Compare and Contrast
1. Email from Jane Corrin, Information Governance Officer, Wirral Council, sent on 6th August 2013 in response to an FoI request made 5 months earlier:
[excerpt]
| Year | Month | Compromise
Agreements Signed |
Voluntary Severance/Early Voluntary Retirement | Confidentiality
Clause [gagging clause] |
| 2013 | February | 1 | 1 |
2. Email from Surjit Tour, Monitoring Officer, Wirral Council, sent on 9th August 2013 in response to a query:
From: Tour, Surjit
Sent: 09 August 2013 17:35
To: Paul C
Cc: Green, Jeff E. (Councillor); Davies, Phil L. (Councillor); Burgess, Graham; Blott, Joe R.; Hyams, Chris A.
Subject: RE: gagging clause
Dear Mr Cardin
I have been asked by Graham Burgess to respond to you in relation to the issue you have raised.
The Compromise Contract entered into February 2013 did not include a ‘gagging clause’. This has been confirmed by the Council’s external solicitors.
Yours sincerely
Surjit Tour
Head of Legal & Member Services
and Monitoring Officer
Department of Transformation and Resources
Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council
Town Hall
Brighton Street
Wallasey
Wirral
CH44 8ED
Well don’t you know Wirral Council exists in the world of quantum physics?
Just like Schrodingers cat is both dead and alive, so is the gagging order until they open the box.
The puzzle though is why the Head of Legal & Member Services has to ask a third party for what’s going on? Surely it’s Wirral Council that instruct the external solicitors?
However, when things like this happen on a regular basis (such as the denials about the Chief Exec golf email followed by agreeing it took place) doesn’t it give the impression of chaos and that things aren’t going to plan?