RULE OF LAW

Doncaster's new £140,000-a-year managing director Susan Law got off to a good start in the "Beacon of Sleaze" by claiming £1,500 interview expenses. Well she did have to come from South Africa, even if not in economy class.

The appointment of Law's former colleague from her days on Adelaide city council, Peter dale, as £105,000 executive director of development looks likely to stir more controversy - and that's before the little matter of relocation costs kicks in.

The dynamic duo's task is to deliver Mayor Winter's seven "transformational goals": the "Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield International Airport"; the new Doncaster Transport Interchange; a new performance venue; a new stadium; the Lakeside development; the racecourse and Doncaster Education City (Eyes passin). Great vision. Pity the money isn't there. One of Law's first acts has been to freeze all council budgets. And the council's record of financial mis-management is so dire as to nobble such ventures before they start.

Only this month the £50m Earth Centre environmental project closed its doors after five years with dozens of redundancies. The trustees are handing the project over to the council, which is a bit odd given that the council has had a serious input into the centre from the start through its nominees. One of the few beneficiaries of the project in real terms was a consultancy owned and led by, er, Martin Winter, now the elected mayor of Doncaster. 

Private Eye No.1116 1st Oct 2004

ROTTEN BOROUGHS

AWARDS 2004

Leading by Example Award goes to Doncaster

Mayor Martin Winter, who took his children out of school to attend the Glastonbury pop festival shortly after his education director had written a letter to parents scolding those who took their kids on family holidays in term time.

Private Eye No.1123 7th Jan 2005