Whitby and Brew strangely out of the picture, while Sir Bernard makes a helpful intervention

By Paul Dale on May 4, 09 02:23 PM in

The fight between Mike Whitby and Randal Brew for the leadership of Birmingham City Council is being described optimistically by Tory insiders as an example of the kind of thing that happens in politics from time to time.
Whitby's mates have been quick to condemn challenger Brew as an innocent abroad, adding that these disagreeable little events have to be expected when someone has been running the council for five years.
Leaders always make a few enemies and there's bound to be a little dissent in the camp, but it's nothing that Mike can't deal with.
They're all friends really, it's suggested.

What hasn't been explained though is the thinly disguised dislike Brew and Whitby have for each other.
An exhaustive search of Post photo archives has failed to produce a single picture of the two together during 2007/08 when Randal Brew was Lord Mayor.
This is quite extraordinary when you think about it.
No picture of council leader and Lord Mayor at one of the hundreds of official functions both must have attended during the 12 months?
Have they ever even been in the same room together?
Don't forget that Coun Brew clashed swords with Whitby in May 2007 upon becoming Lord Mayor.
A furious row broke out behind the scenes over Coun Whitby's successful attempt to change the council constitution to state that the Lord Mayor must not take a lead or civic role in matters that are in the interests of the leader of the council or any other cabinet member.
Labour, and many Tories privately, claimed the change was designed to allow the council leader to overshadow the Lord Mayor at civic and council functions including royal visits.
Does anyone out there have a picture of Brew and Whitby together?
If so, email to paul.dale@birminghampost.net
It could be as rare as hens' teeth.
Meanwhile, in a "helpful" intervention, former Tory leader Sir Bernard Zissman has described the leadership challenge as a "good thing".
Sir Bernard, a respected party grandee, says it's bad when only one person is considered capable of being leader, adding that Randal is a credible candidate.
He finished by adding "may the best man win".
I wonder who Sir Bernard thinks that might be?

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3 Comments

Ursula said:

Paul, in these digitally enhanced times why does no one take the time to cut and paste those two gentlemen together? It won't, of course, prove anything but at least your journalistic thirst for photographic evidence of friendly co-existence between rivals will be quenched (for the moment).

May 5, 2009 12:19 PM

Steve X said:

Interestingly, in the Post People section of the website, both men are photographed at the recent Chartered Accountants annual dinner - but not together!

www.birminghampost.net/postpeople

May 5, 2009 3:56 PM

Johann said:

I sooner see a picture of Randal with his campaign backers...mysterious chaps/chapesses that they are.

Johann der Verräter

May 7, 2009 11:06 PM