Walsall Council leader reveals what its like to lead authority in lockdown

In his four decades as a Walsall councillor, Mike Bird probably thought he had seen and done it all in local politics.

But leading the authority under strict lockdown due to the coronavirus crisis meaning his cabinet team, Conservative group colleagues and thousands of officers are spread out working from home is a completely new situation – even for him.

Tough decisions have been made without a full cabinet meeting, services have been altered and even job interviews have been carried out via video link.

Councillor Bird said: “We are in unprecedented times but I would like to think the experience I have got over the last 40 years has stood me in good stead to make sure I’m aware of what is in the best interests of the people of Walsall.

“That’s why I am here and that’s why I am the leader of the council. That’s my job.

“The other day, I took my first phone call at seven in the morning and finally sat down at ten to nine at night. And that’s not a case of ‘poor me’ because that’s what I do.”

The last public meeting held in the council chamber in Lichfield Street was cabinet on March 18 – when Councillor Bird announced all committees would be suspended with any necessary executive decisions being taken by him in the lockdown period.

Some of those decisions include temporarily shutting down cemeteries – with the exception of burials with no more than 10 mourners – and the borough’s premier park Walsall Arboretum.

Councillor Bird said: “It has been challenging, exciting but worrying. I am greatly supported by my cabinet colleagues and the group.

“Within the Local Government Act 2000, we know are in an executive situation where I can make executive decisions.

“If I make one, I make sure it is recorded properly. It is on a daily basis.

“I get a lot of abuse on email and on social media with some of the decisions we have had to make. Do I care? No.

“I’ve had some from people complaining about decisions to close the cemeteries and Arboretum. I make those decisions following consultation with the people that matter – such as the police.

“What people don’t understand is the minority are putting their lives and other people’s lives at risk.

“There are things keyboard warriors don’t see. Our staff have to be protected. They are doing a job.”

Despite the unusual working arrangements for the council, Councillor Bird said many services have continued to run without any disruption.

He said: “There is little evidence of disruption to people out there. We have made some adjustments such as concentration of collecting waste and recycling bins.

“Did we close the tips? The answer is no. The tips operator is Suez. They closed them and yet people are still giving us grief.

“The tip is not an essential journey and until we are told by Government that it is an essential journey, Suez have to protect their staff.

“If the lights are on, the holes in the road are fixed and the bins are emptied, people are relatively happy.

“Not one of the grey bins have been collected late. That is testament to the workforce, I’m told there were 56 people down one of the days and as a result, we had to make arrangements. But it still got done.

“I’ve been fully supported by a great team of local government officers.

“I applaud the NHS, and everyone should, but they are not the only front-line workers.

“You’ve got officers out there on a daily basis – social workers, care workers, going into nursing homes and risking their lives as we speak.

“I’ve got another group of people organising deliveries of food parcels, got bus drivers, transport operatives all of whom are there on the front line.

“Not all these people get the commendation they duly deserve.”

Councillor Bird said a decision to invest in new technology, enabling elected members and staff to work remotely has paid off during the Covid-19 outbreak.

“I don’t know how long this will go on. From the council perspective, the amount of money – which was many millions of pounds – that we invested into technology means we are better prepared than other local authorities.

“We were criticised but I think people would have to agree that we are ahead of the curve in relation to technology.

“I’ve got 3,500 people working from home. I wouldn’t say it’s business as usual because it isn’t. Whether we will ever get back to normal, I don’t know. I don’t know what normal will be in six months time.

“But what I do know is that using technology as we have has been the saving grace of Walsall Council.”