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Posted by yestomayor Salford on 19th December 2011 at 10:24 PM

Mayoral referendum - Cllr Merry

Confusion, deception or dishonesty ? - You decide !

MONDAY 19 DECEMBER 2011
Mayoral referendum - Cllr merry
Confusion, Deception or dishonesty ? - You decide !

Since the Mayoral referendum has been triggered in the city of Salford Councillor Merry has been responsible for alleging the costs associated with the referendum have changed 5 times ! Yes not once, but twice, no not three times or four but has changed his mind five times ! And are we finished yet ?

So far Councillor Merry has released five sets of different figures as follows - £100,000, £150,000, £200,000, £350,000 and £400,000 !!

As Leader of the Council and as a councillor he has to abide by the members code of conduct which includes that he has to behave with integrity and honesty at all times.

So why have we had 5 sets of figures ? The mayoral Alliance obtained a Labour party strategy document sent to the English Democrats by mistake - how stupid can you get ? This document clearly states that the labour party will be using a strategy along with others, to use the costs associated with the referendum as a reason for people to vote NO.

The referendum has been triggered so it has to be paid for nomatter what so why are Labour using costs and not debating the merits or not of a mayoral system ? Maybe they have little other arguments against so they use costs as a reason instead.

So if this is their main line of attack to persuade people to vote NO would it then not be in their interests to exagerate the costs, make up ficticious dates for elections to increase costs and to withold information like any mayoral election will be held at the same time as the local elections which are taking place anyway so any mayoral election costs are drastically reduced ?

Why would a Leader of the Council try to apply the costs of the local elections onto a Mayoral election to increase drastically the mayoral referendum/elections costs when the local elections are taking place anyway ?

Why would Councillor Merry as leader of the Council tell the Manchester Evening News that any mayoral election would take place on its own in October 2012 thereby the costs of holding such an event added to a referendum, yet, the council decided within 1 week of that disclosure that in fact any mayoral election would take place at the same time as the local elections ?

It is clear the referendum costs have been exagerated and any mayoral election costs have been significantly exagerated. The unfortunate thing about all this nonsence is that the pro-labour press print this diatribe as fact in their newspapers and articles (online) because this unelected, untested so-called Leader of the council says its fact !

The referendum that has been triggered means that in the event of a YES vote there is no leader from next May and there will be a Mayor. Why is this man able to say such diatribe and its printed as fact when it is clear he is in a position where he is fighting for his political life ?

Mike Moulding, The Community Action Party

Comment by yestomayor Salford ( member ) ^{20th December 2011}
Now you are talking nonsense Cllr Merry to exagerate your alleged costs in the hope people believe you and they vote NO on 26th Jan 2012. Vote for change Vote YES !

Comment by John Merry ( member ) ^{20th December 2011}
You have also failed to take into account that the count of the mayoral election will need to take place on a different day that a different ballot paper will be required and specialist printers need to be used . Extra staff will be required at polling stations and will be required to be trained in the specialist ballot paper.

Comment by John Merry ( member ) ^{20th December 2011}
You have failed to give any evidence of your budget or indeed that I ever said the referendum and election would cost anything other than £350k or £400k depending on whether the election was on the same day. Abuse seems to be your main weapon you will no doubt challenge our figures but they will be based on fact.

Comment by yestomayor Salford ( member ) ^{20th December 2011}
Councillor Merry you have given out that many figures and changed them within such small timescales I dont think anyone would believe what you say anyway now about this matter in future. However, if you now say that a referendum is costing £200,000 and the election together would cost £350,000 you are alleging the mayoral election on its own will cost £150,000. How many people in the city of Salford receive postal ballots Cllr Merry ?

Comment by John Merry ( member ) ^{20th December 2011}
Typo ignore the not

Comment by John Merry ( member ) ^{20th December 2011}
Please not accept this as the absolute rejection of the claim that I have given 5 separate figures on the combined cost of the referendum and election combined. There could not be clearer Mr Moulding

Comment by John Merry ( member ) ^{20th December 2011}
I repeat I stated the figures were extracted from this years combined referendum and locals plus the cost of the mayoral referendum . Now I am stating this slowly I have never said the cost of the referendum plus election was £100k . You have refused to give any justification for that figure . You are either not telling the truth or just confused. I an being more charitable than you.

Comment by yestomayor Salford ( member ) ^{20th December 2011}
mayoral election* apologies

Comment by yestomayor Salford ( member ) ^{20th December 2011}
It has now been suggested by Cllr Merry that the mayoral election would cost the taxpayer not the original figure of £200,000 but some £350,000 if it goes ahead Extracted from Salfordonline. Although, in your defence Cllr Merry I believe they have misquoted you. If a local election is being held at a cost of £200,000 as you say please explain how a mayoral referendum would cost £150,000 if its going to be held on the same day as a local election ? Please explain how you have arrived at this figure ?

Comment by John Merry ( member ) ^{20th December 2011}
At no point did i claim the referendum cost would be over £200,000 I have stated the cost of the referendum and election combined is £350,000 why do you persist in not telling the truth about this

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