By Sally Guyoncourt Trials and tribulations at Nottingham City Council have continued, as the search for a new chief executive became mired in political wrangling last week. The council, which has already had three chief executives in the past five years, was due to appoint a new chief executive as The MJ went to press. But the selection process became bogged down in dispute as opposition councillors claimed the ruling Labour group had acted outside the agreed process. Meanwhile, Labour said the recruitment process was being sabotaged by other political groups for their own ends. The new chief executive was due to be decided on Tuesday (11 July) but Lib Dem and Conservative councillors pulled out of the recruitment process after learning council leader Jon Collins (Labour) met with potential candidates before a shortlist was drawn up. Lib Dem leader, Cllr Gary Long, said: ‘We have no objection to the Labour party interviewing the candidates as long as other parties have the opportunity at the same point in the process.’ Opposition councillors sent letters to the candidates and the head of personnel, telling them they had withdrawn support for the process because they no longer had faith in it, as a result, one of the six shortlisted candidates dropped out. It means the new appointee, selected from a remaining shortlist of five candidates, faces a tough time winning over opposition councillors at city hall. However, Cllr Collins claimed the entire recruitment process was discussed and agreed at a previous meeting. He said: ‘We have done what we have been advised to do by our consultants. They (opposition councillors) want the council to fail so they can point to that for electoral gain.’ The council is using recruitment specialist Tribal to help find the right candidate for the £165,000-a-year-post. mjnews@hgluk.com
