Kate Josephs: Sheffield Council boss's lockdown party investigated

Kate Josephs left the Cabinet Office to work for Sheffield City Council in December 2020

The future of Sheffield City Council's chief executive is to be decided by a cross-party committee after it emerged she held a party during lockdown.

Kate Josephs, who previously led the government's Covid-19 taskforce, has admitted holding a leaving event in the Cabinet Office in December 2020.

The council said the committee would consider "what steps, if any, should be taken" in the light of that admission.

Ms Josephs has said she was "truly sorry" for hosting the event.

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In a statement announcing the formation of the committee, Terry Fox, Labour leader of the council, said: "I have heard strong and emotional views from across the city.

"I absolutely understand the reaction after all that Sheffield has been through these last couple of years. We now need to let the committee carry out this work, and we also continue to await the outcome of the Cabinet Office's wider report."

The council confirmed the committee would begin its work in the coming days and would incorporate the findings of senior civil servant Sue Gray, who is looking into reports of gatherings in Downing Street during lockdown.

There was no deadline for the report to be delivered, but the council said the committee, which would meet in private, would "move at pace".

Ms Josephs was "taking a short period of annual leave this week", the authority added.

When the Downing Street party story broke late last year, we asked Sheffield Council whether Kate Josephs had been to a party on 18 December 2020 at Downing Street.

There was a picture of her outside Number 10 - which she posted on 18 December.

Sheffield City Council told us that Kate Josephs "did not attend any party at 10 Downing Street".

But last week she admitted that the day before, 17 December, she "gathered with colleagues, who were at work that day, with drinks" in the Cabinet Office to mark her leaving the Covid-19 Taskforce.

She has apologised on social media.

Now, Sheffield Council is setting up a cross-party committee to work out what to do next.

They will be interested to hear what the wider investigation into the parties in Whitehall says.

In a statement last week, Ms Josephs apologised for joining the drinks reception in December 2020 and said she was co-operating fully with the investigation by Ms Gray.

"I am truly sorry I did this and for the anger people will feel as a result," she said.

At the time Ms Josephs left the Cabinet Office, London was subject to Tier 3 restrictions preventing most indoor mixing between people from different households.

Kate Josephs posted a picture of herself outside 10 Downing Street on 18 December 2020, the day after the drinks party was held

Last week, Lord Paul Scriven, Lib Dem leader of Sheffield Council from 2008 to 2011, called for Ms Josephs to resign.

"Ms Josephs was the most senior civil servant leading the national Covid taskforce. She pre-organised a drinks party on the day 567 people died," he said.

Lord Scriven said Ms Josephs had "undermined the name of the city", adding that "whenever she says something to support Sheffield's fight against Covid or the NHS, no-one will believe her".