David MacLean » Mark Bentley

Whodunnit: Twitter edition

David MacLean — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:30:03 +0000

On Saturday night, someone from Leicester City Council alleged that I’d “selectively quoted” a source in Saturday’s front page story.

However Amanda Crowden, from charity Support our Soldiers, is quoted in today’s paper, by a different reporter, saying pretty much the same thing.

As I wrote yesterday, I found it bizarre that the council tried to discredit the story despite making a full climbdown earlier in the day.

The update was quickly removed.

This morning I asked the council who uploaded the Tweet in question.

So who was it?

Step forward Monopoly-mad press office supremo Mark Bentley (pictured). Tut tut.

Straight to jail, do not pass Go.

How long does it take Mark Bentley to get a letter posted?

David MacLean — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:37:53 +0000

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?

A limp theory

David MacLean — Wed, 19 May 2010 14:28:51 +0000

I walked past city council press chief Mark Bentley twice last week, and he didn’t look too happy.

I used Twitter to speculate as to what could have caused his disgruntlement, and a few direct messages were pinged my way with theories.

But word now reaches me that he has a tendon problem in his left foot. Suddenly the pained expression (and the limp) all makes sense.

Ex-cabinet corner…

David MacLean — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:54:06 +0000

Left to right: Me, Ross Willmott, Mark Bentley, Patrick Kitterick and Andy Connelly.

The grocer

David MacLean — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 09:45:25 +0000

Whenever there’s a regime change at a local authority, you expect to see a few people jump ship.

The old routine is shaken-up, and the change is often the motivation some people need to move on and find a new job or career.

But it still came as a surprise to find this sign-off from an online grocer when I did my shopping at the weekend.

Thank you for shopping with Ocado.
On behalf of Ocado,
Mark Bentley
Head of Service Delivery Division

It turns out it’s not really Leicester City Council’s communications chief. He hasn’t gone anywhere.

Although his LinkedIn web profile does say he’s interested in career opportunities, consulting offers, new ventures, job inquiries and business deals…