FRESH calls for Wirral Council to scrap the £175,000 chief executive post appear to show a split in the Tory ranks weeks before the elections.

Town hall bosses will soon be voting on the appointment of new chief executive Eric Robinson following the departure of Graham Burgess in December.

Mr Robinson, currently deputy chief executive and director for people at Staffordshire County Council, will formally take up post at a date yet to be decided.

Following the appointment, Tory leader Jeff Green said: "We look forward to working with our new chief executive. Eric was clearly the best candidate we saw.

"While this is a matter for full council, given his excellent performance, I will have no hesitation in recommending him for the position."

But today, five Tory councillors from Wallasey and Moreton are calling for the process to be halted and, instead, for the duties of the chief executive to be shared among the three strategic directors, each earning £121,000.

Mr Robinson will earn more than his predecessor, with the authority boosting the pay to £175,000 to attract the best person for the job – something Conservative councillors – including Cllr Green - noisily opposed when it was approved.

Today, councillors Chris Blakeley, Paul Hayes, Steve Williams, Leah Fraser and Bruce Berry have all voiced their opposition to the appointment.

While Cllr Blakeley says their anger is not about which individual appointed, he says it is about “what is best for the hardworking taxpayers of Wirral”.

He said: "Many of us opposed the massive pay increase of the Chief Executive and, to be clear and consistent, we cannot now agree to this appointment."

Cllr Paul Hayes said: "This used to be called the 'town clerk' but that, it seems, did not reflect the importance and the ego of some of the people who aspired to the role. 

“Well, times have changed.  Being a councillor is about making choices and my choice would be to use the money to invest further in schools such as The Lyndale School rather than ordering its closure. Surely Labour councillors would agree?”

Cllr Steve Williams added that each penny spent by the cash-strapped authority needs to be scrutinised.

He said: "Neither Labour or Conservative parties will return the council's budget to what it was in the days before the recession - they don't have the money. 

“That means that we, as councillors, need to scrutinise every penny we spend and ask if we really need to spend it - the post of chief executive is no longer a luxury we can afford."

Councillor Leah Fraser said the town hall has “too many chiefs”, adding: "Why, in times when we are told we can no longer pay for basic services, can we still find the money for a chief executive?”

Wirral Council and Labour leader Cllr Phil Davies said he found the split "bizarre".

He told the Globe: “I’m really surprised to have received this press release from these five Tory councillors as when we appointed Eric Robinson last week Jeff Green was quoted saying he looked forward to working with the new chief executive and he was clearly the best candidate.

"He also said that he would have no hesitation in recommending him for the position to full council.

“We have got the leader of this group with fulsome praise for the new chief executive and recommending him and then here are these five renegade Tories taking a different line. Clearly there’s a split in the Tory group.”

“it does seem extraordinary in a group of what, 20 councillors, that five are splitting away and taking their own line – I find it bizarre.”

Wirral Council's Employment and Appointments Panel made a unanimous decision last week to recommend the appointment of Mr Robinson to full council on February 24.

The Globe has contacted Tory leader Jeff Green for comment.