Leader — Blurred lines

Hackney Labour politicians launching campaigns against Conservative reforms is an unobjectionable if predictable state of affairs.

But when a consultant employed in an officer post within the council uses his position to encourage local businesspeople to sign a petition against a Tory scheme, one has to wonder whether the Town Hall has got things in a muddle.

This is what has unfolded in the case of Andrew Sissons, who is employed by Hackney Council as its Head of Regeneration.

Mr Sissons, who earns over £140,000 from his council work, last month launched a petition calling for a halt to draft plans tabled by Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles.

Senior council officers are duty-bound to behave in a non-political way in the course of their employment.

Under the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 there are some council posts that are completely restricted from political activity.

Mr Sissons used his official council email address to message entrepreneurs and other key business figures, entreating them to write to the secretary of state “to object to the government’s consultation”.

He even described his appeal as an “urgent call to arms”. Mr Pickles’ plans are designed to make it easier to change a building’s use from commercial to residential, but Mr Sissons argues they could have a harmful impact on creative businesses.

Regardless of the rights or wrongs of the proposals themselves, it seems odd that Mr Sissons should also object even to the consultation itself – as he appears to.

Consultations are merely a statutory obligation on the part of the government. Stranger still, shortly after the Hackney Citizen published a story online about Mr Sissons’ campaign, the Head of Regeneration said Mayor of Hackney Jules Pipe was now leading the campaign.

But the fact remains that the campaign was initially launched by Mr Sissons.

The distinction between elected representatives and council officers is an important one. But this strange tale shows how mixed up these two groups can become about where each others’ roles begin and end.