The Shape of Things to Come?
No sooner do we raise concerns about Glasgow’s new Direct and Care company (Cordia) – than a fascinating article appears in the Sunday Herald newspaper.
City Building was set up as a new arm’s length company in 2006 – from what was previously the council’s Housing DLO (Direct Labour Organisation).
But according to the Sunday Herald, City Building has become mired in a cronyism row after it appointed Scottish Labour's former general secretary (Lesley Quinn) to a newly-created senior management post.
The newspaper report goes on:
“Willie Docherty, its £150,000-a-year managing director, is married to Sadie Docherty, a Glasgow Labour councillor. He is a member of the Glasgow South Labour party and an ally of Steven Purcell, the Labour leader of Glasgow City Council.
Senior staff at the quango, which employs 2200 people in the construction trade and has a turnover of more than £150 million, are paid at least £50,000, according to its annual accounts.
One Labour source said: "Lesley Quinn's job was a new position. It was not advertised. They already have a marketing director but they created a business development director post and she got it around October"
Initially reliant on building and maintenance contracts from Glasgow Housing Association, City Building is currently trying to secure work from the private sector and other councils. It also supplies domestic gas services and runs Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries.
City Building refused to answer any questions about Quinn, including when she started work, how she was appointed, her job description, her pay, the organisation's links to Labour, or its spending at the Labour conference.”
All very nice and cosy, as they say.
Maybe someone should report City Building and the City Council to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
After all public money is involved here. And no self-declared equal opportunities employer should be recruiting staff - without following a professional recruitment process.
Otherwise people are entitled to conclude – there’s no smoke without fire.
NB: with thanks to the Sunday Herald (Tom Gordon and Paul Hutcheon).
City Building was set up as a new arm’s length company in 2006 – from what was previously the council’s Housing DLO (Direct Labour Organisation).
But according to the Sunday Herald, City Building has become mired in a cronyism row after it appointed Scottish Labour's former general secretary (Lesley Quinn) to a newly-created senior management post.
The newspaper report goes on:
“Willie Docherty, its £150,000-a-year managing director, is married to Sadie Docherty, a Glasgow Labour councillor. He is a member of the Glasgow South Labour party and an ally of Steven Purcell, the Labour leader of Glasgow City Council.
Senior staff at the quango, which employs 2200 people in the construction trade and has a turnover of more than £150 million, are paid at least £50,000, according to its annual accounts.
One Labour source said: "Lesley Quinn's job was a new position. It was not advertised. They already have a marketing director but they created a business development director post and she got it around October"
Initially reliant on building and maintenance contracts from Glasgow Housing Association, City Building is currently trying to secure work from the private sector and other councils. It also supplies domestic gas services and runs Royal Strathclyde Blindcraft Industries.
City Building refused to answer any questions about Quinn, including when she started work, how she was appointed, her job description, her pay, the organisation's links to Labour, or its spending at the Labour conference.”
All very nice and cosy, as they say.
Maybe someone should report City Building and the City Council to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
After all public money is involved here. And no self-declared equal opportunities employer should be recruiting staff - without following a professional recruitment process.
Otherwise people are entitled to conclude – there’s no smoke without fire.
NB: with thanks to the Sunday Herald (Tom Gordon and Paul Hutcheon).
