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BBC News
13-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayor reflects on mayoralty
A health scare, an apology, council tax rises and major changes to public transport. The last four years have been a professional and personal challenge for the departing Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Nik Johnson. He won the mayoralty for the Labour Party in 2021. However, the 55-year-old has decided not to seek re-election this year due to concerns about his has been speaking to the BBC's Politics East programme about his time in office. Vision Zero As I meet Johnson, he has a little black book that he flicks through to tell me about some of the things he's achieved in his four years as charities, small businesses, safer cycling partnerships and the setting up of Innovate Cambridge are amongst the things he muses also passionate about his involvement in Vision Zero, a campaign to end road wears a badge in memory of Mike Gough, a cyclist who died after a collision with a van last year. Johnson, who is also a consultant paediatrician, described road deaths as "a public health challenge". We take a walk to the nearby Guided Busway, where he tells me that signing the bus franchising agreement, which will see these services brought under the control of the combined authority and the taxpayer, is his "biggest achievement". He also introduced the Tiger pass which allows children and young people under the age of 25 to travel for £1 per combined authority also stepped in to run many rural routes which commercial operators stopped running as they weren't profitable. To pay for it he introduced a mayoral precept on council tax, which is £36 per year for a band D property, a tax rise that wasn't popular with everyone. "We've got a real sense of purpose with more people using buses around the whole of the area," he explained."That's meant people look at public transport in a different way" Rocky patch It hasn't been an easy time for Johnson as he took on the role of mayor."I'm on record as apologising for things that have happened along the way," he tells me, as I ask about any regrets he was accused but later cleared of bullying, in relation to things that happened as he took control at the government even issued a Best Value Notice - where ministers intervene - as they had concerns about the culture at the cleared of bullying, Johnson was found to have breached civility and disrepute rules and he apologised for this publicly."I regret having been the cause of upset and apologise unreservedly to those for whom I gave reason to complain," he said at the time. Reflecting on that period he admitted "it was difficult" and he regrets "not getting the improvement team in quick enough".However, he maintains that he inherited an organisation that was "on life support" and had "huge discrepancy in good governance" and "financial irregularity". Health scare In November 2022, Johnson took a three-month break from the job as he underwent heart surgery. It was discovered he had an underlying condition but he said "the stress of the job undoubtedly made me more unwell".However, he said he was "determined to come back" and finish the job. He did initially tell BBC Radio Cambridgeshire in November that he intended to stand for re-election, but he ultimately decided a second term would be "one step too far".As the electorate of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough prepare to vote for his successor, I ask him if he has any personal quotes a mantra he talked about when elected: "Compassion, co-operation and community, the three C's.""Anybody coming in, no matter what their political party, if they continue along that narrative of compassion, they will find the co-operation and we all, as a community, will benefit." BBC Politics East will be broadcast on Sunday 12 January at 10:00 GMT on BBC One in the East of England, and will be available after broadcast on BBC iPlayer. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
11-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen to step down from MDC chair roles
A mayor will stand down from chairing multiple Mayoral Development Corporations (MDCs) in June. Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said he would not be seeking the MDC chair positions when they became available again at the next annual general meeting (AGM) on 27 June. It follows the publication of government advice suggesting mayors in such roles should resign "to avoid conflicts of interests".MDCs come into existence after a regional mayor designates a mayoral development area with the object of securing regeneration there. As of January 2025, there are two MDCs in London, one in Manchester and three in the Tees Valley - the latter all chaired by are the South Tees Development Corporation, the Middlesbrough Development Corporation and the Hartlepool Development government said on 3 April that oversight of MDCs "should be clearly separate from decision making to avoid conflicts of interest".The Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) previously said it would "reflect carefully" on the said: "I am incredibly proud of all we've achieved and will achieve... the boards will be updated at the AGM as per the constitution."The TVCA is currently subject to a Best Value Notice, meaning it must work with the government to make sure public money is being used appropriately. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
TVCA to 'reflect' on mayoral conflict of interest guidance
A combined authority says it will "reflect carefully" on government advice stating mayors of such organisations should not chair Mayoral Development Corporations (MDCs) to "avoid conflicts of interest".But Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) did not say whether elected Conservative Mayor Ben Houchen would step down from his role chairing three advice was issued on 3 April, the same day the TVCA was hit with a Best Value Notice - meaning it must work with the government to make sure public money is being used appropriately. Houchen declined to comment when approached by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Although the government guidance was issued for all MDCs across the country, it was created to address a recommendation from the Tees Valley Review - an independent investigation into the Teesworks come into existence after a regional mayor designates a mayoral development area with the object of securing regeneration there. Separate roles As of January 2025, there are two MDCs in London, one in Manchester and three in the Tees Valley - the latter all chaired by are the South Tees Development Corporation, the Middlesbrough Development Corporation and the Hartlepool Development government said oversight of MDCs "should be clearly separate from decision making to avoid conflicts of interest."Bearing in mind mayors of combined authorities provide oversight of MDCs, and have powers in relation to the issuing of guidance and direction to an MDC, "the mayor should not be the chair of an MDC," the guidance it was reported that within the Tees Valley Review there was discussion of "perceived conflicts of interest" and this resulted in changes at the top of the South Tees Development Corporation (STDC), however Houchen remained both chair of TVCA and of STDC. When asked in December what his reasoning was for this, he said: "The development corporation is my project, and it gives more political accountability to have the directly elected mayor as the chairman of the public body."A TVCA spokesman said MDCs had cut through bureaucracy to secure investment and added: "We will reflect carefully on the government's updated guidance and work with partners to make any necessary adjustments, while keeping our absolute focus on delivering real outcomes for local people." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Labour mayor accused of bullying and harassment by staff
Dan Norris, the Labour MP, has been accused of bullying and harassment by staff at a local authority, The Telegraph can reveal. The accusations were made against Mr Norris in his role as the Mayor of the West of England. In recent years the authority has handed over hundreds of thousands of pounds in taxpayers' money to pay off former employees. The details have emerged after Mr Norris, a former minister and the serving MP for North East Somerset, was arrested on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl, rape, child abduction and misconduct in a public office following a police raid on his constituency home. The 65-year-old, who has previously worked as a teacher and an NSPCC-trained child protection officer, was immediately suspended by the Labour Party. Sir Keir Starmer's party selected him as a candidate for the July 2024 election when he was already embroiled in a row over allegations of the unlawful use of public money to pay for an advert on a bus. Since ousting Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg at the general election, Mr Norris has caused controversy by keeping his job as mayor, leading to him claiming two salaries from the public purse, totalling almost £180,000. The Telegraph has now seen documents which detail allegations about his behaviour at the West of England Combined Authority (Weca), which he leads as mayor. This includes a 'proposal regarding a culture review', which came after a grievance was raised against Mr Norris for harassment, bullying and constructive dismissal. It noted that a staff survey in October 2023 had raised concerns that there was 'a need to 'protect officers from the mayor'.' There had been an 'unprecedented level of turnover' within some teams because of Mr Norris's 'actions and decisions', one union boss alleged. An independent report by auditors Grant Thornton noted that there were concerns over the severance pay to a former chief executive and the use of £10,000 for the bus advert. It states that the circumstances leading to the £219,000 severance payoff to Dr Patricia Greer 'included instances of sub-optimal interaction' between Weca officers and the mayor. A 'dissatisfaction with the quality of interaction' with Mr Norris and his office had been cited by a number of senior employees who had quit Weca since he was elected to the role in 2021. The report by Grant Thornton said: 'Whilst the mayor is entitled to fulfil their role in a style that they choose, they need to ensure that this does not fall short of applicable standards of conduct and does not expose the combined authority to a disproportionate level of financial, legal or reputational risk.' They concluded that the payoff to Dr Greer was dealt with properly. Labour was aware of issues at Weca as a warning over governance and value for money was sent in March 2024 in part because of the 'poor state of professional relationships' between Mr Norris and other members of the authority. However, two months after the Best Value Notice was published, the party announced that Mr Norris would be standing against Sir Jacob. The Grant Thornton report also noted that the £10,000 payment for a bus advertisement featuring the mayor, which was intended to promote a bus subsidy scheme, had been found to be unlawful by Weca officers. The wrap featuring Mr Norris and his dog had been found in 2023 to be in breach of guidance on the 'use of public funding for personal political benefit' as it promoted him as an individual as opposed to the scheme. There was evidence that he had given a 'verbal direction' to proceed with the purchase, though this was denied by Mr Norris, the report notes. The documents have been lodged with an employment tribunal and will be presented to the High Court, where Mr Norris is separately being sued for harassment and bullying related to his role as the chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports. It is understood that they are being used as evidence of a course of conduct by Mr Norris. Mr Norris stepped down from his role at the League after his arrest. Andy Knott, the former chief executive of the charity, alleges that he was forced out after he refused to accept a 'U-turn' on Labour's promise to close 'all loopholes' in hunting laws if they won the election. Mr Norris has not responded to a request for comment. He is currently on conditional bail pending further enquiries into the allegations of sexual offences. In a statement, Avon and Somerset Police said: 'In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl. 'Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s but we're also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.' A spokesman for Weca said: 'We are aware of Avon & Somerset Police's statement but are unable to comment on an ongoing police investigation.' Mr Norris is due to stand down from his role as mayor at the local elections in May. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
07-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Labour mayor accused of bullying and harassment by staff
Since ousting Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg at the general election, Mr Norris has caused controversy by keeping his job as mayor, leading to him claiming two salaries from the public purse, totalling almost £180,000. The Telegraph has now seen documents which detail allegations about his behaviour at the West of England Combined Authority (Weca), which he leads as mayor. This includes a 'proposal regarding a culture review', which came after a grievance was raised against Mr Norris for harassment, bullying and constructive dismissal. It noted that a staff survey in October 2023 had raised concerns that there was 'a need to 'protect officers from the mayor'.' There had been an 'unprecedented level of turnover' within some teams because of Mr Norris's 'actions and decisions', one union boss alleged. An independent report by auditors Grant Thornton noted that there were concerns over the severance pay to a former chief executive and the use of £10,000 for the bus advert. It states that the circumstances leading to the £219,000 severance payoff to Dr Patricia Greer 'included instances of sub-optimal interaction' between Weca officers and the mayor. A 'dissatisfaction with the quality of interaction' with Mr Norris and his office had been cited by a number of senior employees who had quit Weca since he was elected to the role in 2021. The report by Grant Thornton said: 'Whilst the mayor is entitled to fulfil their role in a style that they choose, they need to ensure that this does not fall short of applicable standards of conduct and does not expose the combined authority to a disproportionate level of financial, legal or reputational risk.' They concluded that the payoff to Dr Greer was dealt with properly. 'Poor state of professional relationships' Labour was aware of issues at Weca as a warning over governance and value for money was sent in March 2024 in part because of the 'poor state of professional relationships' between Mr Norris and other members of the authority. However, two months after the Best Value Notice was published, the party announced that Mr Norris would be standing against Sir Jacob. The Grant Thornton report also noted that the £10,000 payment for a bus advertisement featuring the mayor, which was intended to promote a bus subsidy scheme, had been found to be unlawful by Weca officers. The wrap featuring Mr Norris and his dog had been found in 2023 to be in breach of guidance on the 'use of public funding for personal political benefit' as it promoted him as an individual as opposed to the scheme. There was evidence that he had given a 'verbal direction' to proceed with the purchase, though this was denied by Mr Norris, the report notes. The documents have been lodged with an employment tribunal and will be presented to the High Court, where Mr Norris is separately being sued for harassment and bullying related to his role as the chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports. It is understood that they are being used as evidence of a course of conduct by Mr Norris. Mr Norris stepped down from his role at the League after his arrest. Andy Knott, the former chief executive of the charity, alleges that he was forced out after he refused to accept a 'U-turn' on Labour's promise to close 'all loopholes' in hunting laws if they won the election. Mr Norris has not responded to a request for comment. He is currently on conditional bail pending further enquiries into the allegations of sexual offences. In a statement, Avon and Somerset Police said: 'In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl. 'Most of the offences are alleged to have occurred in the 2000s but we're also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.' A spokesman for Weca said: 'We are aware of Avon & Somerset Police's statement but are unable to comment on an ongoing police investigation.'
