I tweeted Brent Council earlier today asking if tonight's Scrutiny Committee would be allowed to scrutinise the decision to appeal the Employment Tribunal case.
This is the Council response, and mine:
UPDATE
Philip Grant attended the meeting last night in order to make a deputation on the subject of the Council decision to appeal the decision of the Employment Tribunal in which the Council was found guilty of racial discrimination, victimisation and constructive dismissal.
At the beginning of the meeting, which had an unusually large number of Labour councillors in the audience. the Chair, Cllr Choudry, announced that there would be no deputations and added 'it is not on the agenda'. He gave no further explanation.
In fact Deputations are on the Agenda (Item 2) and Mr Grant had given sufficient notice.
During the course of Philip Grant's correspondence with Cllr Choudry, and the latter's consultation with Fiona Ledden,Head of Legal, it has become clear that the decision to appeal was made by Brent Officers and not by councillors.
As Christine Gilbert, Fiona Ledden and Cara Davani are all Brent officers named in the Employment Tribunal case it becomes even more important for the public to know which officers made the decision to appeal, on what basis and what the cost implications are to Brent residents.
Later today I hope to publish what Philip Grant would have said if he had been allowed to speak.
This decision follows on Fiona Ledden's previous ruling barring me for speaking at a Council Meeting on the issue of the recruitment of a permanent Chief Executive at Brent Council. Christine Gilbert occupies the interim position after councillors extended her term for a second time.
This is the Council response, and mine:
Philip Grant attended the meeting last night in order to make a deputation on the subject of the Council decision to appeal the decision of the Employment Tribunal in which the Council was found guilty of racial discrimination, victimisation and constructive dismissal.
At the beginning of the meeting, which had an unusually large number of Labour councillors in the audience. the Chair, Cllr Choudry, announced that there would be no deputations and added 'it is not on the agenda'. He gave no further explanation.
In fact Deputations are on the Agenda (Item 2) and Mr Grant had given sufficient notice.
During the course of Philip Grant's correspondence with Cllr Choudry, and the latter's consultation with Fiona Ledden,Head of Legal, it has become clear that the decision to appeal was made by Brent Officers and not by councillors.
As Christine Gilbert, Fiona Ledden and Cara Davani are all Brent officers named in the Employment Tribunal case it becomes even more important for the public to know which officers made the decision to appeal, on what basis and what the cost implications are to Brent residents.
Later today I hope to publish what Philip Grant would have said if he had been allowed to speak.
This decision follows on Fiona Ledden's previous ruling barring me for speaking at a Council Meeting on the issue of the recruitment of a permanent Chief Executive at Brent Council. Christine Gilbert occupies the interim position after councillors extended her term for a second time.
If 'Scrutiny' ever scrutinised anything they wouldn't let you have it.
ReplyDeleteOfficers decisions are scrutinised by Councillors - so the only way for you to do it is run for Council and ... oh wait a minute
ReplyDeleteI think the Update needs its own article. Easy to miss at the moment and the one thing the democratic process doesn't need is for these shysters to evade the spotlight.
ReplyDelete