Key Points
- Bristol City Council has been ordered to publish an internal fraud report into Stepping Up, a company linked to former Labour councillor and deputy mayor Asher Craig.
- The report was drawn up by the council’s counter-fraud team in April 2023 after reports of irregularities, but it did not identify suspected fraudulent activity.
- The council initially refused a Freedom of Information request for the report, arguing disclosure would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs.
- The Information Commissioner rejected that reasoning, saying the council relied on generic arguments and later ordered publication in May 2026.
- The case has renewed scrutiny of transparency at City Hall, with councillors and campaigners criticising the handling of the request.
- Figures in the report showed that by April 2023, 116 council staff had taken part in the Stepping Up programme, with limited progression outcomes recorded.
Bristol City Council (Bristol Express News) August 5, 2026 – Secrecy fears at City Hall have resurfaced after the council was ordered to publish a fraud report into Stepping Up, a training company linked to former deputy mayor Asher Craig. As reported by Alex Seabrook of Bristol Post, the report was prepared by the council’s counter-fraud team in April 2023 “in light of reports of irregularities”, but it did not find suspected fraudulent activity.
The report instead highlighted concerns about how the council chose to spend money and award contracts to the firm. According to the Bristol Post report, Stepping Up received more than £700,000 from the council, which fuelled wider questions over conflict of interest and value for money.
Why did the council refuse to release it?
Bristol City Council originally declined to release the document after a Freedom of Information request from local resident Joseph Lloyd in June 2025. The authority argued that publication would prejudice the effective conduct of public affairs, and its legal bosses told councillors they could not see the report.
The Information Commissioner later found that the council’s refusal relied on generic arguments. In May 2026, the commissioner ordered the authority to publish the report, ending the secrecy dispute and prompting fresh complaints from members of the audit committee.
What did councillors say about the row?
Liberal Democrat councillor Nicholas Coombes told the audit committee that councillors had been blocked from seeing a report the public should be able to read. As quoted by Alex Seabrook in Bristol Post, he said the commissioner had judged the contents to be suitable for public release and urged council officers to stop blocking FOI requests and arguing with the regulator.
Labour councillor Rob Logan, who chairs the audit committee, said internal audit reports of this kind are not normally published. He welcomed the clarity from the Information Commissioner and said the council had accepted that position.
What does the report say about Stepping Up?
The report includes figures showing that by April 2023, 116 council staff had taken part in the Stepping Up training programme. Of those, 12 per cent were promoted to a leadership role, 13 per cent were promoted to a non-leadership role, 53 per cent had no known progression, and 23 per cent left the council.
The Bristol Post report also notes that Ms Craig defended the company as a response to Bristol’s lack of diverse leadership and said she had always adhered to ethical boundaries and professional standards. She also denied benefiting personally from the firm, describing her role as unpaid and non-executive.
Why does this matter now?
The issue matters because it touches on two sensitive matters at once: how public money was used, and how much information the council is willing to release when questions are raised. Local campaigners have argued for more details to be made public, saying the dispute shows a wider pattern of resistance to transparency.
The report has also revived debate about the council’s handling of public statements and document redactions. That broader concern has kept the story alive beyond the specific fraud investigation and into a wider discussion about governance at City Hall.
Background of the development
Stepping Up began as a council-linked training initiative aimed at improving leadership opportunities for staff from ethnic minority backgrounds. It was helped along by Asher Craig, who served as a Labour councillor and deputy mayor, and later developed into a company that received public funding to run training services.
According to the Bristol Post report, the company had won awards but was also dogged by perceptions of conflict of interest because of its links to Craig and the level of council money involved. The internal counter-fraud review was drawn up in April 2023 after concerns were raised, but the long delay in disclosure meant the matter later became a transparency dispute rather than simply a question about the original report.
What is the prediction for the public and council?
For Bristol residents, the publication of the report is likely to increase scrutiny of how the council awards contracts and monitors publicly funded programmes. It may also encourage more Freedom of Information challenges where residents believe documents should not be withheld.
For council staff and elected members, the development could mean greater caution over future decisions involving linked organisations, declarations of interest and procurement processes. It may also put pressure on the authority to be clearer about what it publishes, especially when public money and perceived conflicts of interest are involved.
