Mathew Street Warren Bradley
THE former chief executive of Liverpool Culture Company has asked a standards watchdog to investigate the behaviour of the council leader and regeneration leader, the Daily Post can reveal.
Jason Harborow, who was given a £230,000 pay-off to leave the council last week, has written to the Standards Board for England about council leader Warren Bradley and former leader Mike Storey.
The pair are already being investigated by the Standards Board over claims they conspired to remove Mr Harborow after a complaint by Labour leader Joe Anderson.
If the board decides to take up Mr Harborow’s complaint it is likely another investigation will have to be launched.
Cllr Anderson’s complaint relates to a secret meeting they held with former events manager Lee Forde.
That meeting is also understood to form part of Mr Harborow’s complaint, which was sent to the Standards Board last week.
The Daily Post understands Mr Harborow has made allegations about the way he was treated by both men since August when the Mathew Street Festival was controversially cancelled.
Mr Harborow is also understood to have told the Standards Board he was concerned that confidential details of a health problem he had were leaked to the press.
Last night neither Mr Harborow or Cllr Bradley could not be contacted for comment, while Cllr Storey declined to comment.
In August, Cllr Bradley demanded, in an email to council chief executive Colin Hilton, that Mr Harborow be relieved of his duties.
In November, after the release of the Mathew Street report, which cleared Mr Harborow, Cllr Bradley criticised the culture leader in an interview with the Daily Post.
When asked if Mr Harborow should resign, he said: “There has got to be some responsibility shouldered by senior management.”
He also said problems with Mathew Street had arisen because of a lack of communication.
Asked if he was referring to Mr Harborow, he said: “Absolutely. If there was a breakdown in communication, the chief executive of the Culture Company should have been aware.”
Last night Cllr Anderson said: “Clearly Mr Harborow had grounds to sue the council which is why the council has settled very handsomely with him.
“I hope the Standards Board conclude their investigations quickly so we can bring this sorry episode and period to an end.”
The current investigation was already Cllr Storey’s second in the space of three years.
