I DID not attend the Corporate and external issues scrutiny meeting on Wednesday, January 11, instead I decided to attend the free showing of the award winning Ken Loach film "I Daniel Blake" hosted by Unison and Unite unions at the central library.

The film is a must, it highlights the punitive, draconian, sanctioning taking place every day to claimants at Bolton Job Centre, and around the country, where people looking to claim benefits, and the jobless are treated disgracefully, because of department of work and pensions set targets, staff are forced to implement.

It seems no real attempts are made to help people find jobs, and claimants are degraded on a regular basis. If we are to live in a civilised society this cruel practice should be stopped. The film also goes into the now wide spread use of foodbanks, people having to rely on handouts.

On the other hand the antics at the scrutiny meeting earlier in the evening, when Margaret Asquith chief executive of Bolton Council, admitted that in hindsight the decision to award Asons the £300,000 should not have been given using emergency powers, how right she is.

The whole Asons debacle should never have happened, and people are right to be very angry. The fact is that £300,000 could have and should have been used to help protect public services in the town.

The council from chief executive, down to the leader of the council, owe the people of Bolton an apology. Never again should decisions like this ever be taken behind closed doors, and in secret. What we want and deserve is transparency when public money is used.

Alan Johnson

Bolton Green Party