Cabinet member quits amid complaint stress

CLAIMS OF AGGRESSIVE LANGUAGE TO RIVAL AND INAPPROPRIATE USE OF OFFICES

- JANE HAYNES Political Reporter

BIRMINGHAM City Council’s Labour cabinet member Jamie Tennant has stepped down amid ill-health linked to a complaint investigation.

Councillor Tennant has resigned after weeks of uncertainty over a complaint submitted last September about him.

He remains a city councillor but has quit his high-profile role as cabinet member for social justice, community safety and equalities.

Cllr John Cotton, Labour leader who appointed him to the role last May, confirmed he had accepted Cllr Tennant's resignation.

Young Conservative Hugo Rasenberg had led calls for him to go.

He alleged Cllr Tennant used aggressive, sexually charged terms, calling him ‘a twink’ and ‘eye candy’ during a fraught election count dispute, and that this made him an inappropriate person to hold the council's community safety brief.

He also claimed council leader Cotton was aware of the complaint prior to elevating him to the cabinet role.