Team Deano

Let's debunk the untruths being told about the FBU's pension successes. It was Sean Starbuck who drove the primary legal challenge having convinced the EC of the day that the industrial action was not proving effective and that the legal route had more chance of success. It was Sean who chased the lawyers hard to make the legal case. It was assisted in no small measure that the judges themselves had taken a legal challenge re the premises of the government's public sector pension changes and it's impact upon them and their pension scheme. It was Sean that did that...and then proceeded to do the hard work too. It was Sean that drove the successful 18-21 legal challenge and the success in the no-job-no-pension challenge. It was Sean that delivered the actual tangible outcomes for retained firefighters access to pensions. (The FBUs part-time workers case itself had been started by the previous generation of head officials and EC members) The current practical settlement arrangements arising from the legal victory that Sean had initiated were started by Sean before his departure and are now being led by Mark Rowe who contended with the prevarication and obstacles placed in his way by the other side. No-one should take credit for other people's work. The phrase "under my leadership" which Matt repeatedly uses is purposely misleading. It should be "whilst I have been GS". The misleading phrase is akin to saying "under my leadership" FBU members have fought and extinguished thousands of fires and saved countless lives. ie not untrue but totally disingenuous.