Secretary of State Greg Clark says he wants the creation of a new panel for Liverpool's future to be a turning point for the city and its troubled council.
The Levelling Up Secretary has today announced that he will significantly expand the ongoing government intervention at Liverpool City Council, with the government taking over all financial, governance and recruitment decisions in what will be seen effectively as a full-scale takeover.
But alongside this announcement, Mr Clark is also establishing a new Strategic Futures Panel that he hopes will guide the city council out of the current intervention and help shape the future of the city. The panel will be chaired by Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram alongside former Manchester City Council chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein and former leader of Leeds Council Judith Blake.
READ MORE: Government taking over all finance and governance powers at Liverpool Council
Explaining his decisions to the ECHO, Mr Clark said: "Liverpool is, without question, the greatest of cities. “The pool of life”, as hailed by Carl Jung, is known the world over for its rich industrial, commercial, scientific, cultural and sporting heritage and the dazzling energy, talent and warmth of its indomitable people. Liverpool people deserve the very best. But what the people of Liverpool have been getting from local government in the city has been falling short of this.
"For the last year commissioners have had to be sent in to oversee the running of much of the city council, reporting to central government not to the people of Liverpool.
"From what I have seen in reports from the four commissioners it has been, sadly, necessary. The Mayor, Joanne Anderson, stepped forward at a very difficult time to lead the city. She deserves huge thanks for working hard doing what many others wouldn’t. But the commissioners’ report – which I am publishing today – lays bare the depth of the problems the city council still faces, and that progress is too slow in resolving them. It is why I am, reluctantly, minded to accept their unambiguous advice to extend the intervention and to appoint a fifth commissioner to oversee the financial management of the City Council."
He added: "But I have thought about the future. Liverpool City Council must now experience a turning point in which it can come out of its present difficulties and have confidence in the bright and strong future that such a great city has the right to demand for itself.
"I worry that without a plan for a good future, and operating, in effect, in special measures, the council in effect may lose too many of the talented officers it has, who – devoted as they are to the city of Liverpool – may be tempted away by other employers. I worry too, that without a clear long-term plan, the best potential recruits feel that they are taking a risk with coming to work for a council under a cloud. Liverpool deserves to retain and attract the best people to enjoy brilliant careers serving the people of the city.
"I also worry that investors looking to create good jobs, who are always hotly pursued by other cities across the UK and indeed across Europe, may feel they can’t commit to Liverpool without confidence that things are going to be fine. Actually, more than fine, winning again."
Mr Clark said that having spoken with both Mayor Joanne Anderson and Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, he has decided to establish the Liverpool Strategic Futures Panel 'to guide the city through its present difficulties to the bright future it deserves.'
He added: "It will be chaired by Mayor Steve Rotheram, the elected Mayor of the Liverpool City Region. The future of Liverpool should be built in Liverpool, and I think it is right that the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority should, through Mayor Rotheram, play a big role in helping turn round one of their own.
"To support Mayor Rotheram in this I have asked two of the wisest and most experience heads in City leadership to join him. Sir Howard Bernstein, who was Chief Executive of Manchester City Council from 1999 to 2017 is one of the most effective people in Britain in securing investment and building business confidence. Baroness Judith Blake was leader of Leeds City Council from 2015 to 2021 and ran with capability and success one of Britain’s biggest city local authorities."
The panel, which will also nominate a successful business leader to join, will report to Mr Clark alongside the commissioners and meet regularly with the expanded team of commissioners installed at the council. He added: "I expect their work to be complementary to each other, and for them to work closely together to help the council make the right decisions and give the people of Liverpool the local council they deserve."
Mr Clark said: "All great cities, like all great sporting teams, face times of challenge as well as times of excitement. Liverpool is not alone in having plenty of both. Successful cities have the ingenuity and the resilience to get through difficult times and shape their own future.
"Liverpool has the talent, the goodwill and the energy to fly high, and I hope today, supported by people of experience dedicated to its success, will be the day that it looks up to a bright future."
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