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Exclusive WHITBY LIVES THE HIGH LIFE ON PRIVATE JET 07-05-2008
The Stirrer can reveal that Birmingham council leader Mike Whitby lived the high life by flying to the MIPIM property exhibition in Cannes on a private jet – while his colleagues travelled “cattle class”. Whitby’s exhaustive online register of gifts – which includes details of every silk scarf he’s ever been given by the Chinese – hasn’t yet been updated beyond February, so we don’t know the value of the flight or who provided it (http://tinyurl.com/3hbmde). What we can be certain of is that it’s prompted colleagues to whine enviously about the leader’s “champagne and caviar” lifestyle. There’s also the more important question of whether its appropriate for the leader of Europe’s largest local authority to put himself in a position where he could be seen – however unfairly – to be indebted to a corporate sponsor. No one’s suggesting that Whitby has been subjected to undue influence – or that he would ever give in to it – but in public life, appearances are important. The full cost to the Council of sending a delegation to MIPIM – a gathering of developers from around the world – was slightly in excess of £2,000. Five officers and two Councillors (Whitby and Regeneration Cabinet member Neville Summerfield) went on the jaunt, aimed at bringing major new projects to the city. A Council spokeswoman explained: “Cllr Whitby flew to Cannes as a guest of one of our commercial sponsors, and therefore at no cost to him, the council or the citizens of Birmingham. “The small private plane was already in Birmingham and was returning to Birmingham. “The plane was able to make a more direct flight than other commercial flights, enabling Cllr Whitby to fulfil more of his diary commitments at home as he could leave Birmingham a day later and leave Cannes a day earlier. SHOULD WHITBY HAVE ACCEPTED A FREE FLIGHT ON A PRIVATE JET? LEAVE A COMMENT ON THE STIRRER FORUM |
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