Tiptoe Through the Tulips
Stefan Cross strikes a positive, but highly cautious note in his assessment of the reconvened settlement talks with Glasgow City Council.
Now for some reason this reminded me of the song 'Tiptoe Through the Tulips' which was turned into an unlikely by the eccentric American singer Tiny Tim.
Time will tell, as ever, and it should become clear in the next couple weeks whether we're tiptoeing towards the finishing line - or going round and round the Mulberry Bush again.
TIPTOEING THROUGH THE GARDEN - MEETING UPDATE
We’ve had 3 meetings this week.
I’m not going to give a blow by blow account.
The council is maintaining the nothing is agreed until everything is agreed approach but also stated that if no agreement is reached they will be fighting absolutely everything in tribunals. They have therefore abandoned any pretence that the tribunals are only for what cannot be agreed.
I’m not surprised as it’s been my view that’s what officers have wanted from the beginning. It directly contradicts what Susan Aitken has said.
So the question is how likely is it that we will reach agreement. That’s a mixed bag. Some things have been very positive, such as funding but other things have been less so.
But I can say that WE HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATING! AT LAST.
There has been a marked improvement in the attitude of the officers. So that’s good too.
It’s a step by step approach. Slow but careful. Hence tiptoeing through the garden.
Overall I end the week more positive than I started it but still generally pessimistic that we can get over the line. There are some issues that may prove to be intractable. But we will plug away and hope to persuade them to reconsider. And no, I’m not entering into speculations at this stage.
I’ve said we need to be be patient and calm. Me as much as anyone. So I shall try.
One final point. The claimant side team have been fantastic. It’s not just that we are working together, it’s that, I think, we are a great combination of diverse and complimenting skills. I doubt you could have had a better team working for you.
So off for the weekend and back to the fray next week.
Stefan Cross
We’ve had 3 meetings this week.
I’m not going to give a blow by blow account.
The council is maintaining the nothing is agreed until everything is agreed approach but also stated that if no agreement is reached they will be fighting absolutely everything in tribunals. They have therefore abandoned any pretence that the tribunals are only for what cannot be agreed.
I’m not surprised as it’s been my view that’s what officers have wanted from the beginning. It directly contradicts what Susan Aitken has said.
So the question is how likely is it that we will reach agreement. That’s a mixed bag. Some things have been very positive, such as funding but other things have been less so.
But I can say that WE HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATING! AT LAST.
There has been a marked improvement in the attitude of the officers. So that’s good too.
It’s a step by step approach. Slow but careful. Hence tiptoeing through the garden.
Overall I end the week more positive than I started it but still generally pessimistic that we can get over the line. There are some issues that may prove to be intractable. But we will plug away and hope to persuade them to reconsider. And no, I’m not entering into speculations at this stage.
I’ve said we need to be be patient and calm. Me as much as anyone. So I shall try.
One final point. The claimant side team have been fantastic. It’s not just that we are working together, it’s that, I think, we are a great combination of diverse and complimenting skills. I doubt you could have had a better team working for you.
So off for the weekend and back to the fray next week.
Stefan Cross
