Mike Whitehead, vice president of the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, and another high profile professional figure, were interviewed back in February for the role.

An immediate announcement was put off, with the process then canned – only for former East Riding of Yorkshire Council leader Stephen Parnaby OBE to emerge in a mid-term interim role on Friday.

Mr Whitehead, a property developer who was elected to his current role at the Chamber AGM in February, said he was taking time before making a considered response, keen not to “shoot from the hip”.

The former East Riding councillor and 2015 Hull West and Hessle parliamentary candidate, said: “I am upset by this process and I want to consult with family, friends and politicians before I confirm what considered response I will make.”

He, and the Chamber are understood to be talking to Dame Diana Johnson, Hull North MP – who has previously sought clarification in the House of Commons about who should steer LEPs.

Chamber chief executive Dr Ian Kelly has described it as “a grubby fix,” with questions now being asked over the process that saw Mr Parnaby first become deputy chair.

“I don’t think the process would stand much public scrutiny,” the second candidate, who wishes to remain anonymous, said.

He hadn’t applied, but was headhunted “fairly late in the day” after “a number of people mentioned my name and wondered if I would put myself forward”.

The Hull-based senior figure said: “There was a process, there was an interview, three of us, Stephen Parnaby, Mike Whitehead and myself, and the day after there was a board meeting at which the successful candidate would be rubber-stamped.

“The fact Stephen Parnaby wasn’t rubber-stamped would rather suggest he wasn’t the successful or preferred candidate.”

It is understood key people may have been missing from that meeting, with a second meeting also understood to have been postponed. Then by the time it was reconvened the South Bank devolution position – with Lincolnshire not the Humber authorities – had been made clear.

“I was in fairly regular contact with the headhunters, and they said the process was on hold,” the candidate said. “Mike and I then both got an email from Kishor Tailor (chief executive of Humber LEP) saying they had curtailed the process and that Chris (Lord Haskins) was going to remain in position until such time as the position was clearer, then have a new process.

“It came as a bit of a surprise then to see it had gone straight to a Stephen Parnaby appointment.”

Lord Haskins has defended the move, stating it was all above board, unanimously backed by the LEP board and agreed by Simon Clarke MP, Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government.  He said “recruiting into a temporary job was unfair” with the future of the LEP as it is in grave doubt.

He said: “It is a temporary need for the Humber LEP, it has got to work with people who understand the ground rules. He (Stephen Parnaby) has a business background, while leader of the local authority he had a lot of interest in business and is now a director of Wren Kitchens, possibly the largest private company in the estuary, with interests on both sides of the river.”

But the candidate added: “It doesn’t look very interim when you say two or three years, it doesn’t sound very interim to me.

“It doesn’t look like a great process.”