Agenda and minutes

Standards Committee - Wednesday, 1st September, 2021 6.00 pm

Venue: Head of Democratic Services' Office - Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge, UB8 1UW. View directions

Contact: Lloyd White  If you are attending the meeting, please enter via main reception and visit the security desk to sign-in and collect a visitors pass. You will then be directed to the Committee Room.  

Items
No. Item

2.

Declarations of Interest

To note any declarations of interest in any matter before the Committee

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest.

3.

Confirmation that all items marked Part I will be considered in public and those marked Part II, in private

Minutes:

It was confirmed that the following items would be considered in Part II.

4.

Complaint

To consider a complaint against a Member of the Council

 

Documents attached:

 

Monitoring Officer Report                                      Page 1

Appendix 1 – Transcript of Speech                        Page 5

Appendix 2 - Complainant Statement                     Page 7

Appendix 3 – Subject Member Statement               Page 8

 

Background

Appendix 4 - Member Code of Conduct:                Page 11

Appendix 5 - Whips’ Protocol                                Page 15

 

Complaint Details:

The complaint 16.12.20                                         Page 19

Chief Whip response to complaint                          Page 30

15.03.21

Escalation of complaint 22.03.15                            Page 31

Monitoring Officer consideration                            Page 33

of complaint 23.03.15:                                          

Request for mediation 07.04.21:                             Page 35

Acceptance of mediation 09.04.21                          Page 36

Outcome of mediation 14.06.21                             Page 38

Request for formal consideration                           Page 39

by Standards Committee 29.07.21                                

Minutes:

Members considered details of a complaint of alleged misconduct made against an elected Member of the Council. In doing so, and in accordance with the Standard Committee Procedure Rules, Members first of all confirmed that the complaint was against one or more named Members of the Council and that that Member was in office at the time of the alleged misconduct and the Code of Conduct was in force at that time.

 

Members then gave consideration to whether, if proven, the alleged misconduct would be a breach of the Code of Conduct under which the Member was operating at the time.

 

The Committee unanimously decided that it was not satisfied that the complaint, if proven, would be a breach of the Code of Conduct. The Committee determined firstly that the Nolan principles, quoted in the complaint, underpinned the Code of Conduct but did not actually form part of the General obligations set out in the Code and, secondly, that paragraph 8 of the General obligations containing the words, ‘…in particular as characterised by the above requirements…’ referred to the preceding seven obligations which did not arise in this case.

 

In the circumstances, the Committee did not proceed to assess the validity of the complaint and

 

RESOLVED: That no action be taken in relation to the complaint.