Nicola Richards, Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East, said:
“Today the Government have announced that the Commissioners appointed to oversee improvements within Sandwell Council are being withdrawn.
“When I was elected in 2019, I made it a priority to deal with the allegations of corruption.
“It was a stain on Sandwell’s record. It undermined the reputation of our seven towns. It prevented businesses from investing. It put off good people wanting to work for Sandwell Council, and it put off good candidates wanting to represent the best interests of their communities.
“It frustrates me how many have got away with their historic actions, but for the good of Sandwell the priority had to be to ensure they could run the council and services people rely on.
“We’re now in a better place. When I was first elected, it took on average of 82 days for Sandwell Council to reply to a constituent’s concerns. It meant my office and myself quite often stepped in to help people with matters only Sandwell Council could resolve. It was beyond unsatisfactory and my constituents’ trust in Sandwell Council hit rock bottom.
“Thanks to this Government’s intervention, today on average it takes Sandwell Council 9 days to respond to concerns. Housing application times have been reduced from 52 days to 9 days and the backlog of people waiting for housing support has been reduced from 2,400 to 80.
“Whilst there is still a lot of work to be done, and I remain dissatisfied with Labour’s inadequate vision for our borough, I am grateful for all the hard work that has gone into ensuring we are in a different place. I will continue to hold the council to account to ensure that improvements continue, and we never return to the dark period where corruption and maladministration ran rife in Sandwell Council.
“I want to thank Michael Gove for listening to my concerns about the governance of the council, the Commissioners, in particular Kim Bromley-Derry, and in particular the opposition Conservative Councillor Group, led by Cllr Dave Fisher, who have played a vital part in driving the much-needed improvements within our council.”
The Written Ministerial Statement on intervention in Sandwell can be found at https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-03-07/hcws319