Lewisham Council has been called “out of touch” after hiring a former Southwark councillor for Labour for a senior communications role despite claims she has no professional experience in this field.

Fiona Colley has filled the new £100k assistant director of strategy and communications post “to support the Mayor in realising his ambitions for the borough” after being chosen by an appointment panel from a pool of 45 applicants.

Lewisham Lib Dem spokeswoman Lucy Salek said: “It seems that what counts for senior jobs at Lewisham is your party political background, not your experience.”

Lewisham People Before Profit spokesman John Hamilton said the appointment “smacked of jobs for the girls.”

“At a time when Lewisham Council is having to make huge cuts in services due to its huge debts on Private Finance Initiative contracts entered into by the previous mayor, it is disgraceful that Damien Egan thinks he needs to pay £100,000 a year to a PR person.

“This is four times the average salary for Lewisham and anyway, why can’t the mayor explain his policies adequately to the public himself?

“It smacks of ‘jobs for the girls’ and a political elite out of touch with real life,” he added.

Ms Colley stood down from Southwark Council after eight years in May last year. Her portfolios included finance, modernisation and performance, and regeneration and corporate strategy.

Her most recent work includes nine months as a local government consultant, providing advice and insight for companies and not-for-profit organisations.

Previous roles also include work as a researcher for the Labour group at the Greater London Authority.

Commenting at the time of her appointment, a Lewisham Council spokesperson said: “There were forty-five applicants. Five candidates were long-listed. External testing was conducted on these individuals and they were interviewed by senior officers. Three candidates were shortlisted by the senior officer interview panel. These three shortlisted candidates were interviewed by the members appointments committee, who made the decision to appoint Fiona Colley.”

Lewisham Council has not responded to requests for comment.