Questions over stadium freebies about to kick off

As Swansea Council begins the onerous task of putting together an austerity budget for the city, an interesting nugget appears in the agenda that points to how some individuals in the political food chain are not tightening their belts as much as they require of others.

A response to a question tabled by opposition councillors reveals that whilst essential services have been either cut back or sold off in the last two years to make “savings”, a select few civic nobs have been enjoying the high life at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium.

A published list of hospitality invitations shows that Lib Dem council leader Chris Holley accepted and/or attended over eighty invitations to Swans and Ospreys home fixtures with all the trimmings and a range of other freebie non-sporting events. A number of cabinet cronies are also named as enjoying hospitality on the house.

We’re given to understand that the list has created puzzlement among some observers inasmuch as CH in particular is recorded as accepting invitations from third parties on a few occasions when he is also supposed to have been hosting his own piss-up reception in the council’s private box. No doubt this confusion will soon be investigated cleared up.

One or two cynics might speculate that this largesse explains why the sporting clubs have allegedly not paid a penny in rent since the stadium was built. Others might claim that is simply another case of civic snouts in the trough.

Whatever the reasoning offered, what cannot be ignored is that Holley & Co have been enjoying a good time at somebody else’s expense whilst telling the media how the local authority is “skint” with the result that hundreds of council staff have been forced to take redundancy.

Lib Dem council colleague Peter Black has recently been (rightly) getting animated about lavish subsidies enjoyed by MPs in Westminster. We wait to see if he is just as critical of how his buddies have been taking a Liberty.

Somehow we doubt it.


Update (19 Jan): Picking up rumours of small-scale rioting in the council chamber at Calamity Hall. Protestors demanding Holley's resignation. Security has been called.

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