EXCLUSIVE

SINGLE STATUS: THE TRUTH BEHIND THE HEADLINES?

22-02-2008

Birmingham City Council has launched a major charm offensive ahead of Tuesday's planned strike with a release to all staff called "Single Status: The Truth Behind The Headlines". It is also due to be included in the next edition of the Council newspaper Forward, reawakening the row over the publication's alleged political bias.

The cabinet member responsible for the Single Status pay review Alan Rudge explains that during the "intense scrutiny" of the Pay And Grading Review, "a number myths ...have arisen" - and he's simply trying to put readers right.

You can check out whether the "myths" really are mayths, and whether Rudge's explanation carries any weight by clicking here (pdf format file)

One Council insider commented, "given Forward is supposed to be non-partisan, paid for by council tax payers to promote the council itself rather than the politicians, is this blatantly party-political full pager apparently coming up in the next issue not an abuse of the purpose of the publication, and of dubious legality"?

We have no doubt that the city's Labour opposition will see it that way - we reported last year how Sir Albert Bore's response to the Council budget was banned from Forward for being "too political" (see link here).