Former actor taken on to help leader of Sandwell Council

Imogen Walker will take the interim head of leader's office role to help Labour councillor Mr Singh, who took over as the authority's fifth leader in just over two years after May's local elections.

Councillor Singh has undergone a baptism of fire as leader, with the council mired in a scandal over school transport contracts and battling borough-wide strikes from bin workers and leisure staff.

He is expected to announce a reshuffle of his ruling cabinet at a meeting tonight, with Councillor Ahmad Bostan – a close ally of former deputy leader Mahboob Hussain – set to come in.

Mrs Walker, from near Lanark in Scotland, was deputy leader of Labour-run Lambeth Council from 2014-2018 and was responsible for the authority's financial strategy for two years.

She had previously embarked on an acting career after attending drama school in London, appearing in television shows including Taggart and Doctors, and is a former vice president of the RSPCA.

It is understood she will advise Bristnall ward councillor Mr Singh on issues around political strategy and leadership.

A Sandwell Council spokesperson said: “I can confirm that as part of a restructure of the leader’s office we have appointed an interim head of leader’s office.

"The head of leader’s office is a council role and is in line with council structures across the country.”

Mr Singh was first elected in May 2018. He became council leader after the decision to step aside of Councillor Maria Crompton, who had served as interim leader since July 2020 when Yvonne Davies resigned.

The appointment of a political advisor comes amid turmoil after Labour lost 10 seats to the Tories in May's local elections in the borough – which came after a raft of deselections and resignations – and a further seat turned blue in the Tividale by-election in July.

The bin men and leisure staff are on strike, and the council has been forced to launch an independent investigation after planning to award a £20 million school transport contract to firms run by former employee Azeem Hafeez.

Mr Hafeez, along with his father Mahboob Hussain, were both at the centre of the bombshell Wragge report in 2016, which featured allegations of dodgy land deals. Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

In changes to Mr Singh's cabinet, Councillor Jackie Taylor, who had responsibility over transport, is expected to step aside, along with finance chief Councillor Wasim Ali, who is focusing on his role as an assistant police and crime commissioner.

Abbey ward councillor Mr Bostan, who was first elected in May 2019, has been promoted. He once said former deputy leader Mr Hussain was a big influence on his political career and had been "instrumental in motivating and inspiring me to get active locally".

Meanwhile the authority's senior leadership team has continued to fall apart after David Stevens left the chief executive role, with children's services director Lesley Hagger the latest senior officer to leave.

Labour leader Sir Keir Stamer has vowed to end the chaos at Sandwell Council.