Hull council has been put under government supervision, but the move has so far failed to stop the political infighting that has dogged the authority for the past two years.
The supervision last Friday made Hull only the second council to be hit with such action. It followed a damning reinspection report from the Audit Commission, also published on 7 November.

Political leaders at Hull were informed of the decision to put them under supervision at a meeting with local government minister Nick Raynsford last Thursday. But this did not prevent a political brouhaha at an emergency council meeting the next day.

The Liberal Democrats won a vote to disband the current Labour cabinet and replace it with a multi-party cabinet. The cabinet was supposed to govern Hull by political consensus. But Labour and Conservative councillors immediately said they would not work with each other, and the Lib Dems are now trying to broker a compromise.

The "statutory direction" issued to Hull by the government is the most powerful weapon in its arsenal short of taking direct control.

The multi-party cabinet was supposed to govern Hull by political consensus but Labour and Conservative councillors refused to work together

It will see a government appointed director supervise the council's activities with the support of a small team. The supervisor will move in by Christmas and is likely to stay at least nine months.

The supervision follows the second of two highly critical Audit Commission inspections. The latest report slammed "continued weakness" in the council's corporate governance, financial planning and management and decision-making.

It also found:

  • the council had failed to make sufficient progress on its huge housing problems
  • it had failed to change a poor culture of political infighting and bullying
  • its current housing strategy and housing revenue account business plan were well below average and had been assessed as being the worst in the region by the local government office
  • its strategy could result in improvements to homes that subsequently required demolition
  • political leadership had not been sufficiently focused.

Jules Pipe, mayor of Hackney

A clear corporate direction and stable political leadership. They’ve been vital to our turnaround

Tom Ansell, leader, Walsall Council

Hull has to recognise its faults. It means cross-party working. It’s had its last chance saloon

Flo Clucas, Liverpool council

We were probably the worst council in the country, but now our performance is rising. It hasn’t been easy

Source

Housing Today