MAYORS GANG UP ON WHITBY IN “GLORY HUNTER” ROW

22-05-2007

Thirteen Birmingham mayors, including the current incumbent Mike Sharpe, have signed a petition calling for the withdrawal of a resolution at the City Council today which critics says would hand over too much power to leader Mike Whitby.

As we reported at the weekend, the proposed change in the city’s constitution would assert the leader’s supremacy when it comes to hosting functions and greeting dignitaries (see the story here).

That’s led to accusations that Whitby is a “glory hunter”, eager to make the most of every photo opportunity.

The Stirrer has learned that former Mayor Mike Nangle held a meeting of former Mayors yesterday to organise opposition to the plan, and a petition will be presented to councillors this afternoon.

Nangle said: “Whitby has to understand that there’s protocol. He can’t just pick up the big jobs and leave the little ones to the Mayor.”

There’s cross-party backing the petition, with former Tory mayor John Hood telling us that he couldn’t see any benefit to the constitutional change: “I’m totally opposed to it. The Lord Mayor is there to do the meeting and greeting and so much other stuff as well including charity, while the leader has a political role to govern the City of Birmingham”.

We also understand that a senior Conservative councillor lobbied Whitby yesterday, as a result of which the proposal has been amended - but we are told that the leader has not “comprised” or “climbed down”. We shall see.