Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson arrested in bribery investigation
Joe Anderson, the Mayor of Liverpool, has been arrested on suspicion of witness intimidation and conspiracy to commit bribery in connection with a long-running police investigation into fraud in the city.
Mr Anderson, 62, has been suspended from the Labour Party pending the outcome of the police inquiries.
In a statement, Merseyside Police said five men had been arrested on Friday as part of an investigation into building and development contracts in Liverpool. Multiple sources have confirmed that Mr Anderson, who has been Mayor for a decade, was one of them.
It is understood that he was being questioned under caution on Friday night after being taken to a police station. He was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation. A 72-year-old man from Aigburth was also arrested on suspicion of witness intimidation.
It is understood that Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, was informed of the arrests. The party declined to comment while the police investigation was ongoing, but it is understood that Mr Anderson is "administratively suspended" pending the outcome of the case.
Police said: "Five people have been arrested by detectives today, Friday, December 4, in connection with offences of bribery and witness intimidation as part of an investigation into building and development contracts in Liverpool.
"The arrests are part of an ongoing investigation. Those arrested have been taken to police stations across Merseyside, where they will be questioned by detectives."
In October, after Liverpool was put into Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions, Mr Anderson warned that the city faced a "spiral back to the bleak days of the 80s".
He is a former social worker and publican who spent most of the Covid-19 pandemic shielding due to underlying health conditions. His eldest brother, Bill, died in October after contracting the virus.
Last year, he secured the Labour party selection to run to be Liverpool's Mayor for a third term in May's elections, which were delayed by the crisis.
Liverpool City Council declined to discuss the names of individuals arrested but did not deny that Mr Anderson was one of them. A spokesman said: "Liverpool City Council is co-operating with Merseyside Police in relation to its ongoing investigation. We do not comment on matters relating to individuals."
Councillor Richard Kemp, the leader of the Liberal Democrats in Liverpool, said that, if the arrest was confirmed, Mr Anderson should stand down from official duties.
He said: "Firstly, Mayor Anderson must follow precedent and immediately stand down from all official duties until cleared or convicted. We all have deputies capable of carrying out our work.
"Secondly, we must allow the police to carry out their enquiries. They have been working for 18 months now on a series of allegations relating to problems within the regeneration directorate in relation to the awarding of contracts and property disposals.
"This is a complex matter and takes time. Justice is best served by not speculating on any potential issues as these might compromise subsequent trials."
Merseyside Police said the three other men arrested were a 33-year-old man from West Derby, Liverpool, and a 46-year-old man, from Ainsdale, Southport, both suspected of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation, and a 25-year-old man from Ormskirk, Lancashire, detained on suspicion of witness intimidation.
