John Kingsbury
Political leader of the Conservative administration that approved and supported the borrowing strategy. Provided political backing for the commercial ventures championed by council officers.
Key Actions
- Provided political backing for the commercial borrowing strategy led by council officers
- Chaired key council meetings at which major borrowing decisions were approved
- Did not challenge officer recommendations for continued borrowing and commercial investment
- Led the council during the approval of the Victoria Square development
Details
John Kingsbury led the Conservative group on Woking Borough Council during a significant portion of the period when the council's commercial borrowing strategy was in full operation.
As Council Leader, Kingsbury chaired key meetings at which borrowing decisions and commercial investments were approved. The political leadership provided the democratic cover for the officer-led strategy, approving recommendations from Ray Morgan and the senior management team.
The Grant Thornton Public Interest Report found that the culture of the council was one in which officer recommendations were rarely challenged by elected members. This suggests that the political leadership did not exercise sufficient scrutiny over the borrowing programme.
Under Kingsbury's political leadership, the council approved the Victoria Square development, continued lending to Thameswey companies, and maintained the commercial strategy that would ultimately lead to the council's financial collapse.
The Conservatives lost control of the council in the May 2022 local elections, with voters choosing the Liberal Democrats amid growing concerns about the council's financial management.
Sources
- Grant Thornton Public Interest Report— Grant Thornton / Woking Borough Council