Mark France has been sacked for campaigning to get rid of Julie Kirkbride. Mark did what he believed to be right and thought he had the right to do just that. It turns out that because he works in a job centre he has less rights than the rest of us.The Department for Work and Pensions said Mark had broken its Civil Service Code by "speaking about politics on live national television, campaigning for signatures, making statements to the media, standing as an independent candidate in local elections without permission, and making comments on a politics website."
What a load of old crap! Mark France works in a bloody Job Centre as an admin officer - he does not work in the inner sanctums of government and what he has done in no way compromises his ability to do his job, nor does it damage the department he works for. This looks personal.
Mark said:
"I certainly didn't think that by speaking my mind in a democracy that it would lead me to lose my job. "Everybody should be free to express their opinion. I think it's an issue of human rights."Too bloody right Mark.
12 comments:
You'd have thought that he would have got some promotion for creating a vacancy!
People, Please WAKE UP. Your liberty is being taken away.
Well said.
If they gave that as an excuse, I'm sure he has a Human Rights case. Unlikely that he'll get justice in UK's kangaroo courts, and definately at the ECHR.
This country is no longer a free society and we are all presumed guilty and it down to us to prove our innocence. There are many cases like this and it must be stopped
The Civil Service code (rules) preclude any serving member from engaging in political activity (tu reps aside). This code is the same for Whitehall mandarins adit is for local jobcentre workers.
If you are employed as a Civil Servant you must refrain from public political activity period.
By your reasoning, everyone who pays tax is a civil servant. All taxpayers work first for the government and then for themselves.
The first ten days or more days each month, I work for the government and then I start working for myself. I know this because the government takes its money from my wages before I get my share.
Ergo I too am a civil servant. And later on, the government will directly pay at least part of my pension.
I believe anonni-mouse, you will find that you too are a civil servant. Indeed, if you receive benefits, you are directly in the pay of the government.
As a civil servant, by expressing your opinion in such a forthright manner we had better sack you and send you to gaol. After all, if its good enough for Mark France, it is good enough for you.
Specious reasoning - everyone paying tax is a civil servant. Grow up.
When I accepted a job in the civil service I signed a contract - a contract which prevented me from engaging in this kind of activity. So did this idiot.
He deserves to lose his job - just as McBride did - but just because you agree with his activity you come out with a load of codswollop!
Why was somebody who worked in a JOB centre campaigning for somebody to LOSE their job?
He was undermining the DWP's efforts to reduce unemployment.
We wouldn't tolerate postmen going round setting fire to letterboxes in their spare time, so why should we tolerate a Job Centre employee wandering around trying to get people sacked.
There's no decency any more.
Is this the first job Mr France has been dismissed from. The 4th in 3 years according to the Droitwich advertiser in july. Perhaps he is actually the problem not the whistleblower? He probably did not have much time to work with all his campaigning going on. I bet the Jobcentre would not be allowed to comment though.
I always though junior civil servants where given more latitude. Surely many local councillors are civil servants ( or perhaps where before the last elections ;-) ).
Isn't this the same guy who claimed to be an independent ordinary citizen but with very recent links with both Labour and Galloway's Respect Party.
Knew I'd seen something http://birminghamrespect.wordpress.com/2009/05/20/mps-expenses-scandal-mark-anthony-france-on-sky-news/
I think he was also on a "probationary" period with his employer so should have been keeping a low profile. Sky News?
Politics aside, from someone who worked with him in the same office, I can say that he was also poor at his job and didn't deserve to remain within the department following his probation period.
The only reason he wanted the job within the JobCentre was to use it as a political platform. He took sick leave to conduct his political activities (whilst on full pay, hardly working FOR the tax payer methinks...), just look at the news footage of him, does he look sick enough to avoid his job sitting behind a desk working with people who are in a real desperate need to find work to support themselves and their families?
I'm sure whoever gets his job will appreciate the opportunity of sustainable employment and not waste taxpayers money with such a blazé attitude.
Bostin.
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