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Friday 21st October, 2005

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By ROSIN GADELRAB

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NAVIGATION

‘Cronyism’: five in wait for verdict

Panel ruling due next month

THE reputations of five high-ranking Islington councillors hung in the balance last night (Thursday) as a misconduct inquiry into the appointment of council chief executive was adjourned until the end of November pending a verdict.
Lib Dem council leader Steve Hitchins, and party colleagues, councillors Margot Dunn, Dorrie Valery, Bridget Fox and Jyoti Vaja, face allegations that they “conspired” to secure Helen Bailey the top job at the Town Hall.
Councillors yesterday finished giving evidence into the “cronyism” claims at the investigation at Shropshire House, in Capper Street, Bloomsbury.
Antony White QC, for the Standards Board for England, told the Adjudication Panel for England: “In the real world the manipulation of recruitment processes does occur.”
Mr White claimed Cllr Hitchins’ “inhibiting” and “strong” leadership style influenced weaker members of the shortlisting panel into promoting Ms Bailey above higher- scoring candidates, despite her poor performance in a test carried out by recruitment consultants Veredus.
Representatives from the company also claimed they feared they were being dragged into a “stitch-up” following Ms Bailey’s shortlisting.
One even told the panel they were “bordering on being unfair to the other candidates”.
Mr White also claimed that Cllr Hitchins’ and Ms Bailey’s “close and intense friendship”, which saw them in constant contact from early in the morning until late at night, was the driving force behind the council leader’s enthusiasm for his “friend’s” appointment.
He told the hearing: “The council code of conduct recognises that friendship can give rise to personal interest and that a personal interest can give rise to a prejudicial interest.”
It was also claimed that Cllr Hitchins and Cllr Dunn’s explanations for his “strategic” absence from a vital shortlisting hearing had changed throughout the investigation.
Mr White said: “He was fine-tuning his evidence to the end.”
Ms Bailey’s barrister, Christopher Baker, told the hearing: “Helen Bailey’s star shines very brightly indeed. She’s clearly greatly respected in Islington and beyond.”
He denied Ms Bailey was involved in any sort of conspiracy and said: “She was trying to forge a career on her own. She had done a great job in Islington.
“It’s inconceivable that she would put her head in a noose if she thought something improper was going on. She risked everything.”

Give power to the people

POST-war, early 1950s Britain was still experiencing food rationing and was a disillusioning place for English gourmands. The war had destroyed the restaurant trade and, with few exceptions, post-war eateries made the worst of a bad situation.
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