Bitter war of words breaks out between Tees Valley Mayor and Cleveland's Police and Crime Commissioner

Conservative Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen blasted Labour Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Barry Coppinger as ‘useless’ and ‘a laughing stock’ in an angry online post.

It was in response to Mr Coppinger criticising the Tees Valley Combined Authority’s staffing costs more than doubling in four years.

And Mr Coppinger hit out at ‘sexist’ language by Mayor Houchen in using the phrase ‘jobs for the boys’ to refer to the £60,000 appointment of a new Assistant Chief Executive to the PCC’s office, who was a woman.

Mayor Houchen reportedly said the appointment was a betrayal of the public’s and front line officers’ trust.

The mayor hit back on his official Facebook page defending his and the combined authority’s record while heavily criticising the performance of Cleveland Police during Mr Coppinger’s time office.

Mr Coppinger published an article on his website stating staff salaries at the combined authority have increased from £1.55m in 2016-17, to £3.9m for 2020/21 while the number staff earning over £50,000 has increased from eight to 15.

He said: “This 150% increase in just four years equates to £2.35m a year that could instead have been used to help businesses in this area recover from the effects of the Covid-19 lockdown.”

Mr Coppinger defended his office’s staff salaries spending saying collaboration agreements on senior staff with North Yorkshire Police have helped to keep costs to £655,000, slightly lower than in 2016-17.

Mr Coppinger added Mayor Houchen’s use of the phrase ‘jobs for the boys’, “has no place in today’s society” adding the previous two female Assistant Chief Executives had been “exceptional public servants”.

But Mayor Houchen said the crime commissioner had ‘failed spectacularly’ citing increased crime, previous racial discrimination of officers, the force hacking journalists’ phones, and Cleveland Police being the first force in England and Wales to fail in all areas.

Mayor Houchen said: “The guy is a laughing stock and the people of Cleveland force area know it.

“The end of his tenure cannot come soon enough. We need new direction and leadership at Cleveland Police now!

“Our frontline officers deserve better than this.”

Related: Cleveland Police and Crime Commissioner announces he won’t stand for re-election

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