Bristol City Council Chief Executive Grilled by Audit Committee Over Transparency and ‘Stepping Up’ Cover-Up

Bristol City Council’s chief executive has faced intense questioning from local audit councillors following regulatory intervention over attempts to withhold internal investigation reports from the public.

The cross-examination comes after the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) formally overturned a decision by city hall officials to block the release of a report into the ‘Stepping Up’ controversy. The scheme saw council resources directed to an external organisation run by Bristol’s former Labour Deputy Mayor.

Liberal Democrat councillors called for the chief executive to appear before the Bristol City Council Audit Committee to answer direct questions regarding democratic oversight, freedom of information processes, and institutional secrecy.

ICO Overturns Council Decision on ‘Stepping Up’ Report

The controversy centers on the council’s handling of the Stepping Up initiative, a diversity leadership scheme that attracted intense scrutiny after public funds and administrative resources were linked to senior figures within the previous Labour administration.

Following requests under freedom of information laws, council officers initially refused to release key internal audit findings. However, a landmark ruling by the Information Commissioner’s Office overruled the local authority, forcing the disclosure of the documents and exposing serious administrative errors made under former leadership.

Audit Committee Challenges City Hall Leadership

Councillor Nicholas Coombes (Liberal Democrat, Westbury-on-Trym & Henleaze), Vice Chair of the Audit Committee, led the motion forcing senior officers to address the committee directly:

“It is good that the council and chief executive are committed to improving transparency within the organisation, and moving towards sharing information as the default,” Cllr Coombes stated. “However, it is essential that the council takes on board the rulings from the ICO and reflects upon the lessons learnt.

“It has been extraordinarily difficult to find out what exactly happened with the Stepping Up programme. Although no laws may have been broken, there were clear mistakes made by the council under the former administration.

“We must ensure that nothing like this ever happens again, and that there is accountability within the council to ensure the public has a local government it can trust.”

Demands for Systemic Reform Across Bristol City Council

Opposition councillors are now pressing for binding institutional changes to prevent future attempts to suppress internal investigations, outlining three key demands for city hall leadership:

• Default to Disclosure: Establishing a baseline policy where internal audit reports and governance reviews are published by default rather than redacted.

• ICO Compliance Protocols: Implementing strict oversight to align council FOI decisions with rulings issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

• Cross-Party Scrutiny: Guaranteeing audit committee members unrestricted access to internal reviews involving public expenditure and political appointments.

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