Just what did the chief executive of the West of England Combined Authority say?

It’s quite clear on the video here that West of England Combined Authority chief executive Stephen Peacock said he didn’t know what the Grant Thornton report (new readers: a critical document into behaviours under Mayor Dan Norris) was. Of course he does. It’s the most important report on the authority in its history. One might surmise that he just didn’t want it discussed, although it had been agreed under the previous Scrutiny chair, Alison Streatfeild-James. So I put in a complaint. In the meantime, I sought to address Scrutiny on the subject. They gagged me. I am reproducing the exchange here. I am leaving out the responding officer’s name. The authority is known for its “behaviours”. It’s in the report, after all.

WECA chief Stephen Peacock at January’s Scrutiny unable to recall the Grant Thornton report

Here we go: My statement in an email on the afternoon of Monday, March 3:

“That’s material that ought to be brought to this committee, so I ask for that to be done. Is everyone in agreement that this is a good idea? Yes, thank you very much.” – Alison Streatfeild-James, Scrutiny chair, on the revised Grant Thornton report at the Scrutiny committee on September 16, 2024

At Scrutiny’s last meeting in January, Cllr Lucy Hodge asked what had happened to the discussion that had been agreed on the revised Grant Thornton report. The West of England Combined Authority chief executive claimed he did not know what report she was talking about. Yes, to repeat, the chief executive said he was unaware of the most important report dealing with the authority in the past four years. Even though he was sitting next to Ms Streatfeild-James in September when that decision was made. The monitoring officer said nothing, although he had spoken to Ms Streatfeild-James before she made that statement and was also sitting next to her when she secured agreement to discuss it. The chair seemed not to know what was going on. No member said anything. The chief executive said: We’ll get back to you.

I have complained about this failure of the democratic process. I received a rambling response, occasionally inaccurate and full of irrelevance, from the authority. The monitoring officer and the chair sat in judgment on themselves and decided they hadn’t done anything wrong and would not refer the matter to a hearings panel. No independent party was consulted.

I expect I shall have to take the matter of failing to discuss Grant Thornton and the officers’ actions in the committee to the Local Government Ombudsman and the Best Value Notice panel. Which is a dismal prospect. This committee needs to summon up the courage to address the democratic deficit at the heart of the West of England Combined Authority.

Alison Streatfield-James wins Scrutiny’s agreement to discuss the revised Grant Thornton report

The West of England Combined Authority response just before noon on Friday, March 7, 2025

Dear Mr Lynch,

Your statement has been passed to the Monitoring Officer to consider. Due to the content, he advises:

The statement as put in its current form is not acceptable as its content is both inaccurate and potentially defamatory in regard to comments made about individual officers. It is untrue to say that the CEO was unaware of the report. As previously stated, the Grant Thornton report was reported to a public meeting and considered in full by the Audit Committee. Further, Overview &Scrutiny Committee questioned the Mayor on its contents at a previous meeting. It further misrepresents the actions taken by officers in addressing issues raised by you previously. Please return a suitably amended statement that does not contain reference to individual officers and inaccurate allegations if you wish to have the statement placed before the Committee.

The deadline for receipt of statements is mid-day today, but in this case we will wait until the end of business today for your response.

Kind regards
West of England Combined Authority Democratic Services

So this is how I spend my Friday afternoon. I had some questions.

Thank you for your response to my email of Tuesday [should have been today], indicating the monitoring officer’s response. I have the following questions:

1. Are statements with regard to comments or the lack of them by senior officers at committee meetings prohibited by law? I should be grateful to pass on to my legal adviser.

2. Your comment: “It is untrue to say that the CEO was unaware of the report.”

Thank you for underlining the discrepancy in the CEO’s response to Cllr Hodge. But I am not saying that the CEO doesn’t know what the Grant Thornton report is. I am certain he is very aware of it. However, he told the committee: “I don’t quite know what that report is. We’ll come back to you.” I don’t know why he said that. That is my point. I would like to know why he said something that obviously wasn’t correct. If you would like a video of him saying that I can oblige you. I would also like to know why the monitoring officer said nothing, as I presume he is aware of the revised Grant Thornton report.

3. Your comment: “As previously stated, the Grant Thornton report was reported to a public meeting and considered in full by the Audit Committee.

Yet, again, this is irrelevant. There is no inaccuracy or possible defamation in that. I am asking about a specific democratic decision in Scrutiny in September which was ignored.

4 Your comment: “Further [sic], Overview &Scrutiny Committee questioned the Mayor on its contents at a previous meeting.”

Again, this is irrelevant to a democratic decision taken in September Scrutiny that has not been followed. Also, I am being quite precise in my comments: “at a previous meeting” doesn’t pass any test. And there was no indication in September that the mayor would play any part in the Scrutiny discussion.

Thank you for a swift reply.

And they come back to me, both boots first

Thank you for your email.

In answer to your question ‘Are statements with regard to comments or the lack of them by senior officers at committee meetings prohibited by law? I should be grateful to pass on to my legal adviser’ the acceptance or otherwise of statements is a constitutional issue at the discretion of the Monitoring Officer, who has consulted with the Chair. Statements which contain potentially defamatory or inaccurate comments about officers of the organisation are subject to rejection from public debate. If you would like to make a complaint about this decision please see our procedure Complaints – West of England Combined Authority

To clarify, your statement has not been accepted and will not be published on the Authority’s website. You are welcome to attend the meeting on Monday as is any member of the public, but you will not be called on to speak.

Well, well. You have to remember that the monitoring officer is making a judgment here – and that he and his boss would come out of this badly. (Oh, and guess who you make complaints to?) Back at them:

I was asking for guidance. I asked you a question about what I could ask.

You are seeking to shut me down in a way that is not only obstructive but is also in very bad faith.

You are now seeking not only to thwart my democratic right but also failing to stick to your offer.

I presume that any complaint I make (which I will do) will go to the monitoring officer.

This is my statement, it is all accurate.

At Scrutiny’s last meeting in January, Cllr Lucy Hodge asked what had happened to the discussion that had been agreed on the revised Grant Thornton report.

Her exact words: “In section five of the chair’s announcements, the chair considered that the Grant Thornton report should come to the committee and I just wondered if there is any update or conclusions on that.”

The chief executive said: “I don’t quite know what that report is. We’ll come back to you.”

For the record, the monitoring officer said nothing.

Through correspondence I have received from the authority, it is clear that the CEO is aware of the Grant Thornton report. And, personally, I am sure he is.

But as a result of the CEO’s comment, the report has not been discussed at Scrutiny as per the opening quote above.

I have, through this statement, to express my deep concern about the governance of this committee.

Well, here they come again. And the result is they won’t hear my statement, which was always going to be the response.

Dear Andrew Lynch

Thank you for your amended statement, which has now been considered by the Monitoring Officer. The substance of your statement still contains a judgement of the intentions of officers at the meeting and an inaccurate claim that Scrutiny members have not had a chance to discuss the Grant Thornton report in public. Your amended statement is therefore also rejected, and we consider this matter closed in respect of Monday’s Overview & Scrutiny meeting.

I have spoken to the Chair, who is happy to meet you to address your concerns about the democratic process and appropriate ways to conduct it, at a date to be arranged between yourselves.

Oh dear, offering me a meeting with the chair to buy me off. What’s the second prize? Two meetings with the chair? No thank you. Me back at them:

Where’s the judgment? I could make a judgment but I haven’t.

I am simply pointing out that the CEO said something that was not accurate.

And I am talking about the report being discussed at per the previous chair’s securing of agreement at its next meeting in January. Please do not try to pretend I am saying anything else. Confusing the issue obviously means this has not been properly examined.

I don’t have any need to talk to the chair. I haven’t singled him out in my statement. I am not sure his position is tenable but that is for another day.

Stephen Peacock, WECA chief executive, who can’t always remember major reports

And that is the end of the story so far. The chief executive of the West of England Combined Authority, Stephen Peacock told the Scrutiny committee something that wasn’t true. I pointed it out and the authority says I am being inaccurate. This official runs a budget of hundreds of millions of pounds, yet he can’t tell a simple truth. More news as it happens.