News / Politics
WECA exit payments ‘completely shocking waste of public money’
Spending almost half a million pounds in a single year on exit payments for senior staff at the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority has been branded “a completely shocking waste of public money”.
“Substantial” exit packages to three directors at the organisation, together with other settlements to conclude previous cases of senior staff departures, saw the combined authority pay out £475,713 in the 2024/25 financial year.
External auditors Grant Thornton revealed the figure in their interim annual report, although WECA’s annual accounts put the figure at £441,000 for five exit packages.
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At a meeting of WECA’s audit committee on Monday, Jonathan Hucker, a Conservative councillor for Stockwood, said that the auditors’ report “understates the seriousness of the crisis that has engulfed the organisation”.
“It is an absolutely huge amount of money and I think it’s a completely shocking waste of public money.”
Hucker added that according to his own calculations, the amount paid out in exit payments was equal to the annual income tax paid by 110 people earning an average salary.
He said: “Frankly I think spending so much money on these exit packages – considering that in the previous year there was also £219,000 spent on an exit package – basically it’s a disgrace and it’s a public scandal.”
Grant Thornton said in their report that the departures took place during “attempts to stabilise the organisation” and were “reasonable in context”.
But the report warned that continuing to pay out to let senior staff go “is not reflective of good value for money in general terms”.
Hucker questioned why they had judged the payments to be reasonable, when the report said there were no reasons to dismiss the individuals over poor performance.
The auditors said they stood by the assessment but could not get into detail due to “sensitivities”.
They added that it had factored into their decision to conclude that governance at the combined authority was not effective during 2024/25.
External auditors said that previous governance at WECA was not effective – photo: Martin Booth
The combined authority – made up of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council – was given a ‘best value notice’ by the government in March 2024 and ordered to improve relationships between officers and politicians and address governance issues.
Meetings of the combined authority committee had been marked by sometimes bitter exchanges between then Labour mayor Dan Norris and leaders of the three member councils including Bristol’s former mayor Marvin Rees.
In 2021, one meeting was boycotted by all council leaders.
The best value notice was lifted in 2024, shortly before the local elections saw Labour’s Helen Godwin replace Norris as mayor.
Former Bristol cabinet member Helen Godwin is now mayor of the West of England – photo: WECA
The Grant Thornton report closed several recommendations from previous years but warned that “significant weaknesses” remained, rating the combined authority red for governance in 2024/25.
But the report added: “We are satisfied that sufficient progress on improving relationships was made in 2024/25 and that this has gained significant momentum since the arrival of the new mayor in May.”
Bristol Lib Dem councillor Stephen Williams, a former junior minister for local government, said: “The combined authority has existed for eight and a half years so it is pretty extraordinary at this stage that we have had a red rating, which of course means significant weaknesses… It is a pretty serious situation in which to find ourselves.”
Selonge Russell, WECA’s director of finance, investments & commercial, told the meeting: “It is a positive report and it is really helpful and useful to see that the outstanding historic recommendations that were statutory and key have been lifted.
“And we have accepted the recommendations that have been put forward to us in this interim report.”
The auditors added that an objection to their interim report had been received and accepted. The final external audit report for the 2024/25 financial year will be submitted to a future meeting of the audit committee.
2024/25 effectively covers the final year of Norris’ controversial time as mayor. Grant Thornton said that Godwin’s appointment of B&NES Lib Dem leader Kevin Guy as her deputy mayor had been a “significant step” in the improvement of relationships at a political level.
Kevin Guy is first West of England deputy mayor, with the role due to rotate between the leaders of each of the local councils – photo: WECA
The report added that relationships had also already improved under Norris from their lowest point.
It said: “Prior to the departure of the former mayor, it was noted that, following his election to parliament in July (2024), he had participated sufficiently to enable WECA business to be progressed.
“We note from our review of combined authority committee meetings that there had been no examples of further adjournments, walkouts or refusals to participate from members of the committee that had characterised our findings in previous years.”
Norris was arrested in April, towards the end of his term as mayor, on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl, rape, child abduction and misconduct in a public office. He remains on police bail while an investigation is ongoing and he has not been charged.
He was already not contesting the 2025 mayoral election as he had been elected as the MP for North East Somerset & Hanham. He was suspended by the Labour Party upon his arrest, although Labour whips have been casting Norris’ proxy vote while he is understood to have been banned from the parliamentary estate.
Main photo: Martin Booth
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