Peter Soulsby, Rory Palmer, Vi Dempster, Ted Cassidy, Manjula Sood, Piara Clair, Sarah Russell and Mohammed Dawood

Former cabinet member: “This was the most closely-guarded secret in city politics.”

ALSO: Labour group elected internal positions on Saturday morning. Patrick Kitterick becomes chair; Rita Patel is deputy; Steve Corrall is group secretary, and Barbara Potter remains as chief whip.

City council budget briefing day on Wednesday. Glum faces. Chief executive and head of finance did the detail while Veejay Patel, Vi Dempster and Mohammed Dawood did the politics. Press man Mark Bentley looked on.

On the subject of controversial changes to staff contracts Veejay used his gravest of tones. “This is not something we would have chosen to do.” Among the changes was the removal of free parking spaces for some staff. All part of sharing the burden of the cuts, the councillors nodded.

Then time for my zinger: “You know the car park for councillors underneath New Walk Centre? Will you be charging for that?”

An uncomfortable mumble from some of those present. One officer grinned.

Dawood: “Sorry I missed the question.”

Veejay responded: “Er, no.”

“But is it at least under consideration?” I pressed.

“We can look at that yes,” Veejay said, quickly scribbling down the suggestion.

Don’t hold your breath on that one, folks. The full council would have to vote it through, and turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.

Whenever Mohammed Dawood is quizzed at full council he lumbers to his feet with the swagger of a stand-up comic.

I often get the feeling that he’s one of those cabinet members who has slightly lost sight of the fact that questions at full council are one of the few ways a humble backbench opposition councillor can hold the executive to account.

One of the issues which keeps raising its head is the cost of consultants to the city council. Months after the question was first asked, Lib Dem Parmjit Gill is still waiting for a response.

So when Coun Gill asked about the issue again at last Thursday’s meeting, he expected a straight answer.

Instead, Coun Dawood cracked a joke:

“I’ll have to ask a consultant to find out.”

Cue cross-party grumbles and a wry observation from Ross Willmott.

Frowning, he said: “Oh, that was a bit of Liam Byrne moment, wasn’t it?“