Council rejects Lucy Allan's 'conflict of interest' claim over exploitation inquiry

Conservative Lucy Allan, in an interview with a national broadcaster, said that Sarah Messenger's conflict of interest comes from her being a part of the same national organisation as council leader, Shaun Davies.

Telford & Wrekin Council has rejected this, saying that neither Councillor Davies nor any other elected member had input into Sarah Messenger’s appointment.

The council says Sarah Messenger was appointed by a process led by the council’s legal director and by local survivors of child sexual exploitation CSE who had equal representation on the selection panel.

Ms Allan, in an interview with GB News, said: "There is no way that Sarah Messenger does not have a conflict of interest."

She said that Councillor Davies, who has been selected by the Labour party to fight the Telford seat that she will vacate at the next general election, has 'long been' the vice chair of the Local Government Association.

"He then went and appointed somebody from the LGA."

Telford & Wrekin Council, which paid for an independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation in 2018, said Councillor Davies, as chair of the LGA, has no part in the recruitment or management of paid employees in the association.

“The role of chair of the Local Government Association is selected based on the proportion of votes gained for each political party in national local elections.

"As such, following local elections in May, Shaun Davies was confirmed as chair of the LGA at the annual conference on July 4, 2023.

“Sarah Messenger is the independent chair of the Strategic Implementation Group which oversees the implementation of the recommendations. This is different to the Joint CSE Review Group.

“Neither Councillor Davies nor any other elected member had input into Sarah Messenger’s appointment.

“A thorough and independent selection process was led by the council’s legal director and by local survivors of CSE who had equal representation on the selection panel, shortlisted candidates and produced interview questions.”

The council says it has double independence in the process with an independent commissioning body and independent chair, "to help maximise public confidence in the fairness and integrity of the council-commissioned inquiry".