LiveWire is ‘badly run’ and ‘out of control’ according to Warrington North Labour MP Helen Jones.
Ms Jones is calling for the community interest company, which is responsible for running Warrington’s libraries and leisure services, to be stripped of its control of the town’s libraries.
The company has been criticised for its handling of a public consultation into plans to save £300,000 by closing nine libraries.
“As this farce of a so-called ‘consultation’ has gone on it has become clear that LiveWire is badly run and out of control,” said Ms Jones.
Ms Jones called for the council to take back control of the libraries, which have been run by LiveWire since 2012.
“They conducted a consultation based on dodgy figures which they then had to withdraw. I also understand that they are paying a former council officer a five figure sum per year, as a consultant, for a couple of days work per week,” she added.
“Frankly, this is appalling. If you need a consultant to help do your job you shouldn’t be in it.
“Where is the LiveWire Board in all this? They are clearly not providing the right level of challenge to this organisation.
“I have asked how they were appointed and found that there is no proper independent process of appointment.
“There is limited advertising and appointments are made by a sub-committee of the board advised by the managing director of LiveWire.
“There is no independent input and, as far as I can discover, no independent assessment of how board members are performing. None of them have any experience or qualifications in librarianship.
“This is not an appropriate system for any public appointment. It is shambolic.”
Article originally published by Warrington Guardian
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