Cheshire East Council leader Michael Jones should resign, says mayor

Michael Jones has been urged to quit by his Conservative colleague, the mayor of Cheshire East

A local authority leader who "misled" councillors over contracts awarded to his personal physiotherapist's firm should resign, the area's mayor said.

Cheshire East Mayor Hilda Gaddum told the BBC her fellow Conservative Michael Jones's position was "untenable" due to him "lobbying on behalf" of the firm.

The council waived its own financial rules three times when granting Core Fit Ltd contracts totalling £156,000.

Neither Mr Jones nor the council have responded to the mayor's comments.

Core Fit runs fitness classes in schools and is owned by Mr Jones's personal physiotherapist Amanda Morris.

Last week, Mr Jones said he had publicly declared his interest in the firm.

Neither Ms Morris nor her company have commented.

The council has said there had been no "unlawful expenditure or any breach of EU procurement rules".

'Lobbied for help'

The BBC has seen a letter written by Mr Jones to the Chancellor George Osborne - whose Tatton constituency is included within Cheshire East - in which work carried out by Ms Morris's company is praised.

Emails released following a BBC Freedom of Information Act request prove Mr Jones helped Ms Morris write a positive assessment of how Core Fit had fulfilled one of the council's contracts.

Amanda Morris owns Core Fit Ltd, which runs fitness classes in schools

Core Fit Ltd contracts

June 2014

• Core Fit Ltd was awarded a £20,000 contract to "provide a pilot core fitness training programme" in primary schools. The rules were waived to "allow the activity to be piloted at short notice".

March 2015

• Core Fit Ltd was awarded another contract, worth £115,000, to extend the 2014 pilot scheme. The rules were waived so a "full evaluation" could be carried out.

• Core Fit Ltd was awarded a third contract, worth £21,000, for "mind health training" in schools as part of the pilot scheme. The rules were waived so a "comprehensive evaluation" could be carried out.

Ms Gaddum said Mr Jones had "misled" councillors at a meeting in October.

"The leader made the statement that it was his physio who was awarded the contract, that he had introduced her to the council, and then left alone," she told BBC North West political editor Arif Ansari.

She claimed Mr Jones had in fact carried out "an active role" to "lobby to get (Core Fit Ltd) help".

Mr Jones told the October meeting: "Core Fit is something that I did introduce to the council, that was over 18 months ago, and I question why this is being brought up now."

'Conscience of the council'

In August, Mr Jones wrote to Mr Osborne to say Core Fit's work "can deliver change and possibly be of national importance".

It is understood the chancellor did nothing with the letter.

Another email, headlined "Core Fit assessment", was sent by Mr Jones to Ms Morris in June.

The email had Ms Morris's name at the bottom.

It is not known whether Mr Jones wrote the assessment himself on her behalf, or edited her work.

The assessment said work carried out by Core Fit showed "very promising" results and "endorsed the council's early intervention philosophy".

The next day Ms Morris sent Mr Jones a response suggesting amendments.

Mrs Gaddum said she had to speak out against her fellow Tory in her role as "the conscience of the council".

She said: "We desperately now need an independent external investigation into this, and all I can very much hope is that enough councillors of all parties will agree to that to either clear the air completely and find that everything is above board and there isn't a problem, or take whatever action is necessary."

She told the BBC she had written to Mr Jones asking for his resignation, which led to "a very, very difficult meeting with him".

Last week Mr Jones said: "I make no apologies for introducing a concept which I declared as invented and created by my physiotherapist."