The job offer made by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker to former Sandwell Council Labour leader Kerrie Carmichael is now under internal review, following inquiries from BirminghamLive about potential cronyism. The appointment, which would have seen Carmichael take on the role of Commissioner for Communities and Public Service, has been put on hold while the review takes place.
Carmichael's new role and the review
Carmichael, who lost her council seat in the May local elections, had confirmed on social media last month that she had been offered the part-time role. The position was expected to begin soon, but BirminghamLive understands that the job offer is now paused pending the outcome of the review.
A source close to the mayor denied any wrongdoing and described the situation as an administrative issue. The findings of the urgent review have not yet been released, but it is understood that candidates could be invited to be re-interviewed.
Recruitment process under scrutiny
The job advert, which was live for only a week, attracted 16 applicants. Four were shortlisted, and only two were interviewed, with Carmichael emerging as the successful candidate. The role was initially advertised as commissioner for health, wellbeing and public service reform but was later changed.
The advertisement sought 'an exceptional individual' to 'help shape the future of public services across the West Midlands, providing strategic leadership on some of the region's most significant challenges and opportunities.' The position requires a commitment of around 2.5 days a week and is one of an expected batch of new commissioner appointments to support the mayor's devolution agenda.
Cronyism allegations and government guidance
The review was prompted after BirminghamLive asked the mayor and the combined authority for assurances about the advertising, shortlisting and appointments process. The authority then reviewed each step and discovered flaws when measured against new government guidance designed to prevent patronage-based appointments.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) guidance on Appointing Mayoral Commissioners, published as part of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, states that appointments should be 'on merit, with mayors seeking high calibre individuals with the right expertise for the brief – their ultimate objective to foster prosperity in local communities.' It also requires that roles be advertised widely and for an 'appropriate period' to attract high-calibre individuals, and that they must 'provide strategic capacity to foster regional prosperity, rather than serving as political rewards.'
The guidance mandates that an independent observer should be part of a three-person interview panel, with the final decision resting with the mayor. However, BirminghamLive understands that no independent observer was present during the interviews. It has also been reported that the published guidance has been subject to updates, and some updates may have been overlooked.
One source told BirminghamLive that the outcome smacked of cronyism, saying: "Social mobility and opportunities for all certainly rings hollow in the West Midlands mayoralty." There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Carmichael.
WMCA statement and Carmichael's background
In a formal statement, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) said: "The appointments process was conducted through a competitive recruitment exercise with the role being publicly advertised through the WMCA careers website, WM Jobs and a number of other job search platforms. A total of 16 applications were received and anonymised during the initial assessment and the shortlisting process so that identifying information was not available to officers or decision makers at that stage. Following assessment against the role, four candidates were shortlisted with two progressing to a full interview."
The statement continued: "The Government's guidance is clear that these appointments should be made on merit and should not be political rewards. The fact that an individual has previously held elected office or served on the WMCA Board does not, in itself, determine whether they are suitable for appointment. The relevant consideration is whether the individual meets the published requirements of the role and performs successfully through the recruitment process. As with all WMCA appointments, the candidate who achieves the highest overall score in any competitive process will be appointed."
Carmichael, who represented Blackheath for 14 years, led Sandwell Council from 2021 after a period of turmoil. Her predecessor, Rajbir Singh, later defected from Labour to Reform and now serves as a Birmingham city councillor. During her leadership, she was credited with improving services and tackling corruption. However, in the May elections, Sandwell voters rejected Labour, with Reform winning 41 of the 72 seats and Labour becoming the opposition with 28 seats.
Carmichael claimed allowances totalling £40,136 in her final year in charge. The remuneration for the commissioner role has not been disclosed. BirminghamLive has contacted Carmichael and the mayor's office for comment but has not yet received a response. The review's findings and next steps have not been officially confirmed by the WMCA.
