Sue Gray report: vote could decide future of Sheffield Council boss Kate Josephs

It has been reported that the local authority’s decision could come down to a vote by its cross-party committee that has been investigating the incident for months.

Ms Josephs has been on paid leave from her £190,000 a year role since January while Eugene Walker, a senior council officer who is normally paid around £150,000 a year, is covering for her on extra pay.

It follows Ms Josephs admitting in a statement on social media that she gathered with colleagues in the Cabinet Office for drinks to mark the end of her time as head of the government’s Covid Taskforce while restrictions were in place.

A cross-party committee – which paused deliberations on her future while local elections took place last month – is to resume its discussions soon.

The Telegraph reported that Ms Josephs was fined in relation to the gathering but Ms Josephs and the council have not commented on this.

The Sheffield committee is due to discuss the findings of an independent investigator appointed to look into Ms Joseph’s actions.

If the committee decides she should be dismissed, its recommendation will be put to a vote at a private full council meeting with all 84 councillors present.

Ms Josephs had been leaving her role as director-general of the Covid Taskforce – which was responsible for drawing up lockdown restrictions – at the time of the Cabinet Office party. She took up her Sheffield job a month later in January 2021.