Martin Mullaney and Salma Yaqoob
Moseley and Kings Heath Liberal Democrat councillor Martin Mullaney – who holds the post of Cabinet Member for Leisure Sport and Culture on Birmingham City Council – has issued an apology to fellow councillor Salma Yaqoob, Leader of the Respect Party.
This follows remarks made by Mullaney when Yaqoob and fellow Respect member Mohammed Ishtiaq refused to join a standing ovation for George Cross winner Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, during the soldier’s visit to Birmingham council chamber.
His apology, made on the ReStirred forum reads:-
I have just sent the following e-mail to Councillor Salma Yaqoob:
text as follows:
I have been made aware of a couple of formal complaints to the City Council’s Standards Committee about comments that I recently made relating to you on the Re-Stirred website which could be potentially have been damaging to you.
I recognise that my comments were unfounded, insensitive and overstepped the mark in terms of the Code of Conduct for Members. As such, I apologise, unreservedly, to you, the complainants and the members of the City Council’s Standards Committee for those remarks and the hurt that they, undoubtedly, caused.
Being mindful that my comments were publically made on the Re-Stirrer website, I will also be posting this apology on that message board.
I hope this draws a line under the matter.
More on the back story here