The Labour group on Brighton and Hove City Council has had a reshuffle after the departure of deputy council leader Nick Childs.
Councillor Childs stood down as deputy leader and as chair of the council’s Children, Young People and Skills Committee after he was criticised for sending his daughter to Roedean School.
The newly elected councillor had spoken out against “privatising” schools after the government ordered that Moulsecoomb Primary School should become an academy.
His place as chair of the Children, Young People and Skills Committee will be taken by Councillor John Allcock, who will switch from chairing the council’s Housing Committee.
Councillor Allcock also becomes deputy leader of the Labour group immediately. Labour is the largest political group on the council and heads a minority administration.
He is expected to be confirmed formally as the new deputy leader of the council too when the next full council meeting takes place in about six weeks’ time.
Labour said that Councillor Gill Williams would move from being deputy chair of the Planning Committee to chair of the Housing Committee.
She will be replaced as the deputy chair of the Planning Committee by Councillor Childs.
Labour said: “The Labour administration has agreed new roles for autumn.
“The chair roles will be approved at the next Housing and CYPS committees.”
How’s Nick Childs going to afford the Roedean fees without us subsidising it for him through the generous extra pay he got for being deputy leader? He kept on taking the money despite saying he had no time to do the actual role?
Everyone is asking how Childs can still be a councillor.
Surely it is time for him to go – for good.
Has he no sense of shame or decency?
A blow to see an East Brighton cllr replace a Hove cllr as Chair of Housing at a time when Hove is the focus for developer provision of housing? Bet her only visits ever to Hove are to Hove Tiwn Hall for mtgs.
And ONCE AGAIN a Brighton cllr is the Labour choice for the Planning Cttee when what is needed is one from Portslade to provide a minimum of local knowledge to assist judgment.
The stink of cronyism is all over the shuffle choices. Is there an extra duties bonus for Cllr Childs on Planning as Deputy Chair?
Well said, a game of musical chairs between councillors to facilitate their own interests