Rochdale Borough Council is under intense scrutiny for its handling of a serious disciplinary report concerning its chief executive, James Binks. The council has been accused of a significant delay in taking action after receiving findings that Binks made unwanted sexual advances towards a junior female colleague during his previous employment.
Timeline of a Tardy Response
Rochdale council officers received the completed findings of an independent investigation into Binks's conduct on 24 October. This inquiry, conducted by the law firm Weightmans LLP on behalf of Manchester City Council, upheld a complaint that Binks had "inappropriately touched and grinded" on a junior female employee at a city centre bar in November of the previous year. The complainant was a care leaver.
Despite having this information, Rochdale council did not suspend Binks from his £200,000-a-year role until Monday, more than five weeks later. This action was only taken after the details of the investigation were published by the local news outlet, the Manchester Mill.
Failures in Communication and Process
The case reveals multiple institutional failures. Manchester City Council, where Binks served as assistant chief executive at the time of the incident, did not inform Rochdale about the inquiry until 24 October. This was at least two months after Manchester received the initial complaints from staff about "sleazy" and "creepy" behaviour.
Upon receiving a redacted version of the report, Rochdale's legal department held the document for review. It was not shared with the council leader, Neil Emmott, until 27 November. Council sources indicate that Emmott had been aware of the complaints against Binks for at least a fortnight before the suspension.
A council spokesperson defended the delay, stating: "The leader could not act until he had seen the report and been presented with the options available to him." Emmott reportedly requested advice on options on the evening of 27 November, with these options presented the day after the story broke publicly.
Broader Context and Political Fallout
The situation has drawn sharp criticism from local figures, given Rochdale's painful history with the grooming scandal. Sara Rowbotham, the former deputy leader of Rochdale council, highlighted the serious questions about Manchester's failure to alert Rochdale sooner and Rochdale's own protracted internal process.
Councillors have expressed dismay that the borough is once again "being dragged through the mud" over its handling of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. Elsie Blundell, the Labour MP for Heywood and Middleton North, welcomed the suspension but stressed the council must reassure women and girls about their safety and avoid any perception of a cover-up.
The Manchester investigation also implicated two other senior figures. Paul Marshall, Manchester's deputy chief executive, was found to have made suggestive comments to the same young woman. Mark Bennett, the HR director, witnessed Binks's behaviour and intervened but did not launch a formal investigation until a group of staff complained approximately eight months later. It is understood Marshall has since left Manchester council and Bennett is expected to depart imminently.
The episode raises profound concerns about inter-council communication, the speed of response to serious misconduct allegations, and the safeguarding of vulnerable staff within local government.
