Burns fights back over Dawe’s ‘robust’ claim

The leader of the main opposition group in the City Chambers has hit back at criticism from city leader Jenny Dawe about “attacks on the authority” of the council’s chief executive.

Councillor Dawe hit out at opposition groups, who had called for more details of Sue Bruce’s proposed shake-up of the city development department, then voted to delay the measures until a wider report on organisational reform.

But Andrew Burns, leader of the Labour group, said the debate at last week’s full council “descended into slight farce” when Cllr Dawe accused the opposition groups of being too robust in their challenging of officers.

He said: “Perhaps they themselves could have been more ‘robust in challenging officers’ on some other important projects for the city?”