Keith stirred up a real hornet's nest on Friday at the Scrutiny Co-ordinating Committee.
During a report on sustainability Keith attacked a paragraph which said we would PROBABLY see massive infrastructure and network collapse after 2011 if we did nothing. It also said we COULD see massive loss of life and companies moving abroad.
This is the part Keith took exception to, the use in a report of the words COULD and PROBABLY instead of facts and figures. He used the term: "Villa COULD win the Premier Leaque but PROBABLY won't" to illustrate the proper use of the words but of course the Post has twisted, sorry, spun, this into him saying "Green doom as likely as Villa winning the Premiership".
Readers of this blog will recall the Post accusing Keith and fellow Conservatives of racism some years ago, even our sensitive local MP joined in. The Post of course ballsed it up by calling us "Northfield Conservatives" instead of "Longbridge Conservatives", a not uncharacteristic lapse. Since then we have turned this safe Labour stronghold into a ward with 3 Conservative Councillors during which Keith has won 2 elections. So much for personal attacks. Even former Councillor (how good that phrase sounds) Steve Bedser used personal attacks against Ken Wood this year, fat lot of good it did him.
Keith's views on climate change are quite clear. He accepts the climate is changing but wants to see evidence, not a quasi-religion whose doctrines have to be taken as a matter of faith. Keith is a keen recycler and urges his constituents to do the same. It is sensible and logical to conserve energy and to cut out waste, especially in the Council, but also within our own lifestyles. The problem he has is in dire predictions of impending doom if we do not do as we are told by a self serving climate industry and a government whose own profligacy knows no bounds.
The Birmingham Post and Mail is of course owned by Trinity Mirror Newspapers who are no friends of ours. Their circulation figures have resulted in a large number of staff sadly being made redundant and the paper is about to turn tabloid. The loss of jobs is a blow to the people concerned, many of who Keith knows and some of whom he likes.It seems the publisher's stewardship of the titles may result in the ultimate demise of this once great part of the Birmingham landscape.
