Dudley Council has been urged to investigate how £100,000 was spent on a delegation trip to the MIPIM property event in Cannes, on the French Riviera, in March 2022. The controversy erupted during a committee meeting, with Labour councillors demanding an inquiry into the decision-making process behind the trip.
Councillor Shaukat Ali, Labour's finance spokesperson, said: 'There are still issues in relation to this, what role did members take in that decision process? There needs to be an investigation.' The trip included nine delegates, among them council leader Patrick Harley, regeneration cabinet member Simon Phipps, and chief executive Kevin O'Keefe.
The internal audit revealed that usual financial and governance processes did not operate effectively around the contract with an events company linked to MIPIM. Labour members argued that councillors were involved in the decisions, while the ruling Conservative group attributed the failure to officers. Council leader Patrick Harley stated: 'MIPIM was an appointments panel failure of officers to follow due process.'
The council spent a total of £270,154 with an event management company for the three-year contract covering 2020-2022, although the first two events were cancelled due to Covid. Additional costs included £13,056 on hotels and flights in 2022 and £5,000 on sponsorship. An independent audit this year raised concerns about finance and standards of conduct, while a Local Government Association review also found problems with the council's handling of MIPIM.
Labour councillor Judy Foster said: 'The LGA review is clear, there has to be change, I am looking forward to seeing the details.' The council's deputy chief executive Balvinder Heran, who attended the 2022 event, confirmed that a senior management restructure is underway.
