Newcastle Council chief executive post reserved for acting chief

May 7 2009 by Amy Hunt, The Journal

A POLITICAL row has blown up over a decision to interview only one candidate for a £175,000-a-year council job.

Newcastle City Council’s constitutional committee agreed to ring-fence the appointment of a new chief executive to include just one person.

Barry Rowland has been the acting chief executive since the departure of former boss Ian Stratford in November.

And he is set to be the only person interviewed for the permanent post after a decision by members of the city council’s cross party constitutional committee, which met in private on Tuesday.

Opposition Labour councillors say they will not support any appointment which could be seen as a one-horse race, regardless of the individual involved, and withdrew from the process at the meeting.

Labour leader Nick Forbes said: “As a point of principle, the Labour group believes that the chief executive’s post should be open to external candidates and to have a chief executive appointed by councillors from only one party would be very damaging and would undermine his or her authority.

“I’m urging the Liberal Democrats to think again and make it clear that there will be a full and proper recruitment process for our new chief executive. That’s the only way we can demonstrate that the process is fair and transparent.”

Liberal Democrat deputy leader David Faulkner said: “It’s not a whipped committee where parties come to the meeting with a view. Different points of view are expressed through a debate and rightly so.