York Public Health Director quits

New housing chief also backs out of taking up York job

The Director of Health, Housing and Adult Social Care at the York Council has quit.

Now Councillors are scrambling around trying to make interim appointments to fill key vacancies just as the “second wave” of Covid 19 gains strength in the City.

They will discuss the issue at a meeting taking place next week

It seems likely responsibilities in the department will be carved up as interim Directors are appointed from within the existing office ranks.

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The situation has been exacerbated by the actions of a Hull based official who had been offered the job of Assistant Director Housing and Community Safety.

The previous post holder left the Authority in February 2020.

The appointee had been due to join the York Council on 7th September but has backed out.

Now an interim appointment is to be made from within the Councils existing staff pool. The post will report to a new (delightfully opaquely styled) Director of “Place”.

The role is principally concerned with Council house management.

The department has been criticised for its ponderous reaction to several issues including the increasing length of time taken to let empty homes.

Several housing reports – due to be presented for decision over the last 6 months – have been mysteriously shelved. There has been no explanation and the original decision dates (long passed) have not been updated on the Councils forward plan. .

Now another Labour Council Leader quits in York

Bearded men

“and I anoint…”

Less than 12 months after taking over as the Leader of the Labour Group on the City of York Council Dafydd Williams has resigned.

He quotes personal reasons for the decision although it comes in the wake of an extraordinary few months of turmoil in the Labour party nationally.

Dafydd Williams, although far from being a favourite on the west of the City, was more moderate and inclined to be discursive than his predecessor  (James Alexander)  – qualities that a party needs after suffering a crushing electoral reverse.

It leaves the 14 strong Labour Group with a very thin field of potential replacement candidates. Many have only been members of the Council for a few weeks and lack the experience necessary to lead one of the larger political groupings.Len in

Others are in an age range which means they are coming towards the end of their political careers.

Several experienced Labour Councillors, of course, resigned from the Labour Group in the run up to the last Council elections. Others were thrown out by the electorate

The upcoming internal election raises the intriguing prospect that the so called “£3 members” may, having elected the extreme left wing Corbyn to office nationally, try to do the same locally. 

Step up any Councillors with a UNITE connection?

Councillor’s declarations of Trades Union and other membership can be found on the Councils web site.

So perhaps, in future, we can expect a few more questions to the Executive from “Malcolm of Tang Hall”

NB One Tory Councillor, upon being told the news, announced that a £3 investment in associate Labour membership looked to be a bargain if it meant that he could vote Cllr Crisp into the vacancy.