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‘Given that Newham already has a mayor who's enjoyed an inflation-busting pay rise, it would appear that there is no need for this post anymore.' Communities secretary, Eric Pickles The London borough of Newham will hire a new chief executive following the departure of the current chief, despite calls from the secretary of state for the borough mayor to run the authority alone. The council issued a defiant statement which ruled out scrapping the post, after Eric Pickles suggested: ‘Given that Newham already has a mayor who's enjoyed an inflation-busting pay rise, it would appear that there is no need for this post anymore.' He added: ‘The age of golden goodbyes and huge pay-offs in the public sector must end. Such a casual attitude to spending public money both looks and feels wrong, and sends the wrong message to hard-working members of the public.' But a spokesman for the council told The MJ: ‘The roles of a directly-elected mayor and a chief executive are markedly separate and distinct, and we find it odd that the minister responsible for local government seems unaware of this fact.' Newham claimed Mr Pickles had not made contact with them directly, and the spokesman added: ‘If he is seeking to make government policy, we would expect this to be undertaken as part of a considered process, rather than through the media.' Current chief executive, Joe Duckworth – who hit the headlines as one of the highest-paid council bosses on £280,000 – left suddenly last week. He had spent just two years at the authority, which he joined from the Isle of Wight. Chief executives' union ALACE reacted angrily to press reports regarding Mr Duckworth's alleged pay-off from the council. Secretary, Mary Orton, told The MJ that reports of a £500,000 pay-off were ‘a complete and utter fabrication'. 'Joe has not received any pay-off. It [the council] is paying him three months pay in lieu of notice. ‘It's a real shame for the sector in general – and for him in particular – that Joe has been used as a political football in this.' The council has refused to say whether Mr Duckworth has received a pay-off – or, indeed, whether previous chiefs had been paid off. Ms Orton also dismissed the idea of the directly-elected mayor replacing the chief executive. She told The MJ: ‘We thought Eric had learned to change the record because he was told in no uncertain terms by leaders at the Local Government Association conference to stop saying this. It's no accident that most organisations have someone in charge.' Newham has appointed the current children's services director, Kim Bromley-Derry, as acting chief executive. However, the authority has had a chequered past when it comes to hiring chiefs. His departure will leave the authority searching for a new chief just two years after a recruitment fiasco, which saw the council choose a senior candidate from the private sector and fail to agree terms and conditions with him. The job offer to Roger Tucker, of African Arabian Petroleum, was finally withdrawn after several months of negotiations, and the recruitment process had to start again from scratch. Acting chief executive and former deputy chief, Chris Wood, departed when Mr Duckworth was appointed.

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WHITEHALL

Two fingers from Sir Robin as chief exits

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