I AM sure Councillor Morris believes the grant of £300,000 he made to Asons was legal otherwise he would not have been so quick to agree to an audit investigation.

The Council has after all made previous grants to secure jobs but then only after the most rigorous checks on the viability of the business.

What is not clear and what Councillor Morris and the Labour group as a whole fail to tell us is why he made a grant to Asons at all.

What checks were carried out into the viability of the business? Was the grant to pay off a tax bill to HMRC as has been suggested? If so that has not been a good enough reason in the past with other businesses so what was so special in this case? If the grant was to fund new offices why was an emergency decision needed when work on the new premises were virtually completed?

There are still far too many other unanswered questions about the Council’s relationship with Asons not least the veil of secrecy which still surrounds the deal over Asons failed development and the land at Clarence Street.

Councillor Morris and the Labour party may argue that the grant was technically legal. There remains therefore one final question. Was it morally right? To that question there is only one answer.

Councillor John Walsh OBE

Astley Bridge Ward

Bolton MBC