The Chamberlain News

REACTION to leaked bin dispute emails

Earlier today, Chamberlain News revealed an email exchange between Birmingham city council’s Interim Chief Executive and the leader, John Clancy. As anticipated, it has generated much reaction among politicians and the media.

READ: Clancy’s Unite agreement endangers the Council’s Budget

Birmingham Conservatives have repeated their call for Cllr Clancy to resign as Leader of the Council. Leader of the Opposition Cllr Robert Alden said:

It is now clear to residents of Birmingham that Labour will not sort out this mess for Birmingham and get rid of Cllr Clancy, yet his position is simply untenable.

We know from these emails that instead of negotiating a deal only to find out it would not be possible to deliver, Cllr Clancy agreed a deal fully [in a way] it could bankrupt the City. The emails show he was formally told on at least three occasions BEFORE the deal was agreed that it was financially impossible to deliver. Yet he went ahead and agreed it anyway.

Cllr Alden added:

To make matters worse we can see from the email he was also told before the publishing of the agreement that if it was published it will result in a major financial risk to the Council. It looks like regardless as to whether or not the Labour Clancy deal is agreed the impact of these botched negotiations could cripple the City finances for years to come.

The Opposition Group leader also raised concerns about the Labour leader refusing to meet with the Chief Executive or even to answer her phone calls. He added:

…for the Labour Leader to be so pompous to think he can just ignore the Chief Executive shows how rather than listening to the Kerslake Review he has done the opposite.

He should be working closely with the Chief Executive not bypassing them. It also sheds new light on the loss of our previous Chief Executive earlier in the year and Cllr Clancy failing to learn from his own mistakes.

Meanwhile, Jon Hunt, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council said:

Clancygate rumbles on and is proving a huge distraction from what should be happening – the cabinet and senior officers working together to end this dispute and prevent misery to the residents of Birmingham.

It is beginning to look as if the city will need a whole new cabinet as well as a new leader.

The Birmingham Mail has picked up the emails first covered on this site. :

Despite these exchanges in the background, Clancy told the Birmingham Mail last week that there was no deal with Unite and accused the union of wilfully misrepresenting what was only an agreement in principle.

In an interview with ITV News Central, Cllr Clancy again states he has no intention of resigning and reflects on a “useful” meeting with his Labour group last night.

Here is the full interview with Birmingham City Council Leader John Clancy about the

— ITV News Central (@ITVCentral)

Neither the Council nor the leader has issued a formal statement following publication of excerpts from the email exchange. However, Council insiders do not deny the email is authentic.