The Manchester Evening News kindly published my latest letter.

FOR a year and a half Manchester City Council has been trying to appoint a director to its so-called Climate Change “Agency.” It advertised in late 2019, extensively and nationally.  It didn’t appoint anyone (or announce that it hadn’t). 

It tried again in late 2020, extending the deadline at least once. The interview panel included the deputy CEO of the Council, and the Executive Member for the Environment. The job was offered to someone, but the successful applicant withdrew.  

The Council is now trying a third time, but offering no additional money, with a disingenuous advert and a very tight deadline.Presumably this is because they don’t want their ongoing failure to appoint anyone to be an election issue, and because they want someone – anyone, probably, at this stage, “nearest warm body will do” – in post to spout nonsense during July’s two year anniversary of the climate emergency declaration, and to spout even more nonsense at November’s international climate conference in Glasgow.

If Manchester is – as various Councillors keep insisting – the UK’s leading city on climate, how come nobody competent and serious wants the job? Could it be that competent and serious people can see that the Council has spent ten years spinning and taking claiming credit for carbon cuts caused by austerity. Could it be they don’t want to tank their credibility and self-respect by joining a sinking ship?

Dr Marc Hudson

editor of Manchester Climate Monthly