If Macclesfield magistrates contrived to undermine their own authority they could not have done a better job.

Three months ago, the former Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez was ordered to carry out 250 hours of community service for driving while disqualified and without insurance.

Like many other errant motorists, his excuses were no defence and he was duly sentenced.

It now appears his work takes him to Italy and fulfilling his sentence is somewhat inconvenient.

So in order to accommodate Mr Tevez, Macclesfield magistrates replaced the remaining hours of his community service with a £3,000 fine.

We could fill this newspaper with the names of offenders whose careers were disrupted by sentences passed in Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court, but I know of none who had theirs rescinded.

What do you suppose would be the response were Mr Tevez a plumber moving to Italy for a new job?

Are we saying that all lawbreakers whose careers are inconvenienced by community sentences should now have them rescinded?

It’s going to be very difficult now for magistrates to deny that precedent in future appeals.

It’s a powerful message and one that will not be lost on defendants.

Macclesfield magistrates have placed themselves under huge scrutiny from legal representatives who will scrutinise all future judgements for signs of inconsistency.

In addition to the litany of excuses regularly heard in our magistrates courts, we can now expect to hear of incredible overseas job opportunities awaiting  each and every offender unhappy with their sentence.

 

Just how many politicians do we want to pay for?

Have we gone stark, raving mad? Does no one remember the juvenile spats between Cheshire County Council and Macclesfield Borough? They were harder to control than toddlers in a tantrum.

Both spent decades blaming each other for every bad decision they made.

When schools were closed down just as student numbers expanded, they passed the parcel.

When housing stock was sold off for a ludicrously low sum, they pointed at each other and when that failed, they blamed the government.

Neither took responsibility for anything. It was a wonderful arrangement for passing the buck.

Is that the system to which we want to return with every town having its own council?

Do we really need a duplicate set of politicians with duplicate expenses and duplicate delusions of grandeur? Look at the nonsense going on in Wilmslow.

Residents are driving around in the dark to save costs while their councillors wanted to blow £13k on a ceremonial chain (prevented only by the angry reaction of residents). Is that what you want?

That’s what happens when it isn’t their money. One councillor actually compared the British royal family, Spanish Armada and the Roman Empire to Wilmslow Town Council. (It’s an easy comparison to make.)

Despite its short history, you can see where Wilmslow Council is heading.

We’re already funding Euro MPs, Westminster MPs and Cheshire East councillors – how many politicians do you want to pay for?

How many opportunities do we want to create for passing the buck?

NHS appointments online... or not

The NHS is not exactly renowned for embracing information technology, so when my doctor said I could make my own hospital appointment online I was impressed.

He didn’t give me the information then and there but sent it to me by post (old habits die hard).

Using my booking reference number together with my NHS-generated password I accessed the ‘chooseandbook’ website.

For the first time in my long relationship with the NHS I was empowered to make my own appointment.

Along with my 12-figure booking reference and pin number the website asked for my date of birth in a specific sequence then instructed me to proceed to ‘book your appointment’.

I was agog with excitement and (rather like the first heart transplant patient) trembled with anticipation at the possibilities.

With an intake of breath I clicked the ‘book your appointment’ button and was instantly directed off line to call by phone.

While I was dialling, the webpage locked me out and I was forced to wait an hour for the unlocking.

When I finally got through I was advised that ‘all our agents are busy’ then asked to repeat the information I’d already been given online.

“I’ve been trying to book my appointment on the website,” I told the ‘agent’.

“You have to phone this number,” she replied.

“But I was sent an appointment request by my doctor so that I could make it on line.”

“You need to make it by phone,” she insisted.

“Okay, so what appointments do you have?”

“I can’t tell you right now, you will have to wait until we contact you.”

 “So, I must now wait for a letter to give me an appointment when I was sent a letter to tell me to book on line?”

“Correct.”

The following week I received TWO separate letters giving me TWO different dates for the same appointment.

I called the ‘chooseandbook’ number to clarify but they hadn’t a clue and told me to call the hospital, which told me I’d be receiving a letter cancelling one of the appointments.

That’s technology in the NHS.