Leicester Mercury political correspondent
How long does it take Mark Bentley to get a letter posted?
More than a week, according to Tory opposition leader Ross Grant.
He told Wednesday night’s finance committee that people had been left in the dark over the elected mayor consultation in some parts of the city.
For example he said turned up at one library to find that the consultation poster was still lying in an envelope, un-opened, on Monday. That was the final day of the consultation.
But more curious was the postmark. November 30 – nine days after the shotgun council meeting which began the attempt to ram through the elected mayor idea.
He told the committee: “We were all quickly hauled into the council chamber to start this process, yet the head of communications couldn’t even get the consultation documents to a library for nine days after that.”
A first hand experience for a city councillor of press office delays?
about 1 year ago
The last time Ross Grant’s Party was in power locally was in coalition with the Libdems, they were taken to court by a number of voluntary organisations and a landmark ruling handed out against them. http://www.publiclawproject.org.uk/downloads/DutyConsult.pdf
They had not consulted properly when trying to cut the funding for a number of voluntary organisations!!
about 1 year ago
Oh and until recently Eric Pickles was touting a confirmatory referendum on elected mayors. We didn’t hear Ross Grant’s opposition to that idea then?? A referendum call by the tories locally is as much a smokescreen for their own divisions. They have no clear candidate. Ross has already told me on twitter he’s personally against an elected mayor. A candidate cannot be a local councillor and an elected mayor, so maybe Ross wants to keep his Knighton seat?
about 1 year ago
What was Ross Grant doing sorting through the mail in a libarary? Does he do this kind of thing often, as some kind of public service? Curious behavior. Or was me merely repeating something told to him by someone? Hardly evidence of anything in that case.
about 1 year ago
In reply to Ned, I went in and asked what info the library had, to which they replies “nothing, should we have”.
I told them they should so to be sure the manager opened the unopened mail, which had the poster.
So the implication I am repeating gossip is unfounded, & I have a photocopy of the letter dated 30th November to prove it.
In reply to Vijay, that precedes my election to Council, but we learnt our lesson, get consultations right; not raising it would a dereliction of duty.