Removal Of Councillor Malcolm King As Lead Member
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The sacking of Cllr King by is a clear signal that whistleblowers are not tolerated by the powers that be in the council. I do not share the political views of Cllr King but it takes a person of integrity criticise what appears to be deficiencies in the working of the council. Far too many councillors are quite happy to remain quiet and have a peaceful time sitting on the back benches, and who can really blame them when they would be shot down in flames for speaking their mind.
@johnhoppy 14812 wrote:
. Far too many councillors are quite happy to remain quiet and have a peaceful time sitting on the back benches, and who can really blame them when they would be shot down in flames for speaking their mind.
To follow on from this,raises the question,do we really need councillors ?The full time officers run the show nobody else has a say.
After reading Cllr King’s letter to Wrexham.com in which he, by inference, attempts to deflect criticism away from himself by indicating the ‘independent’ report commissioned (and paid for) by WCBC is anything but, does him no favours. The report (as thus far reported) states that the allegations made “are without any credible evidence to support them”
I refer back to my previous comments on the matter, the allegations made should have been substantiated and verifiable before submission.That does not mean he should have done an in depth investigation, but should at least have been able to put some meat on the bones.
I think the time has now arrived where Cllr King should put his hands up and admit he got it wrong so that he, the Council and the relevant department can move on.The extent of the issues on this issue clearly won’t be resolved through the media. If there is additional info available from staff then Clr king should go to the appropriate inspection body such as CSIW etc to get an externally funded report. This should then mean that all relevant staff could be interviewed by someone other than managers from within the Council that has had complaints. If Clr King was an employee he could have considered raising a grievance for bullying for not doing what he has signed up for. The issues originally brought forward are in danger of becoming secondary to those of bad process management.
@wxm 14805 wrote:
It is a grave pity that we continue to read about the wranglings within the Council, by and with whom, and at whatever level.
Local people have much more pressing day to day pressures, such as their children, or caring for elderly relatives. All of which has grown substantially in the last 20 or 30 years, as education and relocation opens up to everyone, and we live a decade or two longer.
Can the 50 or so elected people not get the focus onto the community, and overcome the wranglings of their organisation, whoever may be amidst them
“whoever may be amidst them” is probably the best phrase I’ve ever seen on a forum and I shall aim to usesth it wherever I posteth.
Tonight’s Panorama program about inaction at Rotherham Council should have been compulsory viewing for all councillors. I am not saying that we have the same problems here, but ignoring whistleblowers and lack of proper investigation is the beginning of a slippery slope.
Reading the WL article I couldn’t help but pick up on Cllr King’s own remark that…”politics is rarely about what the public is told…” That is a most interesting two-edged remark. Might there be political in-fighting, Cllr Arfon Jones in his excellent letter to the Daily Post is implying there are political and personal scores being activated. If so there will doubtless be further blood-letting?
@Katia 14731 wrote:
Has anybody a view on Mr King being removed as lead member.
During the last months we have seen a media blitz with regard to council officials not fulfilling their obligations to report allegations raised to them for further investigation.
Rotherham, Rochdale, and elsewhere in particular.Without knowing the full circumstances, and being sure this nothing to do with child abuse enquiries, historical or otherwise, is it not brave in the extreme to remove a council leader for grasping the nettle and publicly voicing concerns expressed to him.
Hasn’t Mr King in this instance simply acted correctly, albeit that the allegations prove unfounded or are found unproven. Naturally staff on the receiving end will be ” upset “, but if Mr King had not acted Wrexham could be in the media yet again in relation to children and their care.
It seems like some kind of night of the long knives scenario ?
To say that I am surprised no comments have been forthcoming on this thread since the publication of the redacted report into the allegations made, is an understatement.
If the supporters of Cllr King (and by extension the critics of The Council leader) take the time to read (if not the full report) the conclusions and recommendations, it will immediately become apparent that the Leader is totally vindicated in his actions.
Lack of substance, superficial and totally unfounded allegations – that’s what it states.
How on earth can a person be allowed to remain in such an important post after displaying such flagrant breaches of the correct procedure and submitting such a flimsy and inaccurate report?If you want to be a councillor in wxm you should have the common courtoursey to live in the borough.Malcolm King should do the honourable thing & resign as a councillor.
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