Cumbria’s Town Hall Fat Cats – thecumbriachronic.co.uk

CRUMBRIA: 19/08/2025

ANYONE struggling with the cost-of-living should be aware that no such problems exist in the Mayor’s office, Carlisle.

The Charter Trustees — 12 members devoted to civic pomp have settled two burning issues: the state of the Mayor’s robe and the Mayor’s new wheels.

The panel – dominated by Labour councillors from Crumberland Council – recently got quotes for a replacement mayoral robe at a not insignificant cost of nearly £10,000.

Of the mayor’s car, the panel suggested that the Labour mayor lease an electric Mercedes EQE, the sizeable costs of which have not been revealed. Brand new they sell for just shy of £97,000.

A perfect status symbol for today’s public sector socialist about town!

The sole independent – Cllr Robert Betton – was so unimpressed with these decisions that he ran off to tell Carlisle “newspaper”, the News & Shrug.

Cllr Betton told the paper that the panel had squandered “taxpayers’ money” and that the existing 45-year-old robe could have been professionally cleaned and restored for about £3,000.

He also, uncharitably, asked why the mayor can’t take the bus?

Mayoral officials insist otherwise, suggesting that slumming it to ribbon-cutting ceremonies isn’t possible, while said robe is considered “beyond repair”.

(Rather like their reputation for thrift or getting a lift?)

Carlisle Labour councillor Jeanette Whalen is the mayor.

Remember that the panel consists of eight Labour members, a pair of Lib Dems, a Green and an independent.

So whatever Labour favours around the table always gets the nod by dint of numbers.

Its members are elected councillors; they meet at the Civic Centre (where councillors meet), and there are Council officers in attendance.

Jarringly at the end of the article, the News & Shrug added a spluttering paragraph that the councillors in this setting are not councillors actually, but “trustees”.

It’s not clear why the paper felt inclined to split hairs in this way, as the general public wouldn’t give a stuff.

Taxpayers’ money is taxpayers’ money.

Could it be because this humdinger of a scoop was laid out in great detail weeks ago in official papers uploaded to the Council’s website and no news hound on the paper wrote anything?

All they had to do was turn up to the 6pm meeting on July 16, where they could have had this exclusive FOUR weeks ago.

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