What Melanie Did Next?

I don't like to deal in rumours but it is a great shame that so many folk in Sandwell "do a Watson" when asked perfectly reasonable questions. They follow the policy of that great tribune of the people Tom Watson MP ie never responding or commenting on anything.

I did think I would probably not be bothering with Melanie Dudley in this blog again save in respect of a Freedom of Information request which I put in with regard her huge pay-off at our expense.

Regular readers will know that Mel was at "Sadwell"for a long time  (although - certainly latterly - she wouldn't live in the sh*t-hole herself) and was near the top of the greasy-pole for much of the period when the Council plunged into corruption and incompetence during the disastrous Cooper/Britton regime. And yet despite being right in there as many of the fiascos and scandals occurred the late Smethwick Scumbag, Darren Cooper promoted her (!) to Assistant Chief Executive as recently as December, 2014 (her 2015/16 package was just £141,231 for the year).

Of course, Mel knew where most of the bodies were and even, it seems, had information on the sexual peccadilloes of at least one of "the comrades". There were even suggestions that she would get the top job when Cooper and Britton went off to run the new West Midlands Combined Authority -"lol".

Yet in April, 2016 (when it was obvious that the crazed Cooper's deluded dream of being WMCA Mayor was in tatters) she arranged a severance package to commence in February, 2017. But why that date of departure?

Now a letter went out to Councillors which I have referred to before but please note especially what Jan Britton had to say at the time:

"The Assistant Chief Executive, Melanie Dudley, has also made a mutual agreement to leave the council's employment in February next year. This was agreed by the previous Leader of the Council, Cllr Darren Cooper."

I duly asked what authority the late stiff had to make a deal with anyone and the story has subtly changed.in a new FOI reply. It was, they say, actually Jan Britton who set up this weird deal but as was "common practice" he had consulted Dickhead Daz who approved it shortly before he snuffed it. (Of course, in a data protection issue raised by a local community activist Jan Britton's Council admit in writing that they scrubbed Cooper's email account very quickly after his death - I can't imagine why (!) or how that was actually legal).

But Jan Britton now claims he agreed to Mel departing under the "Planned Leavers Scheme"! This was a scheme set up to try and mitigate some of the worst effects of Cooper & Britton's mass redundancies whilst also SAVING the taxpayer money. But like the "Jobs Promise" scheme etc this was not intended for Chief Officers - indeed one document clearly shows the ACE (ie Mel) being specifically excluded!

In my FOI, I also asked for all documentation with regard to the deal but this has not been forthcoming despite SMBC sending me details of the scheme which shows that Dudley had to apply via form HR25.2 if not eligible for pension or via email/writing to her service manager - presumably Britton - if eligible. The fact that she was not eligible under the scheme - despite what Britton now says - is that any dispute about eligibility had to be referred for decision by, er, Melanie Dudley.

Oh and by the way, the report recommending that the scheme be implemented was submitted by one, er, Melanie Dudley!!!! (As an aside, all eligible persons have to sign a legal settlement agreement conveniently drawn up by the SMBC legal department. Do you think that might contain a confidentiality agreement eh, readers?)

But the scheme involves defined benefits for the employee so why would Jan Britton and Cooper agree her a much better package when she was leaving on a date of her own choice and for her own reasons? Needless to say Britton is refusing to say and the FOI request moves on to the next stage.

The new Leader, Steve Eling, then booted Mel out early but with a massive and secret pay-off. I have no interest in the confidential amount that the taxpayer, via SMBC, were due to pay her off via her contractual entitlement  but the public is surely entitled to know how much over that sum has been agreed by Britton? Looks like that will go all the way to the Information Commissioner.....

But it has been bothering me why, last April, Britton agreed for her to go in Feb 2017 with a huge pay-off. Why was that date selected by Mel?

There is a rumour - which, please note, MUST be false - that she had already been lined up as highly-paid Chief Executive of Murray Hall Community Trust, a charity in receipt of  very large amounts of public funds, in place of one Malcolm Bailey.

Now sharp readers will remember that Murray Hall featured in this blog before in respect of the bent application by Wednesbury Celebrates to Sport England which happily gained a three-year £35,000 a year job for one Richard McVittie, the partner of Richard Jones, son of Cllrs Ian and Olwen Jones (and brother of Cllr Stephen Jones).

Malcolm Bailey was obviously entirely innocent and in the dark when he wrote on behalf of Murray Hall supporting the bent bid to Sport England and saying that Murray Hall and three other organisations including Kaleidoscope (no doubt after thorough due diligence) were going to put £15,000 in themselves. Wednesbury Celebrates - run principally by Cllrs Olwen Jones and Elaine Costigan at the time) then told Sport England that:

"Murray Hall trust has agreed to manage the Activator role as they have the resources in place to supervise and manage full-time employment."

But when I broke the story of the bent nature of this deal the BBC took an interest. An unspecified "spokesperson" for Wednesbury Celebrates stated to them that Richard McVittie HAD been interviewed by Murray Hall and all was above board in his recruitment (he had previously been living with Richard Jones in Guildford). But then Murray Hall did a Watson with the BBC and refused to speak to them - insisting they refer back to Wednesbury Celebrates! And when I contacted this allegedly reputable charity they replied "we will not be communicating with yourselves on this matter now or in the future."

Curiously I also contacted Kaleidoscope whose Monica Shafaq stated in writing that they had no involvement in the project!

Of course, Labour Councillor Bob Lloyd is Chair of the Trustees but he too did a Watson on all this. Meanwhile, Wednesbury Celebrates and Richard Jones "5 Star Academy" were racking up huge debts to SMBC which they failed to mention in other funding bids thus hiding their actual insolvency from funders.  I am STILL awaiting a FOI reply on how much SMBC actually recovered and why they are not taking legal action but even under the new "Hurricane Eling" regime the information has not been forthcoming although one reply did elicit that one Melanie Dudley was involved in trying to sort it out!

One has to assume, despite their occasional, opacity that Murray Hall are reputable and I am sure their funders have their finger on the pulse as it were. It cannot be the case that they would break all the rules just to present the CEO position to Mel. Obviously it would be very easy for them to confirm but, yes you guessed it, they won't!

Here is my mail to them of  4th October to which I have not even had the courtesy of an acknowledgement let alone a substantive reply:

"I am informed that Murray Hall Trust had a candidate lined up to replace Malcolm Bailey "when he goes". No doubt this is all a misunderstanding as the post would have to be advertised etc.

For the record. is Mr Bailey due to leave and, if so, when? If his departure is to be fairly soon what will the recruitment process be for his replacement and where will this be advertised please?"

And so I also wrote to the Chair of Trustees, Cllr Lloyd, on 7th October but answer came there none:

"I wonder if you could use your good offices to secure a reply from Murray Hall to my email of 4th October?

"I am informed that Murray Hall Trust had a candidate lined up to replace Malcolm Bailey "when he goes". No doubt this is all a misunderstanding as the post would have to be advertised etc.

For the record. is Mr Bailey due to leave and, if so, when? If his departure is to be fairly soon what will the recruitment process be for his replacement and where will this be advertised please?"

All another Sandwell "misunderstanding", I am sure. There is, of course, no problem in Mel applying for the job if and when it becomes available - despite the shocking history of SMBC under her co-stewardship - and I am sure we all wish her every success so that she doesn't have to dip into the large pot of gold we have given her any time soon....

AND FINALLY - there is some more potential bad news for Sadders. The joke "Chief Executive", Jan Britton, was meant to be the advance guard at West Mids Combined Authority for the uber thick Cooper to become Mayor (ROFLMAO) and despite the fraud, cronyism and incompetence within Sandwell since he was appointed in 2010 he was - unbelievably - appointed "Chief Operating Officer" for WMCA for two days a week. But the current rumour is that this is being reduced to one day a week which obviously means he will be bringing his "skill-set" "lol" back to The Kremlin for extra hours........

Here's a picture of him playing with himself, er sorry "multi-tasking", during the inaugural meeting of the WMCA. What a guy! Greater Birmingham's loss will be Sandwell's gain....

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PROUD TO HAVE BEEN TROLLED BY DICKHEAD DARREN COOPER (DECEASED)