Regardless of which party he comes from, Councillor John Clancy has disgraced the privilege that comes with representing people in a local council. He has allowed power to corrupt him and has taken Birmingham's electorate, the overwhelming majority of whom vote Labour, for granted. Last week, it was revealed that he claimed £66,000 in allowances and a £61.70 fuel bill on top of that. The revelations about the City Council's former leader continue to unfold.
A typical politicians who thinks they are above the law
He serves as a typical politician who thinks they are above the law.
It turns out that he never possessed the legal authority to agree a deal with Unite the Union to retain the positions of grade three refuse workers, who are responsible for safety behind bin lorries. This agreement would have allowed employees to be promoted or provided with new positions under the same pay grade. This miscalculation resulted in the bin strikes resuming and workers being issued with redundancy notices regardless.
What is worse is that Mr. Clancy allowed Unite to manipulate him into drafting this proposal. This demonstrates the significant problem Labour has in being subservient to its union paymasters. How can they possibly tackle union disruption when they provide this party with substantial funding?
They cannot, and that is why Birmingham deserves a council that is free from union hegemony.
Remarkable and extraordinary were the two words Mr. Justice Fraser deployed to describe this event after dismissing it as a "sorry saga." But what is so extraordinary is that Mr. Clancy believed he had the remit to legalise this type of deal, showing he feels local government protocol does not apply to him.
Mr. Beckett saw Mr. Clancy as nothing more than a puppet he could string along
This episode also reveals the arrogance of Howard Beckett, the general secretary of Unite the Union. He believed he possessed the capacity to engage with local councillors in drawing up deals like this. This is beyond the pay grade of trade union leaders.
Mr. Beckett saw Mr. Clancy as nothing more than a puppet he could string along. He stitched the former Labour leader up into supporting an agreement that was unaffordable and illegal. It is no wonder this is a victory for them. They could also strike again if they are not satisfied with the final outcome of the November trial. This should teach the Government that union laws need to be strengthened further.
However, Unite are correct to say that the interim chief executive Stella Manzie should resign. She intended to portray Mr. Clancy as stronger than he actually is when there was no legal basis for his proposed deal.
Mr. Justice Fraser is right- no party comes out of this affair unscathed. It was a load of rubbish to believe Mr. Clancy had the power to protect workers' jobs without cutting them. He has proved he is not superior to any other senior councillor. He only succeeded in getting caught out.
