Government commissioners will be sent in to Liverpool to run “certain and limited function” of the city’s council for the next three years amid allegations of corruption, Robert Jenrick has announced.
The communities secretary said a report into the running of the council — commissioned last year — “paints a deeply concerning picture of mismanagement” and identified “multiple apparent failures”.
He said the report was “unequivocal” that Liverpool city council has “failed in numerous respects to comply with its best value duty”, adding that “radical” change was rapidly needed.
“It concludes that the council consistently failed to meet its statutory and managerial responsibilities and that the pervasive culture appeared to be rule avoidance,” Mr Jenrick said.
It comes after inspectors were sent in to the council in December after the arrests of five men, including the elected Labour mayor Joe Anderson, who was held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.
Mr Anderson denies wrongdoing and has stepped down from the position as mayor — paving the way for his successor to be elected in May.
Updating MPs, Mr Jenrick said: “Expressed in formal terms, I am satisfied that the council is failing to comply with its best value duty. Therefore, I need to consider exercising my powers of intervention to secure compliance with the duty.
“To that end, in line with the procedures laid down in the Local Government Act 1999, I am writing today to the council asking them to make representations both on the Inspectorate’s report and on a proposed intervention package.
“This package is centred on putting in place commissioners who I will appoint to exercise certain and limited functions of the council as required for a minimum of three years.”
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