A FORMER Conservative councillor who was defeated at last month's local elections is to be given a seat at the head of a key public body.

Brian Mattock was a Conservative councillor representing Old Town and he was also the cabinet member for Adult Health and Social Care and a member of the Health and Wellbeing Board since its inception.

But he was defeated by Labour's Jane Milner-Barry in the Swindon Borough Council elections on May 5.

At Wednesday night's extraordinary council meeting, despite strong opposition from Labour, Conservative councillors voted unanimously to amend the terms of reference for the board to allow him to stay on, but as a lay-member.

The leader of the council, David Renard (Con – Haydon Wick), argued that the change was requested by the various bodies that make up the board including the Clinical Commissioning Group, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Healthwatch and NHS England.

He said: “What they have asked me to put to the council is a request to change the terms of reference for the membership of that board.

“They have already co-opted Mr Mattock on to the board unanimously last month – that is how much they value his experience and his contribution to date.”

Labour councillors strongly opposed the move, with some saying that it was an unprecedented step that would attract accusations of ‘jobs for the boys’.

The leader of the Labour group, Jim Grant (Lab – Rodbourne Cheney), said: “Labour oppose this confirmation – we’re told that this is an urgent issue, the Health and Wellbeing Board has been going since 2013 and my understanding is that the question of having lay members on it has never been raised before.

“We’re not being asked about lay members in general, we’re being asked to put a specific individual on that board.

“That individual has no essential and expert knowledge, he may have been on that board for some time as a councillor but you will notice he is no longer a councillor.

“He represents no body, individual or people – save, possibly, for the Conservative group on this council.”

At the last meeting of the Health and Wellbeing Board, it was made clear that if the terms of reference on lay members were successfully changed then Mr Mattock would take on the role of chairman of that body.

That role is not currently a paid one, however the Independent Remuneration Panel has suggested that in future, the chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board should receive a stipend of £6,000 a year.

Coun Bob Wright (Lab – Central) paid tribute to Mr Mattock as a good man but warned that the decision to put him onto the board in this way would be a stain on his reputation that would last.

Health and wellbeing boards were established after the Health and Social Care Act was passed in 2012, they act as a forum where key leaders from the health and care system work together to tackle issues that cross the boundaries of organisational responsibility.