was clear that the new bus station wasn't really fit for purpose - but people saying this never stood a chance. If I recall it took just one week for the town to snarl up after the new bus station opened. The County...
14/n Council as the traffic authority, had told the Borough that this would happen - but the policy at the time was never to let the facts get in the way of determined policy.
It will, to put it mildly, be interesting to see what legal actions will finally come from all of this.
It will, to put it mildly, be interesting to see what legal actions will finally come from all of this.
15/n My heart bleeds for #Northampton. My home town for many years. A town centre systematically destroyed by poor decisions and the collapse of retail. One of the oldest Boroughs brought to its knees politically. Once the proud home of the boot and shoe. Now just anonymity.
