Council leader rejects MSP's evidence of link

Hamish Hutchinson • Published 31 Mar 2010 11:16 31 Comments

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Keith Brown MSP is calling on Council Leader Janet Cadenhead to stand down.

OCHIL MSP Keith Brown has demanded council leader Janet Cadenhead stands down after discovering what he believes is "conclusive proof" that the Single Status process has been used as a cost-cutting exercise.

Mr Brown has received copies of documents that he says clearly show that council employees' job descriptions were not updated in line with manager's recommendations to deliberately keep grades and salaries low.

But Councillor Cadenhead has slammed the SNP MSP for making allegations without being in possession of all the facts.

And she insists there is no link between the Single Status process and the council's budget cuts.

The documents obtained by Mr Brown contain handwritten notes by council staff with notations stating "No changes made as would increase points".

He says this is evidence that certain council staff have been deliberately downgraded to plug the hole in the council's budget.

Mr Brown also told the Advertiser that during a conversation with the council's chief executive, Angela Leitch, she told Mr Brown that re-evaluations had taken place because council salary levels were unsustainable.

At a full council meeting in February council leader Janet Cadenhead offered to resign her post if it was ever proven that there was a connection between the implementation of Single Status pay and the authority's financial black hole.

Mr Brown told the Advertiser, "The information I have received is damning. It clearly shows handwritten remarks stating that job descriptions should not be updated as the changes would result in point increases which would mean higher grades and higher wages.

"This is conclusive proof that employees' single status evaluations have been manipulated to meet financial outcomes.

"It's about time that Councillor Cadenhead admitted this and decides what she is going to do next in light of the assurances she gave back in February.

"The chief executive of the council told me herself that re-evaluations had taken place because as things stood last year, salary levels were unsustainable.

"It's not difficult to join the dots to see that the financial mis-management, which caused a £9 million hole in the council's budget, has a big part to play in this.

"Single status was not intended as an opportunity for local authorities to slash their salary commitments, but was to ensure that people were paid fairly for the job they do - something Clackmannanshire Council seems to have conveniently forgotten."

Mr Brown said that on the documents he received there were notes coming back from the analyst which showed that they agreed with the notations made by staff and that job descriptions were being altered to fit the council's budget.

He added, "I asked questions back in 2005 about whether the council was dragging its feet due to the money needed for Single Status. I was told it wasn't a budgetary constraint.

"But Clackmannanshire Council is the last council in Scotland to implement Single Status and I believe it is putting it off because it doesn't want to pay the bill."

However, council leader Janet Cadenhead insisted there was no link between the two and accused Mr Brown of making allegations without being in possession of all the facts.

She said, "So Mr Brown thinks he has found what the Americans call the 'smoking gun' regarding the Single Status process? How I wish he would stick to the facts and evidence.

"At no time were changes made to Single Status evaluations as a result of budget difficulties. If Mr Brown remains convinced that they were, he needs to more specific in is accusations. For changes to me made, instructions to do so had to be given. Name the people responsible Mr Brown, then we can conduct an enquiry and perhaps put this issue to bed.

"All councils conducted their Single Status process on achieving equalities and fairness within an envelope of affordability. This continues to be our aim and every effort is being made to ensure staff know they are valued and essential.

"I admit being envious of other council leaders in Scotland who have good working relations with their MSPs regardless of political affiliation. What a pity Mr Brown cannot rise above the party political fray and work for the common good."

Chief executive Angela Leitch also denied any connection between the Single Status re-evaluation and the council's budget deficit.

She said, "The handwritten notes were made by a temporary member of agency staff who was not authorised to make changes to the job overview documents except in consultation with a job analyst. Mr Brown seems to have taken these notes out of context of the overall process. Perhaps he should have checked his facts before issuing an inaccurate press release.

"The manager feedback forms were completed last spring/summer, well before we became aware of the 2009/10 budget position. The informal review process is currently on-going and there is also a formal appeals process if staff wish to appeal."

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Angry Bystander
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Mar 31, 13:40
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On a slightly different subject, I know, but in case anyone wants to submit a Freedom of Information request on one of the many irritants involving the Leitch, here's a subject which may be of interest. Staff have been told that the current re-structuring 'is about improving the service we give our customers'. It would be good for someone to submit an FOI asking for the evidence (research, consultation, best practice elsewhere) that enables the Chief Executive to come up with such a statement. Would be interesting to see the result!

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dave
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Mar 31, 15:05
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It was also be good to know who let an agency member of staff loose on such a fundamental process for the whole of the councils future? Perhaps the reporter can ask that next week?

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council worker
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Mar 31, 16:02
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Leitch should go and take Cadenhead with her,the council should be investigated by the Scottish parliment and if proved that single status was used as an excuse to slash wages everybody else involved with it should be sacked, and everybody who is losing money wages should be put back to what they were earning before this farce started!

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council worker
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Mar 31, 17:36
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Seemingly heads of service and appropriate managers were aware of the following. In April / May of 2009, the Job Evaluation team were advised that if changes on the managers feedback forms reduced points, then these changes were to be implemented. If the changes would increase points, then no changes were to be made.

Shocking!! If that is not about reducing peoples salaries, then what is ??

Who in the Council took that decision ? Chief Executive ? Head of HR ? Councillors ?

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I. M. Raging
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Mar 31, 20:50
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I agree with the council worker who states that the council should be investigated by the Scottish Parliment if only to restore faith in what is known as the TRUTH. I on many occassions have asked for information entitiled to me through the freedom of information act, information such as

: who signed my job off?

: Can I have a copy of the managers comments form from before September and the one that followed this?

I have sent these questions to single status help line twice and HR twice and I am still waiting on a response!

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I. M. Raging
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Mar 31, 21:19
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I agree with the council worker who states that the council should be investigated by the Scottish Parliment if only to restore faith in what is known as the TRUTH. I on many occassions have asked for information entitiled to me through the freedom of information act, information such as

: who signed my job off?

: Can I have a copy of the managers comments form from before September and the one that followed this?

I have sent these questions to single status help line twice and HR twice and I am still waiting on a response!

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Cooncil worker Greenfield
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Mar 31, 21:29
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On the money front - we were told that nobody would loose money until 3 years (preserved salary)

Bull... People are loosing money already - unsocial hours - against the law ! what are the unions doing about it ? People should ask to see the managers change sheets - rumour has it some managers have made no changes to the evaluations but peoples wages have went down - the single status team have changed them under instruction. Clacks Council now being investigated from the people in Fife for the failure of not giving workers the correct information under the freedom of information act. This is not just a joke but dam right against the law. I call on all workers to contact the people at the Freedom of Information Act in Fife. I also call on all you Councillors to have a look at what is happening to YOUR authority - we voted you in and if nothing is done here we will vote you out - shame on all of you. I also agree with the other worker - Clacks Council should be investigated by the Scottish Government - you want a fight Leith - bring it on !

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tellthe politicians
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Apr 1, 10:12
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Well done Keith Brown him and Walter seem to be the only honest politicians left. Why are the Unions standing by watching this employer rip it's workers off. The Unions got us into this but are now being tun rings round by the Council. The Labour Councillors are standing by watching a new chief executive do more damage than Thatcher would have tried to do. As a student I collected for the miners and stood on picket lines and would expect the some solidatity when I'm under fire especilaly here Bob and Derek time you got a hold of sopme pride and fought this boys. What am I losing? £240 per month an that's from now... not three years time, and I stand to lose the same again in three years. Whats equal about that?

Janet you have got it wrong by giving the impression that wages were protected for three years yet slashing conditions of service and by consequence slashing wages. Admit it and resign this is about cuts.

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******
Apr 1, 21:22
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My Heart Was Broken
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Apr 1, 21:30
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What have the employees of Clackmannanshire got against Leith. I've been there many times and the people are lovely. I used to have shares in Hibs. I wouldn't be willing to take them on in a fight!!

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Bill
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Apr 2, 09:26
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"Mr Brown seems to have taken these notes out of context of the overall process. Perhaps he should have checked his facts before issuing an inaccurate press release." ... Since when were Local Authority Chief Executives allowed to slate politicians?

Keith Brown has quite obviously hit a raw nerve, the Cadenhead is on the ropes with her bullish ... "I'll resign"... statement, the Chief Executive has now blatantly and unreservedly aligned herself with the corrupt Labour Group and should be asked to leave as her post is supposed to be a-political.

What really astonishes me in this whole process is the way in which Clackmannanshire Council, Its employees and the greater citizenship are being used as some form of crash test dummies purely for the career aspirations of an incomer who has no connection (or indeed interest) with the county, has fluffed her previous appointments because of her stupid concocted 'ideals' and who -hopefully- will crawl back to whence she came sooner rather than later!

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OmG
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Apr 2, 09:43
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JANET CADENHEAD SHOULD NOW GO!!

Here are the facts:

1) Budget 2009/10 = budgeted £5 million for Single Status over 3 years

2) Announcement in March 2009 by Angela Leitch that SS was complete with only minor tinkering necessary to complete the job

3) Aug/Sep 2009, £9 million hole in Council finances

4) SS letters ready to be issued, were pulled at the insistence of the CEO citing 'equality' reasons

5) net effect of point 4) above, almost twice the number of original 'red-circles' now affected as well as the three other categories.

6) December 09 announcement that SS was to cost the council £3.2 million over 3 years

7) Changes in method of salary payments from 2 weekly advance/arrears, to 4 weekly arrears (NOT part of the single status requirements!) net saving £1.5 million.

8) April 10, MSP is passed incontovertible PROOF, that some jobs/salaries under SS agreement have been manipulated in order not to pay a higher amount.

9) April 10, Council Leader & Chief Executive continue to go against the workforce of the council as well as the citizens of Clackmannanshire by refusing to acknowledge that MSP's revelation carries any substance.

There are two people who seriously need to consider their positions here, and one of them is NOT our MSP!!!!

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Grace
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Apr 2, 17:10
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It does seem a bit peculiar that Janet Cadenhead refuses to accept the evidence Keith Brown has. Perhaps her colleagues on the ruling labour group should persuade her to stand down before she does any more damage.

As for the Chief Executive, she is probably doing a difficult job at th emoment, but from where I and many others are standing, she is not doing it very well!!!

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Angry Bystander
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Apr 2, 21:29
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The CE job is difficult - that's what she gets paid for, but she's the one making it 10 times more difficult and making Clacks an awful place to work in, damaging services for Clacks people and not caring a jot for what results, aided by her lacky Cadenhead. No sympathy, I'm afraid!

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William Whyte
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Apr 3, 11:45
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And where are the staff uniions in all this? Locally in the past few years, UNISON have carried out a couple of strikes and asked the public for their support, why doesnt the union stand up for their workers?

It appears that the council has plumbed to the lowest depths recently in industrial relations, what about those trade unionists such as Derek Stewart & Bobby McGill, where are their tongues on all of these issues?

It pains me to say this, but with an election in the next month or so, I for one would certainly be thinking twice about where I put my 'X' in the ballot paper and it won't (for the first time ever) be in the Labour box!!

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Interested party
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Apr 3, 19:51
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Whether the changes were made to Single Status as a result of budget difficulties or not, as a long time Labour party supporter I find it incredulous that a Labour controlled council is engaged in cutting the wages of at least a third of the workforce, many of whom are already low paid. How can Janet Cadenhead state that it is our aim and every effort is being made to ensure staff know they are valued and essential by imposing a wage cut ?

I am sure that many of those now facing a substantial cut in wages will take comfort in knowing that the changes made to their Single Status evaluations were due to an equalities issue and not as a result of budget difficulties.

If the conservatives had carried out this sham there would have been an outcry from Labour party and unions. It saddens me that the Labour group tries to justify this farce and it begs the question what is the point of voting Labour if it attacks the living standards of the workers many of whom may have been supporters ?

It may be naive but surely someone within the Labour group should speak out against this injustice , rise above the party political fray and work for the common good.

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Alistair
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Apr 4, 09:54
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"Angela Leitch ... told Mr Brown that re-evaluations had taken place because council salary levels were unsustainable."

Then by this admission, Janet Cadenhead should resign surely! If the anticipated expenditure was to be £5 million over 3 years as per the councils 2009/10 budget, yet the re-evaluations brought the figure down to £3 million because the £5 million was "unsustainable" then in the eyes of the most naive simpleton what you have is a budget cut.

Janet Cadenhead therefore cannot claim that the re-evaluation was anything other than to achieve savings. This woman is single handedly bringing the labour party locally into serious disrepute and should honour her pledge to resign. Perhaps then we may have a more effective labour group running the council and who may even see through, and take action against the dictatorial regime that our ineffective and autocratic Chief Executive has brought to this county.

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Angry Bystander
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Apr 4, 22:47
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If only she were ineffective. Instead she has been effective in destroying Clackmannanshire as a place to work and as a place to rely upon Council services aimed at the common good, rather than being aimed at the CV for the next job! She has also been effective in ensuring that a Council leader who appeared to have a degree of intelligence has become a Stepford Wife, willing to do whatever the Leitch wants! But autocratic? Absolutely!

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bob
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Apr 5, 22:22
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its about time this bunch were reported to the standards commission.we have clear misrepresentation of facts money going to family members rebranding at no cost? bullying to name just a few things going on here. ms cadenhead of course no one is going to name people it is their jobs and family they are thinking of not your job. and you are a failing to run this council.what is all my council tax money being spent on? your pension and the CEs pay rise. it is not on services while this mess is going on.i think its time that you the CE and the director leave before you are forced to leave!

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politicalposturing
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Apr 6, 00:45
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Yawn! Keith Brown playing his usual party politics game yet again.

Hey Keith, your going on about Clacks Labour group effectively putting through job losses for your constituents in the council yet you yourself have just voted with your Nationalist colleagues at Holyrood for the closing of Waterwatch in Alloa which means your own constituents will lose their job there.

Is it ok for the SNP to close down places and cost local jobs but not ok for opposition parties for doing so?

You also voted with your Nationalist colleagues to give the go-ahead to the Beauly-Denny powerline which will affect your constituents yet you were against it at the very beginning of the enquiry when your party was in opposition in Scotland.

Put your Superman cape away Keith. Your just like plenty of other politicians. You put your Political Party before your people. Think for yourself and the local people may start supporting you again.

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agendaposter
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Apr 6, 02:16
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politicalposturing seems very obsessed with being anti-SNP / Keith Brown in the vast majority of their posts on this website. What will Keith Brown be getting blamed/criticised for next by PP (ironic) I wonder? Being on the grassy knoll in 1963? He would only have been 2 at the time but i'm sure PP would be able to find some way to blame him.

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Jodie
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Apr 6, 12:33
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To the poster two above - would you prefer that Keith Brown did nothing about this?

Surely the whole point about opposing parties is that they point out each others failings?

Where is our MP on this issue - he was quick enough to shout about Waterwatch. Wait a minute....is he so quiet because we have a Labour run council but was happy to point the finger about Waterwatch because we have an SNP run Scottish Government?

Sometimes they're all as bad as each other!

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Angry Bystander
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Apr 6, 17:22
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To be quite honest, I couldn't care less from which party representative the loudest shout comes to alert people as to what the Leitch, her Cadenhead crony and the rest are up to. The most important thing is that more and more people start to ask questions about whether what is happening is for the good of the Council and for the good of the people of Clackmannanshire, or whether the people doing it really couldn't give a toss about good services and will be prepared to lie for their own personal sakes.

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politicalposturing
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Apr 6, 22:46
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FAO Jodie: What has Keith Brown done about it exactly Jodie? He's released a press release saying he has "conclusive proof" about shenanigans then he's admitted in a round-about way in the story that he hasn't any real "conclusive proof"!

Keith Brown is like the majority of politicians in Clackmannan and of course throughout the UK. He's in it for his party and his own gain, not for those who voted to put him in his position. The Beauly-Denny powerline scenario and the waterwatch scenario will vouch for that.

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Jimmy Neebur
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Apr 7, 17:59
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Ah canny understand aw this bad moothing of the lad Broony. Wae the cooncil being the biggest employer in the coonty by a country mile am glad he's getting involved and makin this a priority. Ah dinnae understand whit pilons or water qwangos has tae dae with cooncil workies getting the pay equivalent of a kick in the nether regions. Keep diggin Broony.

They should make that Holden neebur the cooncil leader once Cadenheid gets booted. He wid shake things up.

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Angry Bystander
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Apr 7, 20:54
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With you there Jimmy! The only one with the balls to tell everyone how it is!

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politicalposturing
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Apr 8, 00:19
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Mr Neebur, the reason Waterwatch and the Beauly-Denny powerline have both been brought up is because Mr Brown has severely shafted his own constituents over both those matters.

On both he said countless times that he'd stick by his constituents wishes to get things sorted but when it evidently came to the crunch, his political party came first. He voted with his party before those constituents.

What I'm alluding to is that he's having a go at other politicians in the area for shafting their constituents and playing political games with peoples jobs and peoples lives yet he's guilty of doing exactly the same thing.

Apart from the colour of their rosettes they are all the same. You get my drift yet?

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OmG
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Apr 10, 10:57
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The big question is ... WHEN IS JANET CADENHEAD GOING TO RESIGN?

It's been adequately proven that the woman has either knowingly lied or is the mouthpiece of the Chief Executive who has fabricated a tale in order to save face surrounding the budget savings. Either way she has fallen on her own sword and should do us all a favour (including her cohorts in the labour party) and resign immediately.

If Keith Brown reads these forums, perhaps he should be considering asking for an independent inquiry into the mis-management of Clackmannanshire Council, including questions about the needless sacking of its heads of services and the £ massive payouts they received!!

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I . M. Fuming
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Apr 13, 21:06
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I have to agree I also think that Keith Brown should be insistant of an independant inquiry into this whole mess. we have talked about the massive payouts received from sacking heads of services but what about heads of schools who have been forced to retire early I am sure they also will receive payouts. My point is this where is all this money coming from for this I thought the council didn't have any money..... Oh I forgot they stole it from their loyal employees.

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laboursupporter
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Apr 13, 22:32
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The big question is ... WHEN IS JANET CADENHEAD GOING TO RESIGN? and ... WHEN IS ANGELA LEITCH GOING TO RESIGN?

There have been far tae many incidents shown of incompetance by yon pair someone at ra top has tae be nobbled and held oot fur aw this stuff this is why yon pair are paid the big bucks say gid bye for ra sake of our cooncil and in Janet's case the laboor party thon Gordon Banks need tae wake up here tae as he has now got a local issue fur us tae vote fur and unless yon pair go then yi have naw chance son maybe yi might tak an interest and get an equiry if there are votes in it. nae money aye right thon leitch is spendin mare money than she is kidin us on sayin she is savin. this one will be cought oot when we git tae see the cooncil account books.

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wee eln
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May 4, 21:54
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Months have passed by and still nothing from Keith Brown. Sounds like he is talking steaming brown stuff. What has the Cad done for our county.Nothing,oh....she told an untruth. As for the Leitch,poor woman she is a disaster for our wee county. How much is being spent on the logo ?

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Jimmy E
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Jun 3, 02:35
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Two months down the line now Keith. You've still not come out and told us what this "conclusive proof" is.

Do you now admit to the public that your "conclusive proof" is not really existant or do you hope all your bravado talk on "conclusive proof" is forgotten about and goes away?

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