Lambeth (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Bayo Dosunmu, Lambeth Council’s chief executive, resigned after being charged with drink-driving and other offenses following a crash in Westminster.
A Lambeth council executive who was found guilty of driving under the influence and failing to halt after his car crashed was given a “golden goodbye” payout of nearly £90,000 from taxpayer funds.
Following his arrest in June 2024, Bayo Dosunmu “resigned” from his £190,000-per-year position as chief executive of the Labour-run Lambeth council.
After confessing to a number of traffic infractions, he was later banned from driving for two years.
Dosunmu, 46, received £87,879 after he and the council “agreed to jointly enter into a settlement agreement” in response to the “unexpected and unprecedented emergency situation,” according to recently released documents.
In the midst of allegations that his illegal actions “brought the council into disrepute,” the payout was characterized as a waste of government funds.
The council’s own constitution stated that it “reserves the right to take action against any employee whose actions and/ or behaviour, inside or outside work, could reasonably be regarded as bringing the council into disrepute.”
Just before nine in the morning on June 23, 2024, Dosunmu was operating a white Jeep when he collided with a blue Toyota at a roundabout close to Wandsworth Bridge Road in Fulham, south-west London.
When he tried to drive away, the Toyota followed and he had to stop. Dosunmu was slurring his words and “struggling to follow directions,” according to the police.
Dosunmu was determined to be three times the legal drinking and driving limit while residing in an apartment in Chelsea Harbour.
He acknowledged being uninsured, driving under the influence, and failing to halt following the collision when he appeared in September 2024 at Westminster Magistrates Court.
He was given a 12-month community order that required 150 hours of community service and 15 days of treatment.
A freedom of information request asked whether the council had considered his behaviour to be gross misconduct. The authority replied:
“The council considered the issues as ones which gave rise to the question of whether trust and confidence in Dosunmu as chief executive had broken down.”
According to the response, he was suspended on the day of his arrest and “stepped down” the month after, but “no reason was given.”
In accordance with a “contractual entitlement,” it further stated that Dosunmu received £34,250 in general and by-election elections on July 4, 2024, which included £46,943 “in respect of his notice period,” an additional £6,687 for “untaken annual leave,” and two “pro rata payments – up to the date of suspension – for his acting returning officer duties.”
He also retained his deferred pension from the municipal government.
Elliot Keck, the head of campaigns at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said:
“It’s an absolute disgrace that a council boss on a six-figure salary was handed nearly £90,000 of taxpayers’ cash after being convicted of drink-driving and fleeing the scene of a crash.
Residents expect their hard-earned money to fund front-line services, not soft landings for disgraced officials.”
Lambeth council should explain why someone who brought the council into disrepute was handed a golden goodbye instead of being shown the door without a penny.
While detractors demanded more accountability and transparency, Lambeth Council justified the payment as contractual and for work previously completed. Dosunmu’s attorney emphasized the human toll of losing his position as well as his lengthy history of public service.
A spokesman for Lambeth council said:
“Bayo Dosunmu stepped down as chief executive of Lambeth council in July 2024. He received payment in respect of his notice period, untaken annual leave and for his work as acting returning officer for the general election and a by-election.
These were paid in line with his contract and for work already completed.”
The Lambeth resident who submitted the data request, Sheila O’Reilly, has created a petition urging the government to step in because the authority is becoming “more authoritarian” and functioning as a “virtual one-party state” with no viable opposition and mounting debt.
When Dosunmu was hired by Lambeth Council, his attorney Colin Aylott KC told the court that his client had a “history of public service” and “some degree of pride.”
He stated that Dosunmu is currently living with a relative and that “losing his job and the consequences that follow have taken a heavy toll on him.”
What actions are being taken to prevent similar payouts in the future of Lambeth?
Putting explicit clauses in senior executive contracts that restrict or forbid severance benefits in the event of malfeasance, criminal convictions, or conduct violations.
Enhancing the ability of independent regulators, audit committees, and oversight bodies to examine and authorize exit payments while maintaining appropriateness and transparency.
Implementing or strengthening regulations that limit or cap public officials’ exit payments in accordance with national standards or laws designed to stop disproportionate payouts.
Openly disclosing information about exit payments and settlement agreements will enable public review and discourage improper arrangements.
Ensuring that misbehavior results in the proper disciplinary actions, such as bonus forfeiture or, if warranted, severance.
Reviewing governance and compensation structures to find flaws and put protections in place against misappropriation of public cash.