A major inquiry will be launched into the running of a controversy-laden North East council.
Newcastle City Council will subject itself to an independent investigation, following a string of concerns about the behind-the-scenes culture at the local authority over recent years.
Calls for such a probe emerged after the resignation of former council leader Nick Kemp in September, when it was revealed that he was the subject of a bullying complaint from a senior council director.
And, in a shock move on Wednesday evening, the city’s Labour administration decided to vote in support of a Liberal Democrat resolution which commits them to immediately instigate an independent inquiry.
The development marked a surprise breakout of cross-party consensus after a night of tense and fractious debate at this week’s full council meeting, where new council leader Karen Kilgour survived a vote of no confidence.
The end of Cllr Kemp’s tenure as leader in the wake of the bullying complaint was not the first occasion when the civic centre’s governance has been questioned.
Accusations of bullying within Newcastle Labour have been cited by former councillors John-Paul Stephenson and Shumel Rahman, as well as the now-independent Habib Rahman,
In autumn 2023, chief executive Pam Smith refused to deny the presence of a “toxic” atmosphere and bullying at the council when she appeared in front of the authority’s audit committee.
That watchdog committee’s chair, Hamish Moore, and another member, Stuart Green, subsequently wrote to Cllr Kemp to warn of their “grave concerns and serious reservations concerning a number of governance issues” – including claims that some top executives were “unwilling or reluctant to answer challenging questions openly” and that “rather than having a climate that should welcome and value challenge, we have the very opposite”.
The independent members of both the council’s audit and standards committees were replaced last December, in a contentious reorganisation that saw the two watchdog bodies merged.
Labour councillor Jane Byrne has also been engaged in a row with council officers, who she has accused of “undermining” the authority.
The new inquiry will be separate to the independent investigation of Ms Percy’s bullying complaint, though it is unclear at this stage whether the two will run concurrently.
However, the motion agreed on Wednesday contains a commitment to report the findings and what steps will be taken to improve back to the council chamber.
Lib Dem opposition leader Colin Ferguson said it was “time to end the rumours, innuendo, claims and counter-claims, so that the council can deliver effectively”.
He added: “We look forward to working constructively with representatives from all political groups to scope a truly independent assessment of what has gone on at the civic centre over the last few years. The administration must commit to a full and frank inquiry, and to publishing the findings in full, promptly, whatever they might be. Only through transparency and openness can we move forward.”
Labour had originally been expected to pursue a watered-down version of the motion, which said that negative headlines about the authority did “not reflect the strong leadership of this council” and that cabinet should only “consider” an inquiry.
But Cllr Kilgour then withdrew that amendment “to show we are a listening administration”.
Cllr Kemp was present in the council chamber on Wednesday for the first time since his resignation as council leader and his subsequent decision to quit the Labour Party and become an independent.
The Byker ward councillor voted against Cllr Kilgour in the vote of no confidence and had left the room by the time of the decision on the independent inquiry.
Cllr Kilgour told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Honesty and transparency are fundamental to politics. As elected members we are representatives of our communities, and it is vital we have their confidence and trust.
“As I said in the Council Chamber, it is the honour of my life to be elected as Leader. I have dedicated most of my life to public service and I am so proud to be the first female to hold this position.
“This is still a new administration, and under my leadership I have been clear that my door is open to members from all political parties so we can do right by those who elected us.
“What our city needs is stability and strong leadership, our residents need assurance that we will tackle difficult subjects head on. That is why this administration has agreed to commission an independent inquiry.”
