Prior to the Council Meeting at 2pm Keith was at a meeting with the chief executive and the other Scrutiny Chairs to discuss the way forward. There are some issues which have needed sorting out but we are all confident that Birmingham's Scrutiny function will continue to lead the way for the rest of the country.
During the Council meeting we had a shortlived attempt at a comeback by the Labour Group. This quickly fizzled out but we had a lively spat between Cllr Selma Yaquoob and Cllr Emily Cox over the Friends Institute in Hall Green. Emily won by a short head.
Ian Ward, the Labour Group Deputy Leader set a rather silly trap which exposed the amateurism that pervades all their efforts at the moment. They introduced a motion lauding the Minimum Wage. This policy is now accepted by the Conservatives and we had no problem with it. In an effort to provoke us he made an outrageous and nonsensical attack on us in an effort to get us to vote against the motion. All it did was to ensure some of our group sat on their hands. If this is the best they can come up with some of them will be looking for new jobs in 2010.
Earlier Sue introduced a petition to get some traffic calming outside the Meadows School and Ken introduced one objecting to a telecoms mast at the Dingle Social Club.
Wednesday saw Sue at the Fostering Panel over at Sheldon while Keith had a meeting with Cllr Neville Summerfield about the Central Technology Belt. This used to be called the A38 Technology Corridor which may be a more explanatory name.
That evening Keith & Ken went into the Council House for a JNC meeting to shortlist candidates for Head of Service for Younger Adults. Keith went on to a EPM Performance Board. This is a group setting up the Council's latest Business Transformation scheme which introduces new super-duper computer technology into the way the Council does business. This will drag our methology into the 21st century and completley modernise some of out rather archaic systems.
