Issue - meetings

Report No: STC/WS/24/004

Report No: STC/WS/24/003

The Monitoring Officer presented this report which outlined complaints received that an Elected Member had breached the Suffolk Code of Conduct.

In line with process, the matter had been considered by the Independent Person and their response was appended to the report together with final submissions received from the subject member and complainants.

Following discussion and debate, it was

RESOLVED

That, in considering all the evidence, the West Suffolk Standards Committee was unanimous in determining that the Councillor had breached the Suffolk Code of Conduct, the relevant Codes being:

As a Councillor:

1.1     I treat other Councillors and members of the public with respect.

2.1     I do not bully any person.

2.2    I do not harass any person.

4.1b.  I do not disclose information acquired by me which I believe, or ought reasonably to be ware, is of a confidential nature, unless

i. I have received the consent of a person authorised to give it;

ii. I am required by law to do so;

iii the disclosure is made to a third party for the purpose of obtaining professional legal advice provided that the third party agrees not to disclose the information to any other person; or

iv. the disclosure is:

1.   reasonable and in the public interest; and

2.   made in good faith and in compliance with the reasonable requirements of the local authority; and

3.   I have consulted the Monitoring Officer prior to its release.

5.1    I do not bring my role or local authority into disrepute.

6.1    I do not use, or attempt to use, my position improperly to the advantage or disadvantage of myself or anyone else.

In considering the nature of the breaches of the Code of Conduct the Committee was satisfied that the following sanctions were reasonable, proportionate and relevant to the Councillor’s behaviour:

·         That the Councillor write a letter of apology to the complainants, such letter to be approved by the Chair of the West Suffolk Standards Committee;

·         That the Committee will report its findings in respect of the Councillor’s conduct to an identified meeting and for the Councillor to apologise at that meeting for the breach;

·         That the Committee will release a statement about the Councillor’s conduct to the media; and

·         That a copy of the decision notice is submitted to the Councillor’s Political Group Chair and Deputy Group Leader with recommendations that the Councillor is removed from the membership of the identified meeting for the remainder of the current Administration and removed from their current position within the Political Group.

Report No: STC/WS/24/002

The Monitoring Officer presented this report which outlined complaints received that an Elected Member had breached the Suffolk Code of Conduct.

In line with process, the matter had been considered by the Independent Person and their response was appended to the report together with final submissions received from the subject member and complainants.

Following discussion and debate, it was

RESOLVED

That, in considering all the evidence, the West Suffolk Standards Committee was unanimous in determining that the Councillor had breached the Suffolk Code of Conduct, the relevant Codes being:

As a Councillor:

1.2     I treat local authority employees, employees and representatives of partner organisations and those volunteering for the local authority with respect and respect the role they play.

2.1     I do not bully any person.

2.3     I promote equalities and do not discriminate unlawfully against any person.

4.1b.  I do not disclose information acquired by me which I believe, or ought reasonably to be ware, is of a confidential nature, unless

i. I have received the consent of a person authorised to give it;

ii. I am required by law to do so;

iii the disclosure is made to a third party for the purpose of obtaining professional legal advice provided that the third party agrees not to disclose the information to any other person; or

iv. the disclosure is:

1.   reasonable and in the public interest; and

2.   made in good faith and in compliance with the reasonable requirements of the local authority; and

3.   I have consulted the Monitoring Officer prior to its release.

5.1    I do not bring my role or local authority into disrepute

6.1    I do not use, or attempt to use, my position improperly to the advantage or disadvantage of myself or anyone else.

The Committee considered this a serious breach of the Code of Conduct and imposed the following sanctions upon the Councillor:

·         That the Councillor write a letter of apology to the complainants and the data subject, such letter to be approved by the Monitoring Officer;

·         That the Committee will report its findings in respect of the Councillor’s conduct to an identified meeting and for the Councillor to apologise at that meeting for the breach;

·         That the Committee will release a statement about the Councillor’s conduct to the media; and

·         That a copy of the decision notice is submitted to the Councillor’s Group Leader with a recommendation that they are removed from the membership of the identified meetings, for the remainder of the current Administration.