The war of words has deepened between Essex CC and Unison over the council's plans to outsource services. The county accused the union of ‘dreaming up headline-grabbing sound bites.' In an open letter, Essex CC's leader, Lord Hanningfield, dismissed as ‘incorrect' the union's claims that up to 6,500 jobs could go as part outsourcing plans. Lord Hanningfield wrote: ‘Our staff are our most valuable asset. This is not about selling off staff or any other headline grabbing sound bites that Unison can dream up.' The two sides have been at loggerheads since the council invited private companies to bid for a multibillion-pound contract to provide ‘any and all council services' as part of their plans to save £200M. The letter comes a month after BT confirmed they are suing the council for terminating a £30m a year IT services contract. Unison predict that if BT win, the council might need to pay out as much as £120M.