LABOUR URGES MAYOR TO ‘STOP DITHERING’ AND SCRAP CHIEF EXECUTIVE

LABOUR URGES MAYOR TO ‘STOP DITHERING’ AND SCRAP CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Labour councillors in North Tyneside have urged the Borough’s Tory Mayor ‘to stop dithering and scrap the post of Chief Executive of the council.

In Mayor Arkley’s current budget proposals, she has set out plans to ‘delete’ the post of CEO as part of her efforts to turn around a £2m budget shortfall. Her plans would come into force on 31 May 2013 but the Labour majority on the council pushed through a motion last week which would bring the measure into effect ‘immediately’.

The current CEO, Graham Haywood has been employed by the council on a part time basis since 2011 but Labour is arguing that the savings should be made immediately.

Labour group leader Jim Allan said

‘The Mayor should stop dithering, she either needs a CEO or she doesn’t so why not implement her own plan to scrap the post immediately? Full Council voted to pass a measure that would mean further savings last week and the Mayor seems to be dragging her heels over her own proposal. She needs to make savings as the council under her control, has a budget shortfall of over £2m and she needs to answer the question – why not ‘delete’ the post now rather than wait a further 8 months?’

Contact

Jim Allan - Leader of the Labour Group

07909234752