Tony Reeves had been the chief executive of Liverpool City Council since 2018. Credit: via Liverpool City Council

Tony Reeves resigns as Liverpool CEO

Reeves said he was “sad to be leaving Liverpool City Council” but was proud of the progress the city had made.

Liverpool City Council confirmed the departure of Tony Reeves this evening, stating that his resignation was effective immediately. This leaves the city without a chief executive for the time being.

Reeves had been in the role for four years, overseeing the council as government-appointed commissioners came in to help get the local authority back on track after a Whitehall report found there were signs of gross mismanagement.

The report had credited Reeves as trying to turn things around for the council since his arrival in 2018.

After the report’s release, Reeves had remained optimistic about Liverpool’s future.

“This is not a council that’s in a corner licking its wounds, this is a council that’s leading its place,” he told Place North West. “Liverpool is very much open to business – good business.”

In recent months, Liverpool City Council has been criticised for failing to promptly renew several contracts, leading to prices increasing. In May, the city’s electricity bill looked like it would increase by £16m because of this. The failure to extend another dozen contracts was revealed last month, prompting the commissioners to describe the situation as a “low point” for the council in a cabinet report.

In his resignation statement, Reeves acknowledged the council would face “huge challenges”, but remained positive.

“The people of Liverpool deserve a council that delivers great services,” he said. “That is a difficult and complex journey but it has begun and those with the honour of leading the next chapter have a great opportunity to make some long-lasting improvements, and I wish them all the success in the world.

“Yes, there will be setbacks, but I’m confident a solid platform is now in place to ensure the council can support the ambition for Liverpool to realise its full potential.”

Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson said: “I want to thank Tony for his work over the past four years, in particular helping Liverpool City Council to navigate some difficult waters. I wish Tony well in the next stage of his career. Myself and the Cabinet look forward to working with new leadership on continuing our improvement journey and ensuring the council delivers for the people of Liverpool.”

Read Reeves’ full statement below:

“I’m sad to be leaving Liverpool City Council but I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me over the past four years, in what has been exceptional times for the council and the city.

“It has been the privilege of a lifetime to have been Chief Executive of an organisation that does so much tremendous work for such a fantastic city and its amazing people.

“I’m immensely proud of the progress that has been made in Liverpool since I arrived – from reorganising the council and setting out its improvement plan – to the city’s tackling of Covid-19, when we led the country in community testing and piloting events, to establishing the world’s first pandemic institute.

“Throughout this time Liverpool showed its true spirit of togetherness and its ability to innovate and overcome immense difficulties and the city is so much stronger for that experience.

“Huge challenges still remain, not least economically, but the foundations for growth are well placed from the Knowledge Quarter and our thriving life sciences sector, to our creative industries and booming TV and Film offer. The redevelopments at our two famous football clubs also present a unique opportunity for the north of the city, to create thriving new communities and I look forward to seeing them establish and flourish.

“The people of Liverpool deserve a council that delivers great services. That is a difficult and complex journey but it has begun and those with the honour of leading the next chapter have a great opportunity to make some long-lasting improvements, and I wish them all the success in the world. Yes, there will be setbacks, but I’m confident a solid platform is now in place to ensure the council can support the ambition for Liverpool to realise its full potential.”

Your Comments

Read our comments policy

Not many individuals in the world with the character to take on the systemic corruption that the Caller report identified. It’s likely that the report wouldn’t have even happened without his influence. Sad loss for Liverpool….

By Victoria Sponge

All councils face huge challenges in the coming years though Liverpool’s always manage to look a little larger.

By Anonymous

This is a big loss for Liverpool – losing Tony and Mark Bousfield is not good news given the turbulence of the last number of years.

By Anonymous

The “Black Hole” that is Liverpool City politics now claims it`s latest CEO, there have been multiple failings and the buck has to stop somewhere, however many of the same poor quality and vision-less councillors remain in situ. Meanwhile we can only hope a strong and effective replacement arrives to lead the city onto a more stable footing, attracting developers and jobs as two priorities, while some quick wins would include the Littlewoods Film Studios, Cruise Liner Terminal, and the Pall Mall office project.

By Anonymous

Related Articles

Sign up to receive the Place Daily Briefing

Join more than 13,000 property professionals and receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox

Subscribe

Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

"*" indicates required fields

Your Job Field*
Other regional Publications - select below