This in from Cllr Phil Jordan, the Executive member for the PFI. Ed
May I respond to the unfathomable utterances of the very hopeful parliamentary candidate Ian McKie. Commenting about an issue, the PFI, he clearly has neither real insight nor experience in, I can only deduce that this is a shameful piece of electioneering self exposure.
Intimately involved with the PFI
Firstly, may I say from the outset, I am the Executive Member for the PFI contract and as such spend much of my working week involved in the whole issue of the PFI contract, the service delivery and performance and the legal issues enshrined within the contract.
I have yet to be contacted by Ian Mckie about any matter whatsoever to do with the PFI contract and he has sought no clarification or information about what this Council, this administration and myself are doing with regard to the PFI contract. Not one word from him.
Sad he chooses to publish inconsequential and inappropriate comments then instead of actually working on the problems he attempts to refer to.
Legal reviews already in place
He states…..
”I urge the Council to undertake a comprehensive review of the legal remedies it could pursue, including further action arising from contractual breaches.”
Does he truly think we have not carried out legal reviews already? Does he not understand that contracts of this nature and complexity require constant legal review to ensure the provider is meeting contractual obligations?
Does he not understand that contracts such as these contain dispute resolution clauses that are clearly laid out and defined should the need arise to utilise them..? Does he truly believe we are not monitoring every aspect of this service delivery and that there are 351 performance indicators to be met, achieved and reported on each month…?
Does he think that failures, if and when they occur, are not catered for by ‘penalty and fines’ clauses or that termination opportunities are clearly laid out within the contract?
Work already monitored
He goes on to say…
“The review should take into consideration Island Roads’ ability to complete the work on time and to a satisfactory standard. This is vital for the benefit and peace of mind of all islanders.”
The ability of the provider is already monitored each and every month and has been since April 2013. He ignores the fact that both the Council and the provider have jointly employed an Independent assessor to oversee the quality of service provision and that if the strict parameters are not achieved….then the contract provides for remedies. Those remedies do not necessarily mean termination of the contract at every failure.
Something can be done about the contract
He concedes….
“We are probably too late to do anything about this particular contract.”
Wrong again. There are many things we can do about this contract. We have only just begun on addressing some of those things and it may lead us into contractual negotiations about contractual clauses and more. We can ensure that the provider working under this contract actually delivers what the contract says it should deliver in the manner proscribed and in the timeframes apportioned.
If the provider fails, dependent on the severity of the failure, we most certainly could do something about this contract.
Knowing what we’re facing
He finally appeals…
”But we should have the right to know what we are facing over the next 23 years.”
Well, frankly, we know what we are facing. We have the core investment period of seven years and we know what the cost each year that will be. The provider has timeframes to meet for the contracted works and quality levels of service delivery to surpass. We have a complicated and complex contract to navigate through and we are obligated to monitor the outcomes at every step of the way. After the first seven years we face eighteen years of maintenance of our highways all at a known cost.
The recent appointment of Atkins is just one part of our overall strategy in managing this PFI contract and we are determined to ensure this contract delivers what it should deliver for our residents.
Clearly the very hopeful parliamentary candidate has little understanding of the issues of such a contract, no comprehension of the work started and being carried out, no concept of what level of legal review, advice and opinion we have undertaken and little real desire to understand the complexities and complications this contract creates.
Chocolate teapot electioneering
His calls, inappropriate as they are, must be seen for what they are really are…Chocolate teapot electioneering.
In response to Phil Jordan’s opinion above, Iain McKie said,
“Mr Jordan is deluding himself if he thinks ordinary people on the Island will be taken in by his empty promises. The voters on the Isle of Wight have no confidence in the Council’s ability to manage and oversee major projects. Over the last 14 years, while Mr Turner has been standing idly by on the side-lines, the Conservative administration and now the Ian Stephens led independents have overseen a shambles that has made us a regular feature in Private Eye and a national laughing stock.
“We can talk about the Undercliff scandal or the disgrace of the Schools re-organisation. We can point to the parlous state of our roads and this horrendous PFI mismanagement. There is a consistent track record of failure by Councillors and impotence by our absent MP.
“It is sad that Mr Jordan has lowered himself to the use of this kind of abusive language, but it is a measure of the fear of those in positions of privilege, that when I am elected as UKIP MP for the Island, there will finally be someone who is prepared to hold these people to account. The Isle of Wight voters deserve someone with genuine expertise and experience to fight for their interests and to work to find real solutions to the problems we are facing.
“I would add that Mr Jordan is Ian Stephens’ electoral agent, and this is the epitome of electioneering by him.
“Andrew Turner and Phil Jordan can forget about talk of Chocolate Teapots. I think a mug of cocoa and a welcome retirement is what’s in order!”
Cllr Phil Jordan has responded to Iain McKie’s response here
