An Olympic boxer-turned Reform UK mayor said his local authority are “blocking” his agenda after a row over train tickets and local government rules. Luke Campbell, mayor of the Hull and East Yorkshire combined authority (HEYCA), called on five staff members to step down after a clash on following local government protocols. The former Team GB boxer, who won gold at the 2012 Olympics, accused them of trying to “get paid a fortune and do as little as possible”.
In the past three months since his historic victory, Mr Campbell said he’s had issues with the staff sent to HEYCA from other areas of the country. At least three of the five people he urged to resign had already handed in their notice after coming to blows with their Reform UK boss and have been placed in gardening leave, The Telegraph reports. However, Mr Campbell faces claims that he tried to expense first-class train tickets, which Reform denied, and move the office without following officials rules, creating a “toxic working environment”.
This prompted a formal review by an independent remuneration panel, which concluded that the mayor only expense standard class train tickets unless a more expensive option had been explicitly approved by the finance director.
It said: “Value for money is paramount and must be considered when making any claims. Any claims which may be considered not value for money, such as first-class travel, must be approved in advance.”
Tensions then boiled over when Mr Campbell was told he could not hire Jack Anderton, Reform digital strategist, and Robin Hunter-Clarke, former UKIP official, as political advisers, which he took a “huge issue” with.
Campaigners or employees of political parties cannot work as council officials, which the mayor took “huge issue” with and reportedly suggested creating new roles that would allow both men to be hired.
Mr Campbell was then asked to sign a White Rose Agreement – a joint statement with three Labour mayors in Yorkshire – and originally agreed, promising to work with them.
However, he eventually withdrew over a reference to net zero, which he objected to. Opposing net zero was “pretty much a prerequisite” for a Reform mayor, a source told the outlet.
Insiders said Mr Campbell’s “one-man band” approach made him unpopular and staff were miserable in their jobs.
A source close to the mayor denied this and instead blamed the staff who will now be leaving for creating any tension. They said: “As soon as they don’t get their own way, they say it’s a toxic working environment.”
Mr Campbell said he will now hire young “energetic” people from the area to work for HEYCA and pursue his policies.