Leicester Mercury Political correspondent
Posts tagged Ross Willmott
Mohammed Dawood’s Liam Byrne moment
Jun 29th
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?“
Sketch: Willmott in cruise control
Jun 17th
Casual Wednesday at Leicester City Council.
Finance select committee. Ross Willmott bounds in. No tie, light pink shirt, casual trousers. Jovial lines peppered with his own giggles. It was a council scrutiny meeting, but he could have been embarking on a package cruise.
He took his seat in front of me and was soon joined by Andy Connelly, positively pink thanks to the beaming summer sunshine, and Patrick Kitterick.
The line-up looked like the back seat of a school bus – packed with the class rabble-rousers.
They were in good spirits for a trio so recently sheared of their cabinet responsibilities. Why? Because they now sit on one of the most powerful committees.
They look after the money. How on earth did the Labour whips let this one slip through the net?
Did any members want a briefing about how council finances work – an officer asked. You’d hope not, or they’re on the wrong committee.
But it was an opportunity for a Willmott boast: “The chief finance officer tells me everything he tells the cabinet anyway.” [See comments]
Hooray! They’re still in the loop. Or are they?
“You’ve got to read the Mercury to find out what’s happening at the council these days,” grumbled Kitterick. Perhaps not.
Five minutes in and the first trap had been set. Kitterick requested that Vi Dempster, cabinet member for children and schools, turn up next time around to explain some missed targets. “I second that,” said Willmott.
“It’s an ambush,” Ross Grant Tweeted.
Later on the presence of leader Veejay Patel was requested. Directors and documents were also necessary for the next meeting, they said. Chief executive Sheila Lock ended up sitting at the table to explain items. Officers were grilled. Just one item went through on the nod. No quarter was given here.
When the poor council scribe taking notes was asked to read back the committee’s shopping list of demands she mentioned that the two cabinet members would address the committee.
“I don’t want to be addressed,” said Willmott, “I want to question them.”
Will they be added to the agenda for the next meeting on July 7? No-one could say.
Chair Coley said, half-joking, that if they couldn’t then they’d have to arrange an emergency session.
“Perfect,” said Willmott, “I’ve got a lot of time on my hands these days.”
Lifting the veil
Jun 15th
Former Leicester City Council leader Ross Willmott has been agitating for a while now over the axe that’s likely to fall on some of the big projects planned for the city.
Because while Ross was fond of an eye-catching (and often costly) project announcement, new leader Veejay Patel has made it clear from the start that many of these simply aren’t justifiable given the financial climate.
He sent Ross an email this month, addressing his concerns, but also managed to squeeze in a few choice words.
He said:
“I do hope that you continue to uphold Labour values and accept the democratic process and support the leadership.
“As you will be aware the timetable for the selection of candidates for the 2011 local elections will be produced soon … and we cannot be complacent.
“The approach you decide upon will have potential implications on yourself and all group members and in particular with marginal seats and lower turnouts. I do hope that you consider working in the spirit of unity rather than personal ambition.”
Have you read between the lines? Ross Willmott certainly did.
He responded the next day:
“Your email contains a thinly veiled threat to deselect me from my seat…”
Forget the actual city elections, it’s the party manoeuvrings for seat nominations that’ll keep things interesting for the next few months.
Off the leash
Jun 10th
If you weren’t aware, former Leicester City Council leader Ross Willmott is appearing on the Politics Show on Sunday.
Which begs one simple question – why?
He was on the show now and then when he was at the helm of the authority, but he’s now a humble backbencher without even a cabinet position. I’d be curious to know how this booking came about.
Don’t forget, Leicester could be choosing an elected mayor by this time next year. A TV profile certainly doesn’t do a candidate any harm.
It may of course be much more simple than that. He is, after all a thorn in new leader Veejay’s side. What better way to wind-up his successor than by being the special guest on the East Midlands’ flagship politics show?
Election observation…
May 9th
When a ripple of excitement washed over local Labour politicos at last week’s count, I assumed they’d just heard news of a party triumph elsewhere in the country.
In fact, they’d just heard that ex-city leader Ross Willmott had been resoundingly defeated by Tory candidate Andrew Bridgen in North West Leicestershire.
Barely able to contain their glee, senior members surrounded me to tell me their ‘good news’.
“You see, we were right to get rid of him weren’t we?” said one, “even the people of North West Leicestershire have told him where to go.”
I considered their point. “You haven’t got rid of him, he’s still a Labour councillor,” I replied.
Then it dawned on them that their celebrations were premature.
He’ll be taking his seat on front of the press bench at full council for the foreseeable future…
Russ is not Ross
Apr 14th
Jack Straw took to the airwaves on BBC Radio Leicester on Wednesday in an attempt to bolster the chances of the Labour candidates in marginals Loughborough and North West Leicestershire.
After praising Andy Reed, the Justice Secretary told the 6pm news programme how Ross Willmott was a “worthy successor” to David Taylor. He also said it was “quite remarkable” how well-known Ross had become as the Labour candidate.
Unfortunately, the fact that Straw repeatedly referred to the former council leader as ‘Russ’ during the anecdote slightly undermined his weighty seal of approval…
Listen here (14 minutes in)
Ross Willmott’s farewell note
Mar 26th
It’s likely to have been the last official letter sent by Ross Willmott bearing the title Leader of the Council.
Dated March 24, a ‘thank you’ letter was sent out to various figures across the city listing his achievements, including High Cross, Curve and Phoenix Square.
He says his time as leader has been an “amazing” and his only wish is that his work carries on.
It also offered some choice words of warning to his successor Veejay Patel:
“I hope that my successors continue in the same spirit of excellence and ambition and remember the words of Marcus Aurelius: ‘It is the fate of princes to be ill thought of for well doing.”
Willmott, Kitterick and Connelly return to the backbenches
Mar 25th
When you’re ousted from one of the biggest jobs in city politics, where do you choose to sit on your return the back-benches?
Right in front of the press seats, of course!
Cllrs Ross Willmott, Patrick Kitterick and Andy Connelly have settled in to the three seats at the back – the furthest they can physically be from the new cabinet, and the closest seats to the media.
To the online observer, the meeting would have looked run of the mill, but the atmosphere was charged.
Andy and Ross took up the role of Statler and Waldorf, bouncing barbs about other councillors off each other throughout the meeting. Patrick, meanwhile, filled in a Guardian crossword puzzle and a Sudoku.
The boisterous behaviour at the back eventually led Labour chief whip Barbara Potter to stride over, telling them to be quiet.
“Go away,” replied Ross dismissively, as he scrolled through his Blackberry emails, making Potter even more annoyed.
The next 12 months at city council will be intriguing.
Leadership observations
Feb 25th
For a leadership contender, Manish Sood is awfully quiet. He didn’t say a word at full council on Wednesday. Another contender, Mary Draycott, didn’t say anything on the budget and instead got into a fair old flap with the opposition over the Walkers Stadium Market. I don’t know who came off worse, to be honest.
Veejay Patel, as expected, spoke quite a lot. He’s the finance lead, after all, so he had to deliver the budget. Plenty of little jibes at the opposition, gearing up for the possibility of becoming leader. Give the troops what they want.
But did anyone step forward to rally the troops? Perhaps with a little bit of opposition-bashing to throw some meat to party faithful? Yes indeed. Step forward, Stephen Corrall. “It’s getting like a leadership beauty contest, this,” announced Lib Dem leader Pete Coley with a smile after Stephen had a right old pop at the Tory and Lib Dem benches.
But a partisan tubthumper until the last, Ross Willmott delivered some of the most withering put-downs of the night.
He scolded Hussein Suleman for an “empty-headed rant”, said he never expected to see the day the Conservative group put forward a council tax rise which was higher than Labour, and even corrected a claim that he had “four minutes left” in his post as the meeting drew to a close.
Wagging a finger he said: “I’m council Labour leader until the 15th, actually.” He’s a stickler for the details, that Ross.
11am UPDATE: The comment by Ross in the comments section is, of course, correct. The positions of leader of the Labour group and leader of the council are two separate things. Happy to clarify that he will be leader of the group until March 15, but leader of the council until March 25. Complicated this, isn’t it readers?
City council sub-plots
Feb 23rd
Typical. You wait days for a half-decent council meeting then two come along at once.
Both the City and County councils hold their budget-setting council meetings today. I’ll be up at County Hall for 2pm, then zooming back to the town hall for the City’s meet-up at 5pm.
Both budgets are likely to be approved as a formality so it’s worth keeping an eye on some sub-plots instead.
It’s Ross Willmott’s last full-council meeting as leader and it’ll be his likely replacement, finance lead Veejay Patel, who’ll deliver the budget.
Will opposition criticism be directed at the outgoing leader, or will the focus turn to the man many think will replace him?
Two rivals have already emerged as leadership contenders – Mary Draycott and Manish Sood. If they speak to the proposals, their comments will be scrutinised for hints on how they plan to sell their candidacy to fellow Labour members. Could they even try to put some clear blue water between themselves and the front runner by giving some gentle “constructive criticism” on his budget proposals? Unlikely but worth keeping an eye on.
Elsewhere Patrick Kitterick, seen as part of Team Willmott, has been remarkably coy over his leadership ambitions. He was “considering his options” last time the Mercury spoke to him. If he speaks to the proposals, will it include full-throated praise of Willmott’s leadership of the council, or will he attempt to distance himself as he looks to his political future?
With the meeting being effectively a rubber-stamping exercise, the most interesting tidbits will be discovered in the corridors of power before and after the meeting. As ever, if I hear anything, I’ll let you know.
Et tu, Brute?
Feb 17th
Outgoing City council leader Ross Willmott will give up the hotseat on March 15. The runners and riders are already making their moves for his chair. The significance of his departure date wasn’t really noticed at the time, but his reign ends on the Ides of March, the day Julius Caesar was bumped-off by fellow politicians – including his close friend Brutus.
