Wirral Council leader under fire over social care report

TORY leader on Wirral Council, Jeff Green, last said he was “shocked and appalled” by the revelations of the Klonowski report into whistleblower Martin Morton’s allegations.

He called on council leader Steve Foulkes to “take responsibility” for what had happened in Adult Social Services under his leadership.

Cllr Green said: “Time and time again we had previously been prevented by Labour councillors from digging too deep into Adult Social Services as the council attempted a cover up.

“We saw Martin Morton bullied, belittled and browbeaten.”

He said Mr Morton’s allegations were “too quickly dismissed” and added: “Now the whole borough can see how the council has treated its staff and the people it was supposed to be caring for.”

And Lib-Dem leader Tom Harney said: “One of the key recommendations of the consultant is that the whole council should work together, regardless of political persuasion on the improvement process but the Labour administration is not letting this happen.”

But council leader Steve Foulkes insisted his administration was dealing with the issues raised by the report and said using this as a “political football” distracted from putting the council’s problems right.