Daylight and Disinfectant
A reader has been in touch to ask why Edinburgh City Council got into such bother over a vote of no confidence in its chief executive.
See post dated 4 October 2010 - 'Chaos in South Lanarkshire'.
Well the answer is that council employees are in a very different position to elected councillors - they are not voted in or out of their jobs - or at least they shouldn't be.
In Edinburgh - many years ago - some councillors within the ruling Labour group moved a vote a 'no confidence' in the council's chief executive - which was a very unwise thing to do.
Because it effectively tore up his contract of employment - exposing the council to huge damages - since the councillors involved had patently failed to follow a fair process.
Every council employee can be held to account for their performance or behaviour - but the way to do so is under the council's disciplinary procedures - and that applies to senior officials as well as everyone else.
Councillors can't just go around having votes to get rid of someone they've fallen out with - because that is really no better than a kangaroo court.
And kangaroo courts are about revenge - not fairness or justice.
A proper court would take a dim view of anyone acting in this way - including elected councillors because they are not above the law - and they could even be held responsible for any unecessary costs incurred - on an individual basis.
Edinburgh City Council ended up parting with a large sum of cash for effectively sacking its chief executive - but without ensuring a fair process for dealing with the underlying issue or problem.
South Lanarkshire Council appears to have got itself into a terrible mess over its budget.
Who knows the true extent to which senior officials - or the elected politicians - are responsible for what has been going on?
The best thing to do would be to have an independent enquiry to establish all the facts - because daylight really is the best disinfectant in these situations.
Otherwise the tendency will be to find a scapegoat - but pinning the blame on a fall guy or woman won't provide proper answers - or restore public confidence in a council that seems to be spiralling out of control.
See post dated 4 October 2010 - 'Chaos in South Lanarkshire'.
Well the answer is that council employees are in a very different position to elected councillors - they are not voted in or out of their jobs - or at least they shouldn't be.
In Edinburgh - many years ago - some councillors within the ruling Labour group moved a vote a 'no confidence' in the council's chief executive - which was a very unwise thing to do.
Because it effectively tore up his contract of employment - exposing the council to huge damages - since the councillors involved had patently failed to follow a fair process.
Every council employee can be held to account for their performance or behaviour - but the way to do so is under the council's disciplinary procedures - and that applies to senior officials as well as everyone else.
Councillors can't just go around having votes to get rid of someone they've fallen out with - because that is really no better than a kangaroo court.
And kangaroo courts are about revenge - not fairness or justice.
A proper court would take a dim view of anyone acting in this way - including elected councillors because they are not above the law - and they could even be held responsible for any unecessary costs incurred - on an individual basis.
Edinburgh City Council ended up parting with a large sum of cash for effectively sacking its chief executive - but without ensuring a fair process for dealing with the underlying issue or problem.
South Lanarkshire Council appears to have got itself into a terrible mess over its budget.
Who knows the true extent to which senior officials - or the elected politicians - are responsible for what has been going on?
The best thing to do would be to have an independent enquiry to establish all the facts - because daylight really is the best disinfectant in these situations.
Otherwise the tendency will be to find a scapegoat - but pinning the blame on a fall guy or woman won't provide proper answers - or restore public confidence in a council that seems to be spiralling out of control.
