The Public Record – Cllr John BLACKBURN – Double Dipper
The Free Dictionary defines the term ‘Double dipping’ in the following way:
n.
– The practice of receiving compensation, benefits, etc, from two or more sources in a way regarded as unethical, as from a government pension and a government job.
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN stands as a member of the Conservative Party
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN is a Member of North Yorkshire County Council
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN is a Member of Scarborough Borough Council
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN received £500+ per annum from NYCC for IT/Broadband
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN received a Broadband connection paid for by SBC
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN received £54.96 per annum from SBC for IT Sundries
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN has refused to pay back the excess money
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN believes he is fully entitled to receive two lots of IT/Broadband allowances when he only pays out a fraction of that
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN attended one or more NYCC Council meetings where the IT/Broadband Allowance was discussed, so cannot claim to be unaware of it
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN last elected on 04/06/2009 and sits in Hertford & Cayton division
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN standing in forthcoming elections in Hertford & Cayton division
- County Councillor John BLACKBURN is presently the subject of a Standards Complaint in respect of allegations regarding Expenses violations
All of the double-dipping NYCC/SBC Councillors were exonerated by the Standards Committee, which is composed of fellow Councillors, the only dissenting voice being that of SBC Councillor Colin CHALLEN, who stated (on the Scarborough and Whitby Labour Party website):
“Another issue which emerged out of this hearing was that a County Council official appears to have provided at least four of the eight members with a paragraph long statement which those members then used in response to the County Council’s own investigating officer’s inquiries. This would be like a detective providing you with the answer to his own questions, and clearly this has muddied the essential independence of the officer – councillor relationship. It is a matter which warrants further investigation.”
Councillor Colin CHALLEN also stated:
“The simple solution would have been for the Committee to suggest to the members involved that if they thought that the identifiable sums paid (I won’t go into the arcane details of how the sum is calculated and paid) were excessive, then the difference could be repaid.”
Former West Yorkshire Police Detective Inspector Cedric CHRISTIE of the WYP Major Fraud Division has expressed the following opinion:
“Claiming twice for something like broadband is just the same as claiming mileage from two different authorities for the same journey. If I was investigating these circumstances I would consider a case of fraud by false representation under Section 2 of the Fraud Act 2006.”
The comments section of this article is intended to be a public record of the work, good or bad, that this Councillor has done on behalf of the public. Please post only factual comments relating to Cllr John Blackburn’s past conduct so the public can judge if he is worth re-electing.
County Councillor John BLACKBURN article:
Other Double-Dipping Articles:
Local Councilors Broadband Expense Claims By Tim Thorne
‘Double Dipping’ – An Update by Tim Thorne
Yorkshire Councils Pipped For National Award
NYCC IT/Broadband Allowances abuse
[NW & TT]
