A ‘hypocritical’ Birmingham councillor has has been criticised for ‘stabbing his colleagues in the back’ after going on ‘holiday’ while the city is in the midst of a bin strike.
Councillor Majid Mahmood recently jetted to Egypt with ISRA-UK – a charity that aims to relieve ‘poverty worldwide’ – to deliver food to people affected by the conflict in Gaza.
But employees in the council’s refuse management team have told they are ‘p***ed off and getting it in the neck while the city is in a tip and he’s off on a jolly paid for by a charity’.
‘We’re all fuming,’ one employee raged, and added that the Labour-led councillor leaving was a ‘stab in the back’.
Last week, a major incident was declared by Birmingham City Council after the ongoing bin strike left 17,000 tons of uncollected rubbish piling high in the streets.
Walkouts that began in January in a row over job cuts has left masses of putrid waste yet to be cleared across the city, which residents claim has led to ‘rats becoming the size of cats’ as they feast on discarded food.
The employee, who has asked not to be named, said Cllr Mahmood leaving during such an intense time is a ‘stab in the back’.
‘I can’t go on annual leave right now – imagine – we’re under so much pressure and then he goes on a trip for a photo op, it’s unbelievable.’
He also condemned the councillor for Bromford & Hodge Hill’s ‘audacity’ to share pictures of his trip to Cairo on Facebook.
Cllr Mahmood shared images of himself ‘overseeing and packaging the food parcels on behalf of the donors from Birmingham and further afield’.
He wrote that the 1100 food parcels donated will provide meals for a family for around a fortnight and if the trucks containing the food aren’t permitted into Gaza, the food parcels will be distributed to Palestinian families residing in Cairo.
Cllr Mahmood explained ‘this is something that had been planned for a long time, and I undertook the same trip last year. Charity work is an important aspect of Ramadan, and I wanted to ensure that I was playing my part in supporting people in need.’
He insisted that ‘during the very short period that I was abroad’ he was still contactable and ‘able to receive updates, discuss progress and take key strategic decisions’.
Since he does not have an operational role his ‘physical absence from Birmingham had no impact on the operational delivery of the refuse service’.
It was revealed this weekend that other council leaders had been enjoying trips to the ballet, a Champions League football match and fine dining.
Deputy leader Sharon Thompson was given a £300 ticket by Brindley Capital, an investment firm, to watch Aston Villa beat Celtic in the Champions League the evening before a strike.
Two weeks later, she and a guest were at Symphony Hall for a ballet. And four after that, she and a guest watched a ballet of Cinderella at the Birmingham Hippodrome.
Earlier that month, cabinet member Saima Suleman got a free meal at Asha’s Indian Restaurant from the Night Time Industries Association.
Elliot Keck of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said locals will be ‘utterly appalled’ but a council spokesman insisted the gifts were related to their work in the authority. Both councillors have been contacted for comment.
Bankrupt Birmingham City Council claimed the waste problem has been compounded by striking binmen blocking its depots with pickets – meaning vehicles struggle to leave to collect waste.
Declaring a major incident allows the council to increase the availability of street cleansing and fly-tipping removal with an extra 35 vehicles and crews around the city – and it also allows the council to explore further support from neighbouring authorities and the Government.
John Cotton, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: ‘It’s regrettable that we have had to take this step, but we cannot tolerate a situation that is causing harm and distress to communities across Birmingham.
‘I respect the right to strike and protest, however actions on the picket line must be lawful and sadly the behaviour of some now means we are seeing a significant impact on residents and the city’s environment.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick laid the blame for the chaos at the door of the Labour-run administration, by posting a picture of a street on the border of Birmingham and neighbouring Bromsgrove.
Now, with highs of 21C forecast for the coming week, the increased heat could put residents at a huge risk of disease.
As rats continue to thrive in the city’s squalor, with some reported being ‘the size of cats’, concerns have been raised the animals could begin to spread Weil’s disease.
The potentially fatal disease is a bacterial infection which is found in the urine of wild animals. It is known to spread faster in warm weather.
Infectious disease expert Dr Elizabeth Sheridan told The Telegraph that Weil’s – can be spread by rats – is what she is most concerned about for residents.
She said the heat makes rats breed faster, creating a higher risk of people coming in contact with the creature’s urine.
She added: ‘Most people don’t know if they have been exposed to rat urine. You are at risk if you handle things that rats have been running over and that gets into your system.
‘For example, if you were handling bin bags and it got into your eyes or you put your hands in your mouth.
‘If anyone is handling stuff where rats have been, they should wear gloves and wash their hands.’