Coventry Conservatives have called for full transparency over the proposed appointment of former Sandwell Council Labour Leader Kerrie Carmichael as the West Midlands Mayor’s Commissioner for Communities and Public Services, after a planned scrutiny hearing was deferred at the eleventh hour.
At Coventry City Council’s Full Council meeting on Tuesday, Councillor Mattie Heaven, Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group, challenged the Leader of the Council over the issue and asked him, as Coventry’s representative on the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), to seek a full explanation from Mayor Richard Parker.
The appointment had been called in for scrutiny by Councillor Edward Fitter, Chair of the WMCA Local Scrutiny Committee, and was due to be considered on 7 September.
However, following advice from the WMCA Monitoring Officer, the hearing was deferred. The WMCA said that questions had been raised regarding the appointment process and whether it fully reflected all aspects of government guidance relating to the appointment of commissioners.
The Authority has said it will allow additional time to review both the process and the proposed appointment before bringing the matter back to the committee.
Speaking after raising the issue at Full Council, Cllr Mattie Heaven said:
“This is ultimately about public money and public trust. These positions are funded by taxpayers, and the people paying for them have every right to know how appointments are made, what process has been followed and whether that process has been fair and transparent.
“When the person being proposed for the role is a former Labour council leader and the appointment is being made under a Labour Mayor, it is particularly important that the process is beyond question. That does not mean prejudging the individual concerned; it means ensuring the appointment can withstand proper democratic scrutiny.
“The WMCA itself has acknowledged that questions have been raised about whether the process fully reflected government guidance. That makes transparency and scrutiny even more important, not less.
“That is why I raised this directly with the Leader of Coventry City Council. As Coventry’s representative at the WMCA, I believe he should seek a full explanation from Mayor Richard Parker and ensure that Coventry taxpayers are properly represented.
“Deferring the hearing cannot be allowed to mean avoiding scrutiny. Once the WMCA has completed its review, the appointment should return to the scrutiny committee and the questions surrounding the process should be answered openly.
“People across Coventry work hard for their money. When taxpayers’ money is being used to fund public positions, they deserve confidence that appointments are being made properly and in accordance with the rules.
“This is about accountability, transparency and maintaining public confidence in the institutions spending taxpayers’ money.”