Snippets

A few odd bits and bobs that I found recently (and in most cases missed when they actually happened) -

It seems that Cllr Aslam's threat to appeal the employment tribunal decision in favour of former Chief Exec of Notts Black Partnership Aneela Asim was more than hot air. There was a hearing before the Employment Appeal Tribunal on 5 March (scroll to the end) (update; the judgment has now been handed down and Cllr Aslam's appeal was successful. That's not the end of it though as the grounds of appeal were somewhat technical around things like the burden of proof so the case is to be heard again from scratch by a new Employment Tribunal).

JoCo takes over the world pt 58. He's only gone and got his hands on the Crime and Drugs Partnership ain't he? Although it's claimed that it's just an interim measure until an Independent Chair can be found.

It's a good job that One Nottingham changed the governance rules for 'theme partnerships' (of which the CDP is one) to allow NCC Portfolio Holders to be appointed as chairs or he wouldn't be allowed to (see item 7).

JoCo takes over the world part 59. He's got himself onto the shortlist for Nottingham East. One way of looking at this is that, if he wins, he'll probably have to resign as leader and councillor and Nottingham East could therefore be said to be taking one for the team. Another way of looking at it is that he's got his fingers in so many pies he still won't be out of our hair and his ginning mug will be popping up on Parliament TV on a regular basis. Gawd help us all.

CEHRNN Chief Exec Afzal Sadiq was voted out of the BME rep post on One Nottingham's board in January. The election was co-ordinated by Nottingham Equal (prop. Cllr Hassan Ahmed). Just sayin'.

I decided to be a bit cheeky and emailed one of the people involved in 'Nottingham Studios', the possible new owners of Radford Unity Complex. I asked a number of questions about what they knew about the property's true market value, whether any of them had any connections with JoCo and whether it was him who made the initial approach to them.

Here's the reply I got -

"At this stage Nottingham Studios is not in a position to answer these questions.

Best wishes"

Hmmm.

Naughty Councillors - Allegedly

In what I have to say is a somewhat surprising move, NCC has replied in full to my Freedom of Information request asking which councillors have been referred to the Standards Committee.

So, in no particular order the three alleged miscreants so named are as follows -

1) Cllr Brian Grocock.

We knew about this one, he referred himself after getting all sticky in the Nottingham City Homes mishmash.

2) Cllr Hassan Ahmed

It seems like, oooh, HOURS since we last wrote about Cllr Ahmed and he hardly seems to have been out of one sort of trouble or another in the past year or so. He was in the Evening Post only the other day because they'd discovered that he hadn't quite been truthful about his interests. And of course he was arrested (but never charged) over an assault which NCC obligingly kept secret until he was rumbled.

3) Cllr Mick Newton

A surprising one this as I hadn't heard a peep about it until I got the FoIA response so I've no idea what it's all about. I hear a rumour that he hasn't been seen for a while chez NCC which probably doesn't bode too well for him.

All three of these cases are still at the investigation stage and none have been completed. This really is pretty poor, not least for accountability but, as we have to recognise innocence before guilt is proved and obviously we don't know whether that will be the outcome, it's hardly a good thing for the individuals concerned either.

A surprising omission from the list was Cllr Mohammad Aslam who was at the centre of a major discrimination case brought by the former Chief Exec of the Nottingham Black Partnership last year. I'd have thought that he would have been a shoe-in.

Standards Committee Comings and Goings

An anonymous comment on a previous post asked what might happen to Councillor Aslam who was found to have harassed Aneela Asim, the former Chief Executive of Notts Black Partnership. Well, something may have started.

Councillor Aslam has resigned from the Standards Committee. This would presumably be the body charged with the responsibility of judging his conduct as a councillor in this matter and of course he can't sit in judgment of his own actions.

Of course I feel obliged to point out that there may be no connection whatsoever but we'll have to wait and see.

Talking of the Standards Committee, still no sign of their last meeting's minutes on NCC's website, nor of the proceedings against Councillor Brian 'he's my grandson honest' Grocock.