Commissioner Max Caller's full team announced

The Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities have today announced details of the team who will join Max Caller in Birmingham as of 9 October.

The Secretary of State has nominated Max Caller CBE as Lead Commissioner, John Coughlan CBE, Chris Tambini, Pam Parkes, Jackie Belton and Myron Hrycyk as Commissioners and Lord John Hutton and John Biggs as political advisors, all chosen because of their knowledge and experience in local authority leadership, decision-making, governance, finance, HR, IT and commercial development.

The letter to the Chief Executive sets out that the directions will be in place for five years: that this is a longer duration than in previous interventions reflects the severity and size of the challenge at Birmingham, in comparison to other intervention areas. It lists the powers the commissioners have, the actions they are required to take and the directions that they need to demonstrate improvement in.

Reacting to the news of the appointments Group Leader Roger Harmer said:

“I welcome the appointment of the commissioners and I look forward to working with them to improve the dire situation that Birmingham City Council is now in.

“At the same time, it remains shocking that we are in this position. The severe and numerous failings of the Labour administration made this intervention inevitable.

“Even since the crisis became public, Labour have failed to act with sufficient urgency. We don’t yet even have an agreed plan to stop the bleed of the Equal Pay liabilities.

“The appointment of Mr Caller and the team gives us hope that the days of Labour ‘s destruction of the council’s balance sheet are now coming to an end.”

“So I welcome the appointment of the commissioners, and they will receive the full support of the Liberal Democrat team.” Lib Dem Group