Howard Bernstein, former chief executive of the City of Manchester, has been drafted in to fix Liverpool City Council’s “continued problems”.
He joins the strategic advisory panel set up by levelling up secretary Greg Clark in response to the report on the council’s progress, which revealed shortcomings around financial management and senior leadership. The report also criticised the slow progress made in driving improvement measures.
The panel will be chaired by Steve Rotheram, metro mayor of Liverpool City Region. Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council from 2015 to 2021, will also sit on the panel, which will later nominate a business leader to join them.
The panel will work closely with mayor of Liverpool Joanne Anderson and her cabinet, and also with the commissioners, focusing on driving growth in skills, jobs and opportunities for the city.
There are also plans to appoint a commissioner to oversee financial management and recruitment.
Clark said: “The commissioners’ report shows that there are still serious shortcomings that need to be sorted out, especially in financial management. But I want this to be a turning point at which the City of Liverpool can see a bright future that lives up to the power this great city embodies.”
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