Birmingham city council’s Labour leader John Clancy quits over rubbish collection
NOVANEWS
Lucy Fisher, Senior Political Correspondent
The Labour leader of Birmingham city council resigned last night admitting that he had made mistakes in his handling of the refuse workers’ strike in the city.
John Clancy’s decision came after Unite warned that the streets of Birmingham could be piled high with rubbish until the new year. Workers began industrial action on June 30 in a dispute over changes to roles and shift patterns, which the union said could lead to 120 job losses. It accused the council of reneging on a deal in mid-August that appeared to have ended seven weeks of strikes.
Labour councillors joined opposition councillors in demanding the leader’s resignation and had proposed a no-confidence motion.
Mr Clancy, 55, said: “It has become clear to me that frenzied media...