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Sefton's three most senior councillors are to hold a joint hearing into the future of the metropolitan borough's deputy chief executive, Alan Moore. Mr Moore was suspended in November last year after allegations that a meeting with Conservative councillor, Debi Jones, to discuss how to bid for council contracts had breached regulations. The Standards Board for England has investigated a complaint that Cllr Jones, who worked for the company, Ampersand, and is also a prospective parliamentary candidate for Sefton Central, had compromised the impartiality of Mr Moore and another senior officer by holding the meeting. After the six-month investigation, the board has now cleared Cllr Jones and concluded that no action needs to be taken, since the meeting was arranged in her private capacity rather than as a councillor. However, it did say: ‘It was possible than an e-mail sent to seven other officers could be interpreted as encouragement to view Ampersand favourably, but it was clear that Cllr Jones had not sought any such recommendation and that she had no influence or input into the wording of the e-mail.' Vic Hewittt, from the North West Employers' Organisation, led the inquiry into the deputy chief executive, and a full report will now go to a meeting of the council's employment procedure committee on 20 May. Conservative group leader, Peter Papworth; Labour group leader, Peter Dowd; and the Liberal Democrat group leader, Tony Robertson, will hold the joint hearing, which will be held in private. The council, meanwhile, remains without clear political leadership in the wake of the withdrawal of the three Liberal Democrat members led by former council leader, Cllr Robertson, from the authority's nine-strong cabinet. Both the Conservatives and Labour have taken three seats in the cabinet, and the council has in no overall control with 27 Liberal Democrat members, 21 Conservative and 18 Labour.

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WHITEHALL

Councillors to decide Sefton deputy's fate

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