23.—(1) The Mayor may appoint one person as the Mayor’s political adviser.
(2) Any appointment under paragraph (1) is an appointment as an employee of the Combined Authority.
(3) No appointment under paragraph (1) may extend beyond—
(a)the term of office for which the Mayor who made the appointment was elected; or
(b)where the Mayor who appointed the political adviser ceases to be the Mayor before the end of the term of office for which the Mayor was elected, the date on which the Mayor ceases to hold that office.
(4) A person appointed under paragraph (1) is to be regarded for the purposes of Part 1 of the 1989 Act (political restriction of officers and staff) as holding a politically restricted post under a local authority.
(5) Subject to paragraph (6), section 9(1), (8), (9) and (11) of the 1989 Act (assistants for political groups)(1), applies in relation to an appointment under paragraph (1) as if—
(a)any appointment to that post were the appointment of a person in pursuance of that section; and
(b)the Combined Authority were a relevant authority for the purposes of that section.
(6) Subsection (3) of section 9 of the 1989 Act applies in relation to an appointment under paragraph (1) as if the words “and that the appointment terminates” to the end of that subsection were omitted.
Section 9 was amended by sections 61 and 204 of, and paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to, the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 and by S.I. 2001/2237.