Fourteen Labour councillors have ignited outrage after having 51 parking tickets cancelled in a ‘breathtaking disregard for the rules’.
Liverpool City Council has been blasted amid claims politicians used ‘back door’ routes to have parking tickets thrown out following the results of a damning probe.
The data was uncovered following a Freedom of Information request by the Liverpool Echo newspaper, which revealed dozens of penalty charges notices had been challenged and scrapped by current and ex-Labour councillors between April 2015 and December 2020.
Among those highlighted in the investigation included former mayor Joe Anderson, an ex-deputy mayor and the current chairman of the city’s powerful finance committee.
The probe shows the vast majority of the 51 tickets were overturned based on the ‘discretion’ of council officers, while one was written off after a time delay.
Top of the list of councillors with the most parking tickets rescinded was former deputy mayor Ann O’Byrne (above), who had 17 wiped out
Former mayor Joe Anderson had two parking tickets cancelled by officers, in a move rival politicians have blasted
Labour insisted there was a ‘custom and practice’ in the council at the time where parking tickets issued against elected members in the course of their duties could be rescinded and that councillors operated on that basis in ‘good faith’.
But opponents have accused politicians of ‘swerving the system’ and ‘disregarding the rules and regulations they themselves put in place’.
Councillor Richard Kemp, Liverpool’s Liberal Democrat leader, said: ‘What we see in the behaviour of 14 Labour councillors in not paying 51 parking tickets is a breathtaking disregard for the rules and regulations that they themselves put in place.
‘In this they copy the arrogant behaviour of the Tories in Westminster with a similar sense of superiority and entitlement.
‘They used a back door route to swerve the system and got a council officer to get the ticket dropped.’
Top of the list of councillors with the most parking tickets rescinded was former deputy mayor Ann O’Byrne, who had 17 wiped out.
Former cabinet members Barry Kushner and Nick Small saw seven and four tickets thrown out respectively. Ex-deputy lord mayor Malcolm Kennedy also had four tickets rescinded.
Former mayor Joe Anderson had two parking tickets cancelled by officers in that same period while long-serving Labour councillor Gerard Woodhouse had five tickets rescinded. All have denied wrongdoing.
Former councillor Malcolm Kennedy had four tickets axed. He said he couldn’t remember the exact circumstances but claimed he did have permissions to park in council-run car parks
The results of the Freedom of Information request, which took 16 months to be answered, will come as a blow to Liverpool City Council, which is being partially overseen by government commissioners after a critical inspection report following the arrest of then-mayor Mr Anderson, in December 2020 as part of a Merseyside Police fraud probe.
The criminal investigation against Mr Anderson, who was mayor of Liverpool between 2012 and 2021, has since been dropped and he no longer faces prosecution.
News of the parking ticket scandal has prompted calls for senior council leaders to investigate the situation.
Interim chief executive Theresa Grant, who took over last year, said the revelation highlighted ‘previous poor practice, relating to past processes and scrutiny of the way the council used to be run’.
‘It is, sadly, an example of the unacceptable culture that pervaded parts of the council in the past, as documented in the ‘best value’ inspection report’, she said.
‘I want to be clear that what happened historically is no reflection of the council’s current parking services staff nor management team.
‘It is important to remember that much has changed at Liverpool City Council and we are now a more mature organisation, one that is open and transparent about decision-making.’
Barry Kushner, the current chairman of the council’s finance committee, had seven tickets axed between 2015 and 2020
Current mayor Joanne Anderson said an internal audit of parking services will pick up issues arising from the disclosure.
She said: ‘The cabinet and I have been working hard since my election as mayor in May 2021 to change the culture of the council to one that is fully focused on delivering best value for its residents.
‘We cannot change what happened in the past but it is vital that we learn from it and make sure we are as transparent as possible when it comes to decision-making, with the correct governance and audit procedures in place.’
But the mayor was criticised by city Lib Dem boss Mr Kemp over how long it took for the council to release the information.
He said: ‘The fact that it has taken the council 16 months to respond to a Freedom of Information request from the Echo blows a huge hole in the claims from the current Mayor of Liverpool that she would introduce a regime and culture into the council of openness, honesty, and transparency.’
Lead commissioner Mike Cunningham said: ‘The information released today shines a light on the poor practices that have been all too common in Liverpool City Council.
Gerard Woodhouse had five tickets axed on appeal and has denied any wrongdoing
‘However, it is information that the public have a right to know and, although it has taken too long for this information to be shared, we welcome the transparent approach the council is now taking to publishing it.’
Commissioners were appointed to oversee parts of the local authority in 2021 after the inspection report found allegations of bullying and intimidation.
Last August, it was announced that government intervention would be expanded to include governance and financial decision-making following another critical report.
The other politicians named in today’s parking ticket probe include two former Labour councillors who left the party last year to join the Liverpool Community Independents group.
Anna Rothery had one ticket rescinded while Joanne Calvert had three quashed. Both have provided explanations and denied any wrongdoing.
Joann Kushner saw three tickets quashed, while current Labour councillors Wendy Simon, Sharon Connor, Lynnie Hinnigan, Joe Hanson and former councillor James Noakes are all listed as having one ticket axed. All have denied wrongdoing.
Mr Kemp has called on the Labour Party to remove the serving politicians from the organisation ahead of the next round of local elections.
Councillor Nick Small had four tickets quashed out of the 51 uncovered during the investigation
‘It is now up to the Labour Party to decide whether they have any moral scruples,’ he added. ‘To my mind anyone who tries to get round regulations is not a fit person to stand for the council.’
In Liverpool, those who receive a parking fine are charged either £70 or £50 depending on the offence and must pay the fine within 28 days of the penalty charge notice being issued.
The fine is reduced by 50 per cent for those who pay within 14 days. People seeking to challenge the penalty charge must do so within 28 days of receiving the fine.
However, a number of councillors highlighted in today’s report have placed the blame at the door of former senior council officer Andy Barr, the council’s assistant director of highways and planning before he resigned in 2021.
Some of the politicians have explicitly claimed they were acting on orders from Mr Barr when their tickets were rescinded – an accusation he flatly denied, instead claiming councillors were fully aware of the proper appeals process.
‘The elected members insisted that the tickets were cancelled by me, making it clear what the consequences would be if I refused. To state that they thought this was the agreed process is quite frankly insulting, given the impact that this has had to both my professional and private life,’ he said.
